Genesis 24:6
New International Version
“Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said.

New Living Translation
“No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there.

English Standard Version
Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there.

Berean Standard Bible
Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.

King James Bible
And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

New King James Version
But Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there.

New American Standard Bible
Then Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there!

NASB 1995
Then Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there!

NASB 1977
Then Abraham said to him, “Beware lest you take my son back there!

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Abraham said to him, “Beware lest you take my son back there!

Amplified Bible
Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there!

Christian Standard Bible
Abraham answered him, “Make sure that you don’t take my son back there.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Abraham answered him, “Make sure that you don’t take my son back there.

American Standard Version
And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

Contemporary English Version
"No!" Abraham answered. "Don't ever do that, no matter what.

English Revised Version
And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said to him.

Good News Translation
Abraham answered, "Make sure that you don't send my son back there!

International Standard Version
"Make sure not to take my son there," Abraham replied.

Majority Standard Bible
Abraham replied, ?Make sure that you do not take my son back there.

NET Bible
"Be careful never to take my son back there!" Abraham told him.

New Heart English Bible
Then Abraham told him, "Be careful that you do not take my son back there.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Abraham said to him, Beware that thou bring not my son thither again.

World English Bible
Abraham said to him, “Beware that you don’t bring my son there again.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Abraham says to him, “Take heed to yourself lest you cause my son to return there;

Young's Literal Translation
And Abraham saith unto him, 'Take heed to thyself, lest thou cause my son to turn back thither;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Abraham will say to him, Observe to thyself that thou shalt not turn back ray son there.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Abraham said: Beware thou never bring my son back again thither.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Abraham said: “Beware that you never lead my son back to that place.

New American Bible
Abraham told him, “Never take my son back there for any reason!

New Revised Standard Version
Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Abraham said to him, Beware that you do not take my son thither again.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not return my son there.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Abraham said unto him: 'Beware thou that thou bring not my son back thither.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abraam said to him, Take heed to thyself that thou carry not my son back thither.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Wife for Isaac
5The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there. 7The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there.…

Cross References
Genesis 12:1
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.

Genesis 28:1-4
So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded. / “Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. / May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples. ...

Genesis 26:2-5
The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you. / Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. / I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, ...

Genesis 31:3
Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

Genesis 15:7
The LORD also told him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Genesis 50:24
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Exodus 3:8
I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Exodus 6:8
And I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD!’”

Deuteronomy 1:8
See, I have placed the land before you. Enter and possess the land that the LORD swore He would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.”

Deuteronomy 34:4
And the LORD said to him, “This is the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross into it.”

Joshua 1:2-4
“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel. / I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses. / Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea.

Acts 7:2-5
And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, / and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ / So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living. ...

Hebrews 11:8-9
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. / By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

Acts 7:15-16
So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. / Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.

Acts 13:17
The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers. He made them into a great people during their stay in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out of that land.


Treasury of Scripture

And Abraham said to him, Beware you that you bring not my son thither again.

Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Hebrews 10:39
But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 11:9,13-16
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: …

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Abraham Beware Care Cause Heed Sure Thither Thou Thyself Turn
Genesis 24
1. Abraham swears his servant.
10. The servant's journey.
12. His prayer.
14. His sign.
15. Rebekah meets him;
18. fulfils his sign;
22. receives jewels;
23. shows her kindred;
25. and invites him home.
26. The servant blesses God.
29. Laban entertains him.
34. The servant shows his message.
50. Laban and Bethuel approve it.
58. Rebekah consents to go, and departs.
62. Isaac meets and marries her.














Abraham replied
This phrase introduces the response of Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, a central figure in the narrative of Genesis. The Hebrew root for "replied" is עָנָה (anah), which means to answer or respond. This indicates a thoughtful and deliberate communication, reflecting Abraham's wisdom and authority. Historically, Abraham is seen as a man of faith and obedience to God, and his replies often carry significant weight in the unfolding of God's covenantal promises.

Make sure
The phrase "make sure" is a directive that implies careful attention and diligence. In Hebrew, the concept of ensuring or taking heed is often expressed with the verb שָׁמַר (shamar), which means to guard, keep, or observe. This reflects the seriousness of the task at hand and Abraham's desire for his servant to act with caution and fidelity to his instructions.

that you do not take
This part of the verse emphasizes a prohibition. The Hebrew verb לָקַח (laqach) means to take, receive, or acquire. Abraham is setting a boundary, underscoring the importance of obedience to God's will. This reflects the broader biblical theme of separation from ungodly influences and the pursuit of a life that aligns with divine purposes.

my son back there
The phrase "my son" refers to Isaac, the child of promise through whom God's covenant with Abraham would continue. The Hebrew word for son is בֵּן (ben), which signifies not only a biological relationship but also a bearer of legacy and promise. "Back there" refers to Abraham's homeland, from which he was called by God to journey to Canaan. This highlights the theme of faith and trust in God's promises, as returning to the land of origin could symbolize a regression or lack of faith in God's plan for the future. Abraham's insistence on not taking Isaac back underscores the importance of moving forward in faith and the fulfillment of God's promises in the land He has designated.

Verses 6-8. - And Abraham said, Beware thou - literally, beware for thyself, the pleonastic pronoun being added by way of emphasis (cf. Genesis 12:1; Genesis 21:16; Genesis 22:5) - that thou bring not my son thither again. Literally, lest thou cause my son to, return thither; Abraham speaking of Isaac s going to Mesopotamia as a return, either because he regarded Isaac, though then unborn, as having come out with him from Mesopotamia, cf. Hebrews 7:10 (Wordsworth), or because he viewed himself and his descendants as a whole, as in Genesis 15:16 (Rosenmüller). The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the house of my kindred, - vide Genesis 12:1. This was the first consideration that prevented the return of either himself or his son. Having emigrated from Mesopotamia in obedience to a call of Heaven, not without a like instruction were they at liberty to return - and who spake unto me, - i.e. honored me with Divine communications (vide supra) - and (in particular) that sware unto me, - vide Genesis 15:17, 18; the covenant transaction therein recorded having all the force of an oath (cf. Genesis 22:16) - saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land. Here was a second consideration that negatived the idea of Isaac's return, - he was the God-appointed heir of the soil, - and from this, in conjunction with the former, he argued that the Divine promise was certain of fulfillment, and that accordingly the mission for a bride would be successful. He shall send his angel before thee, - i.e. to lead and protect, as was afterwards promised to Israel (Exodus 23:20), and to the Christian Church (Hebrews 1:14) - and thou shalt take a wife unto my Ben from thence (meaning, thy mission shall be successful). And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then shalt thou be clear of this my oath (i.e. at liberty to bold thyself as no longer under obligation in the matter; thy responsibility will at that point cease and determine): only bring not my son thither again - or, observing the order of the Hebrew words, only my son bring not again to that place; with almost feverish entreaty harping on the solemn refrain that on no account must Isaac leave the promised land, since in that would be the culmination of unbelief and disobedience.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Abraham
אַבְרָהָ֑ם (’aḇ·rā·hām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 85: Abraham -- 'exalted father', the father of the Jewish nation

replied,
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Make sure
הִשָּׁ֣מֶר (hiš·šā·mer)
Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

that you do not
פֶּן־ (pen-)
Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

take my son
בְּנִ֖י (bə·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1121: A son

back
תָּשִׁ֥יב (tā·šîḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

there.
שָֽׁמָּה׃ (šām·māh)
Adverb | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither


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OT Law: Genesis 24:6 Abraham said to him Beware that you (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 24:5
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