Commentary for Genesis 24:25

מספוא PROVENDER — All kinds of camels’ food is called מספוא e. g., straw and barley.

גם תבן, also straw, something which you did not inquire about as well as lodging, something which you did inquire about. It is a habit of Scriptures to use the word גם, “also,” repeatedly, even if this is not strictly necessary in order to correctly understand the text.

גם תבן גם מספוא, not only do we have room for the camels but we also have feed for them.

ותאמר, she answered his second question, volunteering more information than Eliezer had requested. She wanted to portray the generous nature of her family by mentioning that they would also provide straw and fodder. She volunteered all this before Eliezer had given her anything. (until after she had answered his questions.)

Auch hier tritt wieder die vortreffliche Natur hervor. Denkt zuerst an die Tiere, die sie so eben getränkt und gesehen, wie sie sich gelabt, "haben nun getrunken, sollen nun auch zu essen haben!" Das Gefühl pulsiert noch ganz frisch in ihr. יודע צדיק נפש בהמתו, dazu brauchen wir im Judentume keine Anti-Tierquälervereine, das übte schon unsere Ältermutter Rebekka. — מספא, von ספא, verwandt mit שבע ,סבא.

גם תבן גם מספוא רב עמנו, “we also have plenty of straw and fodder.” She volunteered additional information that Eliezer had not enquired about, so as to indicate that his entourage would also be welcome as guests in her father’s house.

גם מקום ללון, both for yourself and the men with you.

ומספוא, a general term describing any fodder other than straw. It is some kind of barley and oats.

ללון, “for you all as well as your beasts to spend the night.” The formulation is parallel to: לדון, to judge, or לשוב, to come back. She implied that there was no inn for travelers nearby but that there was no need for this.

גם גם, the reason why Rivkah used the word גם, “also,” twice is that it was a customary way of speaking, just as we are in the habit of repeating the word אנחנו. An example of this repetition elsewhere is found in 43,8 גם אנחנו, אם אתה, גם טפינו. Each word גם is intended to reinforce the one mentioned previously.