Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 24:42 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 42. 42And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The servant begins retelling his well prayer by asking the LORD to prosper the journey if the present path is truly being guided. The conditional wording communicates dependence rather than disbelief.
Read It With
- Genesis 24:29–49
Read verses 42–44 as one prayer and compare verses 12–14. Verse 42 names the request for success, verse 43 establishes the well setting, and verse 44 states the recognizable act of hospitality. The speech shortens but preserves the prayer's purpose.
Why This Verse Appears Here
With the commission established, the servant moves to the well prayer that preceded his knowledge of Rebekah.
Read Genesis 24:42–44 together
Why these verses belong together: The servant repeats his prayer for a fitting young woman's water response, including service to the camels.
Verse 42. 42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:
Verse 43. 43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;
Verse 44. 44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master’s son.
What Remains True
Prayer can express confident dependence while still asking whether a hoped-for path is the fitting one.
How It Can Shape Life
- Ask God for help without treating your preferred interpretation as settled before the relevant facts and responses appear.
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? very strong
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 ↗