Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The servant uses the phrase "daughters of the men of the city" to subtly highlight that he's looking for a wife from among the people, not someone set apart or privileged from birth. He’s waiting to see who will emerge from the regular life of the community.
Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Abraham's servant has arrived in Mesopotamia, near the city where Abraham's brother Nahor lived, and has stopped at a well just outside the city. He's praying for God to guide him in finding a wife for Isaac, and he's devised a test: the first young woman to offer him and his camels water will be the one. As he finishes his prayer, young women begin to come out to draw water, a daily routine in that place.
Abraham's servant arrives at a well, a common place in ancient life. But this wasn't just any stop; it was a carefully orchestrated moment by God.
More Than Just Water
The scene at the well in Genesis 24 isn't just a picturesque detail. It was a strategic location for a divine encounter.
Eliezer didn't just hope for the best; he prayed for a specific sign. His prayer reveals a deep trust and a clear understanding of God's faithfulness.
A Tested Faith
Abraham's servant didn't leave the success of his mission to chance. He developed a strategy rooted in prayer and a keen understanding of God's character.
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Understand the original words
ayin · Hebrew Noun
A common, often small or shallow body of water in an arid environment, essential for life. Symbolically, it often represents a place of divine encounter, provision, or refreshment.
This scene unfolds at a well, a common gathering place in ancient Near Eastern cities, especially for women. Eliezer's prayer and the subsequent encounter with Rebekah highlight the importance of communal life and the diligent, daily tasks that shaped people's interactions and relationships.
c. 2090 BC
Abraham leaves Ur
Abraham is called by God to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldeans and journey to an unknown land, setting in motion God's covenant promises.
c. 2065 BC
Birth of Ishmael
Abraham's first son, Ishmael, is born to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar, but he is not the heir of the covenant promises.
c. 2065 BC
Abraham's wealth grows
Abraham becomes very wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold, demonstrating God's blessing and establishing the material basis for his family's future.
c. 2065 BC
Birth of Isaac
Abraham's promised son, Isaac, is born to Sarah, fulfilling God's covenant and establishing the line of inheritance.
c. 2040 BC
Isaac is around 40 years old
Isaac is now a grown man, and his father Abraham, recognizing the importance of securing a wife from his own kindred, sends his servant on a crucial mission.
c. 2040 BC
Servant travels to Nahor
Abraham's servant, Eliezer, travels to Mesopotamia, the region of Abraham's kinsmen, carrying valuable gifts and a mission to find a wife for Isaac.
c. 2040 BC— this verse
Eliezer arrives at the well
Eliezer arrives at a well outside the city of Nahor in the evening, the customary time for women to draw water, and waits for a sign from God.
Similar to Abraham's servant waiting by the well for a sign, Moses also encounters women at a well who are drawing water, leading to a significant turn of events in his life.
Judges 11:29-33Jephthah's vow before battle and its fulfillment at the well highlight how divine intervention and strategic waiting at a water source can be pivotal in life-altering decisions.
Ruth 2:8-16Boaz's instructions to his reapers and his interaction with Ruth at the harvest field echo the servant's encounter at the well, emphasizing kindness and divine provision in securing a future.
John 4:6-18Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well parallels the significance of water sources as places of divine appointment and revelation, where identity and purpose are unveiled.
gillGenesis 24:13: "Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:"
Behold, I stand here by the well of water,.... Wishing, hoping, and expecting that something would turn out that would direct and instruct what further to do, and that would lead on to the business he came about: and the daughters of the men of the city came out to draw water; which was the usual custom in those parts about that time. So Homer speaks (w) of meeting a girl…
cambridgeGenesis 24:13: "Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:"
13 . the fountain of water ] Two words are used in this passage which require to be distinguished: (1) “the fountain,” or “spring” ( ‘ayin ), the water of which rises from the ground, or out of the rock; and (2) “the well” ( be’êr ), as in Genesis 24:11; Genesis 24:20 , the tank or cistern, protected with stones, and provided with steps leading down to the actual “fountai…
The servant uses the phrase "daughters of the men of the city" to subtly highlight that he's looking for a wife from among the people, not someone set apart or privileged from birth. He’s waiting to see who will emerge from the regular life of the community.
Abraham's servant has arrived in Mesopotamia, near the city where Abraham's brother Nahor lived, and has stopped at a well just outside the city. He's praying for God to guide him in finding a wife for Isaac, and he's devised a test: the first young woman to offer him and his camels water will be the one. As he finishes his prayer, young women begin to come out to draw water, a daily routine in that place.
Abraham's servant has arrived in Mesopotamia, near the city where Abraham's brother Nahor lived, and has stopped at a well just outside the city. He's praying for God to guide him in finding a wife for Isaac, and he's devised a test: the first young woman to offer him and his camels water will be the one. As he finishes his prayer, young women begin to come out to draw water, a daily routine in that place.
"Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water." — The servant uses the phrase "daughters of the men of the city" to subtly highlight that he's looking for a wife from among the people, not someone set apart or privileged from birth. He’s waiting t…
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Last reviewed October 2026