Four Improper Vows and the Coming of Rebecca to Eliezer

"And behold, Rebecca came out" (Genesis 24:15). A daughter of kings came out on account of the prayer of Eliezer. Four asked improperly; three were answered, and one was not answered. Eliezer the servant of Abraham said, "Let it be that the maiden to whom I shall say, 'Let down your jar, I pray you'" (Genesis 24:14) — she might have been a mamzeret, or a Gibeonite, or a maidservant; yet Rebecca was made to meet him. Saul said, "And it shall be that the man who strikes him [the Philistine] down, the king will enrich him with great riches and will give him his daughter" (1 Samuel 17:25) — he might have been a gentile, or a slave, or a Gibeonite; yet David son of Jesse was made to meet him. Caleb said, "The man who strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as a wife" (Judges 1:12); Othniel was made to meet him. Jephthah said, "And it shall be that whatever comes out, which comes forth from the doors of my house, I will offer it up to the Lord as a burnt offering" (Judges 11:31) — it might have been a pig, or a donkey, or a horse, and he would have offered it up; yet his daughter was made to meet him, who is not fit to be vowed — until the one who vows knows how he should vow.