Genesis 24:5

Study note

Setting — The servant addresses Abraham immediately after receiving the commission to secure a wife for Isaac. He poses a conditional question regarding the potential refusal of the chosen woman to return with him.

The words — The Hebrew adverb אוּלַי (ulai) means "perhaps" or "what if," introducing a hypothetical scenario. The verb תֹאבֶה (toveh) translates as "to be willing" or "to consent," establishing the woman's voluntary cooperation as the central variable.

The thread — The text records a direct negotiation of consent in Genesis 24:58, where Rebekah is asked the identical question and agrees. The structural pattern of conditional obedience and refusal also appears in Jeremiah 4:2 and Exodus 9:2, where compliance hinges on a specific response.

Why it lands — The verse presents a logistical reality: a divine directive may require navigating human refusal without abandoning the mission. It asks the reader to identify practical next steps when obedience depends on another person's voluntary agreement.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.