Genesis 24:2

And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house,.... To Eliezer his servant, according to the Targum of Jonathan, and as is generally thought; and who may well be called an old servant, and his

And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: No JFB commentary on this verse.

His eldest servant of his house; viz. Eliezer, . This ceremony was used in swearing, as now, so anciently in the eastern parts, as , either as a testimony of subjection, and promise of faithful service, for this rite was used only by inferiors towards superiors; or, as some think, with respect to the blessed Seed, Christ, who was to come out of Abraham’ s thigh, as the phrase is, , because this rite was used only to believers.

Genesis 24:2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:Ver. 2. Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh.] Either as a token of subjection, or for the honour of circumcision, quae erat in parte femoris; q.d., I adjure thee by the Lord of the covenant, whereof circumcision is a sign. Or (which is most likely) in reference to Christ, who was to come of Abraham, according to that phrase. "The souls that came out of Jacob’ s thigh".

(2) Unto his eldest servant of his house.—Heb., his servant, the elder of his house. It is the name of an office; and though one holding so confidential a post would be a man of ripe years, yet it is not probable that Abraham would send any one who was not still vigorous on so distant a journey. Eliezer of Damascus had held a similar office fifty-five years previously (Genesis 15:2), but this was probably a younger man. Put . . . thy hand under my thigh.—As Jacob requires that Joseph should swear to him in the same manner (Genesis 47:29), this form of oath was evidently regarded as a very solemn one. The meaning of it has been much discussed, but we find the thigh in Genesis 46:26, Exodus 1:5—in both which places it is rendered loins—used as the source of posterity. Probably, therefore, as Tuch argues, it is an euphemistic manner of describing the circumcised member, which was to be touched by the hand placed beneath the thigh; and thus the oath was really by the holy covenant between Abraham and God, of which circumcision was the symbol. Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.—The betrothal of Isaac and Rebekah is told with the utmost exactness of detail, because it contained two principles of primary importance to Abraham’s posterity: the first, that they were not to allow themselves to be merged among the Canaanites, but remain a distinct people; for this intermarriage with women of their own race was only a means to an end, and not a binding law, to be observed for its own sake. And secondly, that under no circumstances might they return to Mesopotamia, but must cling devotedly to the land of which God had promised them the possession. We learn from Genesis 24:8 that this second point was regarded by Abraham as even more important than the first; and with reason. For the race might remain distinct even if Isaac took a woman of Palestine to wife, though there would be the risk of religious deterioration; but if they returned to Padanaram they were certain to be absorbed, and could look for no higher lot than that attained to by Laban’s descendants. Land of my kindred.—Rather, of my nativity; and so in Genesis 24:4. (See Note on Genesis 12:1.) It is a different word from that rightly translated kindred in Genesis 24:38. Jewish interpreters say that by his father’s house here, and by his country in Genesis 24:4, Abraham meant Charran: but by his birthplace he meant Ur of the Chaldees. If, therefore, the servant failed in obtaining a wife at Charran, he was to continue his journey to Ur, where Abraham, doubtless, had many relatives.

Verse 2. Eldest servant] As this eldest servant is stated to have been the ruler over all that he had, it is very likely that Eliezer is meant. See Genesis 15:2; Genesis 15:3. Put, I pray thee, thy hand] See Clarke on Genesis 24:9.

2. his servant, the elder of his house] This servant has very generally been identified with the Eliezer mentioned in Genesis 15:2. The identity is nowhere explicitly stated; but it should be noted that chap. 15 is derived from E, while this chapter comes from J, and the absence of any reference to Eliezer by name need not surprise us. “The elder of his house,” not necessarily the “eldest” of his house servants, but the one of chief authority and dignity (cf. Genesis 50:7), who, if there was no heir, would succeed to the property. that ruled over all that he had] i.e. a trusted slave who acted as the steward of Abraham’s property: see note on Genesis 15:4. Cf. the description of Joseph in Genesis 39:4; Genesis 39:22; Psalms 105:21; and of Ziba in 2 Samuel 9:2-13; 2 Samuel 16:1-4. Put … under my thigh] For this symbolical act, compare the request made by Jacob in Genesis 47:29, where, in the expectation of death, he binds Joseph by the solemn pledge of this sign. Presumably Abraham is expecting his death; and he causes his servant to swear in the most solemn way that he will carry out his master’s wish. The words “under my thigh” probably contain a survival of a very ancient piece of symbolism. The word “thigh” is rendered “loins” in Genesis 46:26, Exodus 1:5. The phrase here seems to refer to the organs of generation, and also, possibly, to the covenant rite of circumcision. The appeal is made to those who hereafter should be born, on the one hand, to attest the oath, and, on the other, to avenge its violation. Similar symbolic acts have been found to exist among other primitive races. A custom like this long outlives the recollection of its original significance. The ritual remains binding; its purpose may be forgotten.

2. His eldest servant of his house — Hebrews, his servant, the elder of his house.