Genesis 24:60

Genesis 24:60, in plain English

As Rebekah left, her family blessed her with a prayer for her to become the mother of countless descendants and for her offspring to defeat their enemies.

Why it's here

This wasn't a casual goodbye. This was a formal blessing with spiritual significance. They were praying over her future, asking God to bless her with fertility, descendants, and strength. They were releasing her with their full blessing.

Who's speaking

Rebekah's family, blessing her as she departs

Where it sits in the story

This blessing echoes the promises God made to Abraham—descendants as numerous as the stars. Rebekah is stepping into that story. She doesn't fully understand her role yet, but her family sensed that something significant was happening. She would become part of the lineage through which God would bless all nations.

The scholarly reading

As farewell, her family blesses Rebekah with fruitfulness and victory, praying she will become mother of countless descendants whose progeny will dominate their enemies.

Language and setting

The blessing—'May you become the mother of thousands upon thousands' (sihe lealpei revava) and 'may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies' (v'yirshu zarecha et sha'ar sone'av)—invokes the Abrahamic covenant language. 'Possessing the gates' refers to military dominance and city control; this blessing envisions Rebekah's descendants as victorious and numerous. The family's blessing becomes prophetic—they're invoking a future that will indeed unfold through Jacob's line.

Voice

Rebekah's brother and mother, blessing her at departure

Significance

The narrative concludes with forward-looking blessing rather than backward-looking lament. The family's ultimate recognition that their daughter's departure participates in God's covenantal expansion of the patriarchal promise demonstrates that faith involves releasing what we hold dear for purposes larger than ourselves.

58They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

59So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.

60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”

61Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.

Read all of Genesis 24 — A servant, a prayer, a woman at a well. One of the Bible's most beautiful stories of providence unfolds in the smallest details.