Genesis 24:34 — Word Study
WLCוַיֹּאמַ֑ר עֶ֥בֶד אַבְרָהָ֖ם אָנֹֽכִי׃
BSAIʼânôkîy [the speaker himself] am Abraham’sʼAbrâhâm [father of the faithful, a key figure] servantʻebed [a bondservant or slave, one who serves] he repliedʼâmar▸ [said, spoke, or declared]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמַ֑ר | and he said | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| עֶ֥בֶד | [am] [the] servant of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| אַבְרָהָ֖ם | Abraham | Noun proper masculine |
| אָנֹֽכִי׃ | I | Pronoun |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | “I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied. |
| KJV | And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. |
| ASV | And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. |
| YLT | And he saith, 'I [am] Abraham's servant; |
| WEB | He said, “I am Abraham’s servant. |
| BBE | And he said, I am Abraham's servant. |
The translations agree on the meaning of עֶ֥בֶד as 'servant' — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a verb phrase, indicating the servant's declaration and his response.
2 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson & more — read them ›
clause
subjectאָנֹכִי
verbאָמַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 24:34
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Servant of Abrahamgenerated
Genesis 24:34 shows a servant of Abraham declaring his identity in a conversation after a meal. This moment highlights the servant's role and the significance of his master, Abraham, in the unfolding narrative of the biblical story. The servant's statement is a key moment that sets the stage for the events that follow, as he recounts the blessings of his master and the purpose of his journey.
Cross References
The Key Word — עֶ֥בֶד, 'E.vedgenerated
The Hebrew word עֶ֫בֶד (*'eved*) refers to a servant or slave, indicating a person who serves another. This term encompasses various roles, including household servants and those in positions of servitude to God or human masters.
In this verse, the servant's declaration emphasizes his loyalty and connection to Abraham, highlighting the importance of servitude in the cultural context of the time.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree on the rendering of the phrase, with all versions using 'servant' for עֶ֥בֶד.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb וַיֹּאמַ֑ר (*vai.yo.mar*), meaning 'and he said,' governs the sentence, indicating the servant's speech. This structure emphasizes the act of speaking as the central action.
The subject אָנֹֽכִי (*anokhi*), meaning 'I,' is placed prominently, highlighting the servant's personal declaration of identity.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיֹּאמַ֑ר as εἶπεν (*eipen*), meaning 'he said,' which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning.
The choice of παῖς (*pais*) for עֶ֥בֶד indicates a broader understanding of servitude, as it can mean 'child' or 'servant,' suggesting a close relationship between the servant and his master.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 24:34 shows a servant declaring, 'I am Abraham’s servant.' This statement emphasizes the servant's loyalty and connection to Abraham, a key figure in the biblical narrative.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The servant's declaration signifies his loyalty and role as a representative of Abraham, highlighting the importance of servitude in the context of their relationship.
Abraham is significant as a patriarch and a key figure in the biblical narrative, representing faith and God's covenant with His people.
This verse sets the stage for the servant's mission to find a wife for Isaac, illustrating the importance of family and lineage in the biblical narrative.
The servant plays a crucial role as a faithful servant, tasked with carrying out Abraham's wishes and ensuring the continuation of his lineage.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does it mean to serve someone faithfully, as the servant does for Abraham?
- How can I apply the concept of servitude in my own life?
- In what ways does Abraham's faith impact the actions of those around him?
- How does understanding the role of the servant enhance my reading of this passage?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers comment on the servant's declaration, noting his prudence and precision in recounting his mission.
Consider … in this instance, I ask you, the servant’s great prudence. What in fact did he say? “I will not eat until I have said my piece.”“Whereas you have made a show of your resources,” he says, “I, for my part,Early Church Fathers on Genesis 24 →
See how the servant narrates everything to them with precision: “I am servant of that man Abraham,” he says, “whom you know;Early Church Fathers on Genesis 24 →
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 24:34 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd he said, I [am] Abraham's servant. Not Abraham himself, this undeceived Laban, if he so thought, but a servant of his; which was enough to introduce his discourse, his master being a near
Read John Gill on Genesis 24 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he said, I am Abraham's servant. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 24 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
“I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied.
He said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
“I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied.
“I am the servant of Abraham,” he began.
Tyndale line
And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.
And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.
And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.
And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
Then he said, I am Abrahams seruant,
Strictly literal
And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
And he saith, 'I [am] Abraham's servant;
And he says, “I [am] Abraham’s servant;
And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
He said, “I am Abraham's servant.
From the Latin
And he said: I am the servant of Abraham:
Simplified
“I'm Abraham's servant,” the man began.
And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is confirmed by the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agrees word for word: ויאמר עבד אברהם אנכי. The Septuagint matches all four words, though its word order differs.
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר עֶ֥בֶד אַבְרָהָ֖ם אָנֹֽכִי׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ויאמר עבד אברהם אנכי
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 24:34
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
Say
Say in the heart (= think)
Promise
Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
base
H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say
. Say in the heart (= think)
. Promise
. Command (esp. late)
. be said, told
. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
. act proudly, boast
559 'amar aw-mar'
a primitive root; to say (used with great
latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,
certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),
commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X
expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,
publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X
suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),
utter, X verily, X yet.
אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.
1) to say, speak, utter
1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend
1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called
1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly
1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch
Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
The Hebrew word עֶ֫בֶד (*ebed*) means 'slave' or 'servant' and encompasses various roles, including household servants, subjects, and worshippers of God. It can also refer to Israel as a collective servant of God and is used in polite address among equals. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to work' or 'to serve'.
עֶ֫בֶד 799 n.m. slave, servant
slave, servant of household
Subjects, of chief
Servants, worshippers of God
Servant of י׳, in a special sense
Israel as a people is servant of י׳
In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I
Phrases
base
H5650 עֶ֫בֶד slave, servant . slave, servant of household
. Subjects, of chief
. Servants, worshippers of God
. Servant of י׳, in a special sense
. Israel as a people is servant of י׳
. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I
. Phrases
5650 `ebed eh'-bed
from 5647; a servant:--X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant,
(man-)servant.
see HEBREW for 05647
עֶ֫בֶד (e.ved) — servant/slave.
1) slave, servant
1a) slave, servant, man-servant
1b) subjects
1c) servants, worshippers (of God)
1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc)
1e) servant (of Israel)
1f) servant (as form of address between equals)
Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (עֲבַד "servant/slave" H5649)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word אַבְרָם (*Abram*) refers to the biblical figure later known as אַבְרָהָם (*Abraham*), meaning 'father of a multitude.' He is first mentioned in Genesis 11:26 as the son of Terah and is notable for being the patriarch of the Hebrew nation through God's covenant. The name reflects his role as a significant ancestor.
אַבְרָם n.pr.m. (id., Thes al. exalted father) Abram = אַבְרָהָם Abraham
base
H85 אַבְרָם Abram = אַבְרָהָם Abraham
85 'Abraham ab-raw-hawm'
contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be
populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of
Abram:--Abraham.
see HEBREW for 01
אַבְרָהָם (av.ra.ham) — Abraham.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.26;
son of: Terah (H8646);
brother of: Nahor (H5152H), Haran (H2039) and Sarah (H8283); married to Sarah (H8283), Hagar (H1904) and Keturah (H6989);
father of: Ishmael (H3458), Isaac (H3327), Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Midian (H4080), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744); also called Abram at Gen.11.26--17.5; 2x
§ Abraham = "father of a multitude" or "chief of multitude"
friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God's elective covenant
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
a'-bra-ham:
I. NAME 1. Various Forms 2. Etymology 3. Association II. KINDRED III. CAREER 1. Period of Wandering 2. Period of Residence at Hebron 3. Period of Residence in the Negeb IV. CONDITIONS OF LIFE 1. Economic Conditions 2. Social Conditions 3. Political Conditions 4. Cultural Conditions V. CHARACTER 1. Religious Beliefs 2. Morality 3. Personal Traits VI. SIGNIFICANCE IN THE HISTORY OF RELIGION 1. In the Old Testament 2. In the New Testament 3. In Jewish Tradition 4. In the Koran VII. INTERPRETATIONS OF THE STORY OTHER THAN HISTORICAL 1. The Allegorical Interpretation 2. The Personification Theory 3. The Mythical Theory 4. The "Saga" Theory
I. Name.
1. Various Forms:
In the Old Testament, when applied, to the patriarch, the name appears as 'abhram, up to Ge 17:5; thereafter always as 'abhraham. Two other persons are named 'abhiram.…
Abraham
Father of a multitude, son of Terah, named (Gen. 11:27) before his older brothers Nahor and Haran, because he was the heir of the promises. Till the age of seventy, Abram sojourned among his kindred in his native country of Chaldea. He then, with his father and his family and household, quitted the city of Ur, in which he had hitherto dwelt, and went some 300 miles north to Haran, where he abode fifteen years. The cause of his migration was a call from God (Acts 7:2-4). There is no mention of this first call in the Old Testament; it is implied, however, in Gen. 12. While they tarried at Haran, Terah died at the age of 205 years. Abram now received a second and more definite call, accompanied by a promise from God (Gen.…
(father of a multitude) was the son of Terah, and founder of the great Hebrew nation. (B.C. 1996-1822.) His family, a branch of the descendants of Shem, was settled in Ur of the Chaldees, beyond the Euphrates, where Abraham was born. Terah had two other sons, Nahor and Haran. Haran died before his father in Ur of the Chaldees, leaving a son, Lot; and Terah, taking with him Abram, with Sarai his wife and his grandson Lot, emigrated to Haran in Mesopotamia, where he died. On the death of his father, Abram, then in the 75th year of his age, with Sarai and Lot, pursued his course to the land of Canaan, whither he was directed by divine command, (Genesis 12:5) when he received the general promise that he should become the founder of a great nation, and that all the families of the earth should be blessed in him. He passed through the…
Father of a multitude, Ge 17:4,5; the great founder of the Jewish nation. He was a son of Terah, a descendant of Shem, and born in Ur, a city of Chaldea, A.M. 2008, B. C. 1996, Ge 11:27,28. Here he lived seventy years, when at the call of God he left his idolatrous kindred, and removed to Haran, in Mesopotamia, Ac 7:2-4, accompanied by his father, his wife Sarai, his brother Nahor, and his nephew Lot. A few years after, having buried his father, he again removed at the call of God, with his wife and nephew, and entered the land of promise as a nomad or wandering shepherd. Sojourning for a time at Shechem, he built here, as was his custom, an alter to the Lord, who appeared to him, and promised that land to his seed. Removing…
The Hebrew word אָֽנֹכִ֫י (*anokiy*) is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is a variant spelling of אֲנִי (*ani*), which also means 'I.' The entries confirm its use as a personal pronoun without significant disagreement among lexicons.
אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי pron. 1s. comm. I
base
H595 אָֽנֹכִ֫י, אָנֹ֑כִי I
595 'anokiy aw-no-kee'
sometimes {aw-no'-kee}; a primitive pro.; I:--I, me, X
which.
אָֽנֹכִ֫י (a.no.khi) — I.
I (first pers. sing.)
Another spelling of a.ni (אֲנִי, אָֽנֹכִ֫י "I" H0589)
Pron — PronounHPp1bs