Genesis 24:31 - Exposition

And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord . בְּרוּךְ יהֹוָה (cf. Genesis 26:29 ; Numbers 24:9 ); the usual form being לַיַהוָֹה ( vide Genesis 14:19 ; Ruth 2:20 ; 1 Samuel 15:13 ). Though Laban was an idolater ( Genesis 31:30 ), it seems more satisfactory to regard him as belonging to a family in which the worship of Jehovah had originated, and by which it was still retained (Murphy, Wordsworth), than to suppose that he first learnt the name Jehovah from the servant's address (Keil, Lange, Hengstenberg). Wherefore standest thou without? (as if his not accepting Rebekah's invitation were almost a reflection on, the hospitality of the house of Abraham's kinsmen) for (literally, arid, in expectation of thine arrival) I have prepared the house ,—or, put the house in order, by clearing it from things in confusion (cf. Le 14:36)— and room ( i . e . place) for the camels.