The reason for Abraham’s reply here is given in Gen 24.7. The reply is actually a strong negative, which will naturally begin with “No!” in many languages; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, for instance, has “No, do not….”

See to it translates a command meaning “to be on guard,” “to watch out,” or “to take care.” Good News Translation says “Make sure that you don’t…,” and New English Bible, Revised English Bible “On no account are you to….”

Take my son back there: take may be translated by the same term used by the servant in his question in Gen 24.5. There refers to Abraham’s native country.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .