And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

GENESIS 24:17KJV
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Genesis 24:17 (KJV)

What does Genesis 24:17 mean?

Genesis 24:17 describes how Abraham’s servant quickly approached Rebekah and politely asked her for a small drink of water from her pitcher. The verse shows the servant’s eagerness and respectful manner as he seeks help from a stranger during his journey.

In this scene, Abraham’s servant is on a mission to find a wife for Isaac and has just seen Rebekah at the well. He runs to meet her, showing urgency and hopefulness, and addresses her with courtesy, asking for just a little water. This moment sets up the test he had prayed about earlier, to see if she would respond with kindness and generosity.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 24:17

  • The word for "servant" is עֶבֶד (ʿeved), which often refers to someone acting on behalf of another, highlighting the servant’s loyalty and sense of duty to Abraham.
  • "Ran" is רָץ (rats), emphasizing the servant’s eagerness and sense of purpose in approaching Rebekah, rather than waiting passively.
  • "Drink" is גָּמָא (gama’), which means to swallow or drink, and here it shows the servant’s humble request for a basic need, not demanding or taking, but asking.
  • "Little" is מְעַט (me‘at), meaning a small amount, which underlines the servant’s humility—he is not asking for much, just enough to quench his thirst.

Why Genesis 24:17 matters

  • This verse highlights the servant’s respectful approach and humility, which contrasts with any sense of entitlement and sets a tone for the encounter.
  • The servant’s actions fulfill the plan he made with God earlier in the chapter, connecting his prayer directly to what unfolds next.
  • The details about running and asking for a little water help readers see the servant’s character and the cultural importance of hospitality in the story’s setting.

Where else these words appear

“drink” Hebrew H1572 · used in 2 verses

  • Job 39:24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.

“pitcher” Hebrew H3537 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 24:14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
  • Genesis 24:43 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;
  • Judges 7:20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

“ran” Hebrew H7323 · used in 92 verses

  • Genesis 18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
  • 2 Samuel 18:23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
  • Job 9:25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

“little” Hebrew H4592 · used in 92 verses

  • Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
  • 1 Samuel 14:43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
  • Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.