25 Jan. Abraham seeks a wife for Isaac
“Abraham was now very old, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. Abraham said to his oldest servant, who was in charge of everything he owned, ‘Put your hand under my leg. Make a promise to me before the LORD, the God of heaven and earth. Don’t get a wife for my son from the Canaanite girls who live around here. Instead, go back to my country, to the land of my relatives, and get a wife for my son Isaac.’"
“The servant said to him, ‘What if this woman does not want to return with me to this land? Then, should I take your son back with me to your homeland?’“
“Abraham said to him, ‘No! Don’t take my son back there. The LORD, the God of heaven, brought me from the home of my father and the land of my relatives. And he promised me, “I will give this land to your descendants.” The LORD will send his angel before you to help you get a wife for my son there.’"
“'If the girl won’t come back with you, you will be free from this promise. But you must not take my son back there.'…"
“The servant took one of Abraham’s camels and left, carrying with him many different kinds of beautiful gifts. He went to North West Mesopotamia, to Nahor’s city. In the evening, when the women came out to get water, he made the camels kneel down at the well outside the city.”
“The servant said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham, Allow me to find a wife for his son today… Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, came out of the city. (Bethuel was the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham’s brother.) Rebekah was carrying her water jar on her shoulder… She went down to the spring and filled her jar, then came back up.”
“The servant ran to her and said, ‘Please give me a little water from your jar.’ Rebekah said, ‘Drink, sir.’ She quickly lowered the jar from her shoulder and gave him a drink. After he finished drinking, Rebekah said, ‘I will also pour some water for your camels.'…"
“The servant quietly watched her. He wanted to be sure the LORD had made his trip successful. After the camels had finished drinking, he gave Rebekah a gold ring weighing five grammes and two gold arm bracelets weighing about 110 grammes each. He asked, ‘Who is your father? Is there a place in his house for me and my men to spend the night?’"
“Rebekah answered, ‘My father is Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor.’ Then she said, ‘And yes, we have straw for your camels and a place for you to spend the night.’ The servant bowed and worshipped the LORD and said, ‘Blessed is the LORD… [he] has led me to my master’s relatives.’"
“Then Rebekah ran and told her mother’s family about all these things. She had a brother named Laban, who ran out to Abraham’s servant… So Abraham’s servant went into the house… He said, ‘I am Abraham’s servant… My master had me make a promise to him and said, “Don’t get a wife for my son from the Canaanite girls who live around here. Instead you must go to my father’s people and to my family. There you must get a wife for my son."…' Laban and Bethuel answered, ‘This is clearly from the LORD, and we cannot change what must happen. Rebekah is yours. Take her and go. Let her marry your master’s son as the LORD has commanded.’… "
“Then Rebekah and her servant girls got on the camels and followed the servant and his men. So the servant took Rebekah and left.”
(Genesis 24:1-61)
As Abraham neared the end of his life, he was concerned that his son Isaac might be drawn away from Canaan – ‘the land of promise’ – back to Mesopotamia in order to find a wife from among their kinsfolk at Haran. So Abraham arranged for his chief steward to go back to Haran to seek a wife for Isaac.
In due course, the steward set out for Aram Naharaim (‘Aram of the Rivers’ in north west Mesopotamia). Since Abraham left, Haran had been re-named Nahor after another brother (Haran and Nahor were both brothers of Abraham).
The servant took his ten camels to the well at Haran as it was "in the evening, when the women come out to get water.” (Genesis 24:11)
Rebekah, the young daughter of Abraham’s nephew Bethuel, kindly watered the camels for this stranger, and Rebekah’s brother Laban invited Abraham’s servant to stay overnight.
After the servant explained why Abraham had sent him to Haran, Laban and Bethuel quickly saw God’s hand in this fortuitous meeting, and readily agreed to allow Rebekah to marry her cousin Isaac. So Rebekah, her nurse and her servants set out to return to Hebron with Abraham’s servant.
The photo (by Zhengan) shows traditional beehive-shaped houses at Harran.
You can see a map showing the route taken by Abraham’s servant @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney2/23-the-journeys-of-adam-enoch-noah-abraham/abraham-seeks-a-wife-for-isaac/