Rebekah lifted up her eyes repeats for Rebekah what was said of Isaac. Good News Translation combines this and the following clause as a single time clause: “When Rebecca saw Isaac….”

She alighted from the camel: alighted means to “get down,” “dismount,” “get off.” In some languages the verb to get down from a camel is different from that used for getting down from a horse or donkey. The reason for her getting down is to be prepared to show proper respect for her future husband. Note the similar courtesy shown by a woman in Josh 15.18.

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 .