Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 24:32 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 32. 32And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The caravan receives practical hospitality: the camels are unloaded and fed, and water is provided for the travelers' feet. The welcome attends to animals, servants, and bodily needs before the formal speech begins.
Read It With
- Genesis 24:29–49
Read verses 31–33 together. Laban's invitation becomes concrete care in verse 32, then the offered meal creates the moment when the servant insists on stating his business first. The precise subject of every action is not equally clear in the Hebrew.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The invitation becomes practical care for the travelers and animals before the formal meal and speech.
Read Genesis 24:29–33 together
Why these verses belong together: Laban's response, jewelry and report, household hospitality, offered meal, and the servant's refusal form one movement from welcome to formal business.
Verse 29. 29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.
Verse 30. 30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.
Verse 31. 31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
Verse 32. 32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.
Verse 33. 33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.
What Remains True
Genuine hospitality supplies concrete care rather than stopping at courteous language.
How It Can Shape Life
- When welcoming or helping someone, attend to the practical needs of people, animals, travel, cleanliness, food, and rest within your real capacity.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 24:29–49 — The Servant Recounts God's GuidanceSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
Translations differ over whether Laban, the servant, or an indefinite household actor performs some of the actions in verse 32.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, boundary, welcome, meal, speech, oath, prayer, encounter retelling, worship, decision request, later response, Isaac's inheritance, and Laban's later characterization.
Exact location: Genesis 24:29–49 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 24:1–28, 50–67; 25:5–6; and Genesis 29–31
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Blessing, life-before-God language, success, young-woman terminology, silent prayer, ring, reliable path, loyal kindness and faithfulness, and right-or-left decision idiom.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 24:29–49; lemmas and morphology for barukh, halakh liphne, tsalakh, ne'arah, dibber belebi, nezem, derekh emet, khesed ve-emet, yamin, and semol
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Laban-motive proposal, household verb subjects, verse 33 variant, wealth nuance, walk language, oath idiom, silent prayer, kinship breadth, reliable-way phrase, and right-or-left idiom.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 24:29–49 and translator notes, especially verses 31–33, 35, 40–41, 45, 47–49
Open NET Genesis 24 ↗