Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 24:55 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 55. 55And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Rebekah's brother and mother ask that she remain for an additional period before leaving. The Hebrew is compact—literally 'days or ten'—so the exact proposed duration is disputed, but their desire to delay the departure is clear.
Read It With
- Genesis 24:50–61
Read verses 54–58. The servant has asked to leave in the morning; the family proposes more time; he resists delay; and the family consults Rebekah. The timing issue creates the moment for her direct answer.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The family introduces a delay after the servant's morning request, creating the timing dispute that leads to direct consultation with Rebekah.
Read Genesis 24:54–58 together
Why these verses belong together: The overnight stay, morning request, proposed delay, servant's urgency, direct consultation, and Rebekah's answer form one timing-and-willingness negotiation.
Verse 54. 54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.
Verse 55. 55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
Verse 56. 56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
Verse 57. 57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.
Verse 58. 58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
Follow the Context
- Laban and Bethuel acknowledge the matter as coming from the LORD and agree that Rebekah may go to become Isaac's wife (24:50–51).
- The servant bows in worship, then gives silver and gold objects and clothing to Rebekah and other valued items to her brother and mother (24:52–53).
- After the travelers eat and stay overnight, the servant asks to return to Abraham, while Rebekah's brother and mother propose a period of delay (24:54–55).
- The servant resists delay because the LORD has prospered his way; the family responds by calling Rebekah and asking her directly whether she will go (24:56–58).
- Rebekah says, 'I will go,' and the household sends her with her nurse and attendants, blesses her with many-descendants and enemy-gate language, and watches the caravan depart (24:58–61).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“a few days, at the least ten”
In plain language: An additional period expressed by the compact phrase 'days or ten.'
The household wants Rebekah to remain before departure.
Why it matters: Many translations understand perhaps ten days; traditional interpretation has proposed a year or ten months, so precision is unwarranted.
How certain? probable“her brother and her mother”
In plain language: Laban and Rebekah's mother make the timing request.
These family members now lead the departure negotiation.
Why it matters: Their prominence is visible, but the narrative does not explain the full household structure.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
The verse does not give one indisputable length for the requested delay.
The request does not prove that Rebekah's family opposes the marriage.
The family's desire for delay does not erase Rebekah's forthcoming answer.
The servant's later refusal does not make every farewell period spiritually wrong.
What Remains True
Love, grief, and practical concern can make people seek more time, but disputed wording should be stated with humility rather than converted into an exact schedule.
How It Can Shape Life
- When a major departure is near, name the desire for more time honestly, hear the person leaving, and avoid making an uncertain detail carry more authority than the text supports.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 24:55's contribution to Genesis 24:50–61. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 24:50–61 — Rebekah Chooses to LeaveSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The exact length meant by 'days or ten' is uncertain.
The motives behind the requested delay may include affection, custom, practical preparation, or another concern; the text does not specify.
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, unit boundary, family response, worship, gifts, delay, Rebekah's answer, blessing, departure, and canonical connections.
Exact location: Genesis 24:50–61 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 12:1; 22:17; 24:1–49, 62–67; 25:21; and 35:8
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: Decision idiom, family gifts, delay phrase, success, direct consultation, large-number blessing, gate imagery, and Rebekah's following.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 24:50–61; wording for ra o-tov, migdanot, yamim o-asor, tsalakh, sha'al et-piha, revavah, sha'ar, and halakh akhare
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Decision idiom, compact delay phrase, direct-question language, thousands of ten-thousands, enemy stronghold, and the narrative shift after verse 61.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 24:50–61 and translator notes 85–101, especially verses 50, 55, 57–61
Open NET Genesis 24 ↗