Genesis 24:55

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 24:55 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us [a few] days, at the least ten. After that she shall go.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us [a few] days, at the least ten. After that she shall go.
Genesis 24:55 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 24

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
55And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us [a few] days, at the least ten. After that she shall go.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And her brother and her mother said, etc.] Here her brother Laban is set before his mother, as above before his father, being the chief speaker and the principal manager of business: let the damsel abide with us [a few] days, at the least ten; which was but a reasonable request; and if no more time is intended, it is much the servant should object, and not readily agree to it; but in the margin it is, “a full year” or “ten months”; and so Onkelos and Jonathan, and other Jewish writers f1338, who say it was customary for a virgin to have twelve months allowed her to furnish herself with ornaments; and therefore if a full year could not be admitted of, it is requested that at least ten months…”
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Sources and verification