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and to betroth a maiden to him whose character was in keeping with that of his master. But it is worthwhile to hear those pious words themselves. “For he said, 'O Lord, God of my master Abraham, behold I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of the city are coming out to draw water. And it shall be that the maiden to whom I shall say, ‘Lower your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she shall say to me, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels until they have finished drinking,’ this is the one you have prepared for your son Isaac; and by this I shall know that you have shown mercy to my master Abraham.'” Who would not admire the piety of the man? or rather, who could worthily praise each of the things that were said? For it is possible to see the prayer adorned at the same time with faith and wisdom and piety. For to have dismissed all else and to have entrusted the purpose of his journey to the providence of God, how is this not of piety and the highest wisdom? And to have trusted in the righteousness of his master, and on his account to have called upon the common God of all as his God, and for his sake to have hoped that the prayer would certainly receive its end and the petition would be brought to fulfillment, what excess of faith does this leave behind? And having obtained what he asked for, he is shown to be beloved of God. For he would not have obtained it so easily, if he were not exceedingly well-disposed to the Giver; and the virtue of his soul created this good disposition. That he obtained it, and obtained it immediately, the story teaches. For Rebekah arrived at the end of his prayer, and she displays the sign of hospitality; and having been asked for a little water, she hastens to water all the camels also; and drawing up the water with labor, she relieves the thirst of both rational and irrational beings, displaying courage and love for mankind at the same time, and appearing as the archetype of the maiden depicted in the words of the prayer, and showing herself worthy of the house of Abraham, and possessing a disposition in accord with her hospitable father-in-law. For this is what that faithful servant asked for in his supplication: not beauty, not stature, not the bloom of cheeks, not the loveliness of eyes, not the well-drawn lines of eyebrows, not the distinction of family, not an abundance of wealth, but a hospitable disposition, a gentle manner, a kind and modest voice, a courteous and humane character, worthy of the master’s house, which was open to all strangers, receiving various kinds of people, and offering to all what was suitable. These things he asked for, these things he received. And not even 83.692 immediately did he receive them without testing, but examining each of the things that happened, he wished to see, it says, whether the Lord had prospered his way, or not. But when he saw all the signs he had asked for, not even then did he give the tokens of betrothal before his hymn of praise, nor, overcome by pleasure, did he forget the Giver. But looking at the gift, he believed he was also looking at the Giver of the gift, and first he praised Him according to his ability, and then he received the gift. For having inquired who she was and from whom she was descended, and having learned that she was the daughter of Bethuel, and that she had both lodging and sufficient fodder for the camels, “The young man,” it says, “hastened and bowed down, and said: Blessed is the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his righteousness and his truth from my master, and has prospered me on the way to the house of my master's brother.” For since he received more than what he had asked for—for not only did the maiden give water, but she also spontaneously announced that she would give lodging, and promised to provide food both for him and for the camels, and he saw the kinship, which he had not asked for, brought forth along with what he had asked for—with what hymns he could, he requited the Giver of the grace, and he bore witness to the truthfulness of the divine promises. “For blessed,” he says, “is the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his righteousness and his truth from my master Abraham.” 'For you are righteous,' he says, 'showing greater care for the pious, and your well-disposed servant, but my good master,

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καὶ κατεγγυῆσαι κόρην αὐτῷ τοῖς δεσποτικοῖς συμβαί νουσαν ἤθεσιν. Ἄξιον δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων τῶν εὐ σεβῶν ἀκοῦσαι ῥημάτων. «Κύριε, γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραὰμ, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἕστη κα ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος, αἱ δὲ θυγατέρες τῶν οἰκούντων τὴν πόλιν ἐκπορεύονται ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ, καὶ ἔσται, ἡ παρθένος ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω, Ἐπί κλινον τὴν ὑδρίαν σου, ἵνα πίω, καὶ εἴπῃ μοι, Πίε καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι ἕως ἂν παύσωνται πίνουσαι, ταύτην ἡτοίμασας τῷ παιδί σου Ἰσαάκ· καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι, ὅτι ἐποίησας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου Ἀβραάμ.» Τίς οὐκ ἂν ἀγασθείη τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸν ἄνδρα; μᾶλλον δὲ τίς ἂν ἀξίως τῶν εἰρημένων ἕκαστον εὐφημήσειεν; Ἔστι γὰρ ἰδεῖν κατὰ ταὐτὸν πίστει καὶ σοφίᾳ καὶ εὐσεβείᾳ τὴν εὐχὴν κοσμουμένην. Τὸ γὰρ πᾶσιν ἐῤῥῶσθαι φρά σαντα καὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ προμηθείᾳ τὴν τῆς ἐκ δημίας ὑπόθεσιν ἀναρτῆσαι, πῶς οὐκ εὐσεβείας ἐστὶ καὶ σοφίας τῆς ἀνωτάτω; Τὸ δὲ τῇ τοῦ δεσπότου θαῤῥῆσαι δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ τούτου καλέσαι Θεὸν τὸν κοινὸν ἁπάντων Θεὸν, καὶ δι' ἐκεῖνον ἐλπίσαι τέ λος πάντως λήψεσθαι τὴν εὐχὴν, καὶ τὴν αἴτησιν εἰς πέρας ἀχθήσεσθαι, ποίαν πίστεως ὑπερβολὴν καταλεί πει; Τετυχηκὼς δὲ ὧν ᾔτησε, θεοφιλὴς ἀποδέδεικται. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν οὕτω ῥᾳδίως ἔτυχεν, εἰ μὴ λίαν ἦν εὔνους τῷ δεδωκότι· τὴν εὔνοιαν δὲ ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐδημιούργη σεν ἀρετή. Ὅτι τετύχηκε, καὶ παραυτίκα τετύ χηκεν, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. Εἰς γὰρ τῆς εὐχῆς τὸ τέλος ἔφθασεν ἡ Ῥεβέκκα, καὶ τὸ τῆς φιλοξενίας ἐπιδεί κνυσι σημεῖον· καὶ σμικρὸν ὕδωρ αἰτηθεῖσα, καὶ τὰς καμήλους ἁπάσας ποτίζειν ἐπείγεται· καὶ μετὰ πόνου τὸ ὕδωρ ἀνιμωμένη, λογικῶν καὶ ἀλόγων θε ραπεύει τὸ δίψος, ἀνδρίαν ὁμοῦ καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπιδεικνυμένη, καὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῆς εὐχῆς ζω γραφηθείσης κόρης ἀρχέτυπον φαινομένη, καὶ τῆς Ἀβραμιαίας οἰκίας ἀξία δεικνυμένη, καὶ τῷ φιλοξένῳ κηδεστῇ συνομολογοῦσαν κεκτημένη τὴν γνώμην. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ πιστὸς ἐκεῖνος οἰκέτης ᾔτησεν ἱκε τεύων, οὐκ εἶδος, οὐ μέγεθος, οὐ παρειῶν ἄνθος, οὐκ ὀφθαλμῶν κάλλος, οὐκ ὀφρύων εὐθέτους γραμ μὰς, οὐ γένους περιφάνειαν, οὐ πλούτου περιουσίαν, ἀλλὰ φιλόξενον γνώμην, ἤπιον τρόπον, φθέγμα πρᾶον καὶ μέτριον, ἦθος ἐπιεικὲς καὶ φιλάνθρωπον, ἄξιον τῆς δεσποτικῆς οἰκίας, τῆς πᾶσι ξένοις ἠνεῳγμένης, τῆς εἴδη ποικίλα δεχομένης, καὶ πᾶσι προσφερούσης τὰ πρόσφορα. Ταῦτα ᾔτησε, ταῦτα ἔλαβε. Καὶ οὐδὲ 83.692 εὐθὺς ἀβασανίστως ἔλαβεν, ἀλλ' ἐξετάζων τῶν γινομένων ἕκαστον, ἰδεῖν, φησὶν, ἐβούλετο, εἰ εὐ ώδωκε Κύριος τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ, ἢ οὔ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἅπαν τα εἶδεν ἃ ᾔτησε σημεῖα, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἔδωκε πρὸ τῆς ὑμνῳδίας τῆς μνηστείας τὰ σύμβολα, οὐδὲ ὑφ' ἡδο νῆς ἡττηθεὶς, ἐπελήσθη τοῦ δεδωκότος. Ἀλλὰ τὸ δῶρον βλέπων, βλέπειν ἐπίστευε καὶ τὸν τοῦ δώρου δοτῆρα, καὶ πρότερον ἐκεῖνον εἰς δύναμιν ὕμνησεν, εἶθ' οὕτως τὸ δῶρον ἐδέξατο. Πυθόμενος γὰρ τίς τε εἴη, καὶ ἐκ τίνος ἔφυ, καὶ μαθὼν ὅτι Βαθουὴλ μὲν ἔστι θυγάτηρ, ἔχει δὲ καὶ καταγωγὴν καὶ χιλὸν ταῖς καμήλοις ἀρκοῦντα, «Σπεύσας, φησὶν, ὁ παῖς προσεκύνησε, καὶ εἶπεν· Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραὰμ, ὃς οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπε τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου μου, ἐμέ τε εὐώδωκεν εἰς οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου.» Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὧν ᾔτησεν ἔλαβε πλείονα, οὐ γὰρ μόνον ὕδωρ ἔδωκεν ἡ κόρη, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταγώγιον δώσειν αὐτομάτως ἐπηγγείλα το, καὶ τροφὴν καὶ αὐτῷ καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις παρέξειν ὑπέσχετο, καὶ τὴν συγγένειαν, ἣν οὐκ ᾔτησε, μεθ' ὧν ᾔτησεν εἶδε παραχθεῖσαν, ὕμνοις οἷς ἠδύνατο, τὸν τῆς χάριτος ἠμείβετο χορηγὸν, καὶ ταῖς θείαις ἐπαγγελίαις τὸ ἀψευδὲς ἐμαρτύρει. «Εὐλογητὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Κύριος, ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραὰμ, ὃς οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπε τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραάμ.» ∆ίκαιος μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὑπάρχεις, πλείονα τῶν εὐσεβῶν ποιούμενος ἐπιμέλειαν, καὶ τὸν σὸν μὲν εὔνουν οἰκέτην, ἐμὸν δὲ χρηστὸν δεσπότην,