Eliezer

a native of Damascus, and the steward of Abraham’s house. It seems that Abraham, before the birth of Isaac, intended to make him his heir:—”One born in my house,” a domestic slave, “is mine heir,”

Gen 15:1-3. He was afterward sent into Mesopotamia, to procure a wife for Isaac, Gen 24:2-3, &c; which business he accomplished with fidelity and expedition. “It is still the custom in India,” says Forbes, “especially among the Mohammedans, that in default of children, and sometimes where there are lineal descendants, the master of a family adopts a slave, frequently a Haffshee Abyssinian, of the darkest hue, for his heir. He educates him agreeably to his wishes, and marries him to one of his daughters. As the reward of superior merit, or to suit the caprice of an arbitrary despot, this honour is also conferred on a slave recently purchased, or already grown up in the family; and to him he bequeaths his wealth, in preference to his nephews, or any collateral branches. This is a custom of great antiquity in the east, and prevalent among the most refined and civilized nations. In the earliest period of the patriarchal history, we find Abraham complaining for want of children; and declaring that either Eliezer of Damascus, or probably one born from him in his house, was his heir, to the exclusion of Lot, his favourite nephew, and all the other collateral branches of his family.”

Eliezer, 1

Elie´zer. This is the same name as Eleazar—whence came the abbreviated Lazar or Lazarus of the New Testament. Mention is made (Gen 15:2-3) of Eliezer, whom before the birth of Ishmael and Isaac Abraham regarded as his heir. Abraham, being promised a son, says: ’I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus…. Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in mine house is mine heir’ (Gen 15:2-3). The common notion is that Eliezer was Abraham’s house born slave, adopted as his heir, and meanwhile his chief and confidential servant, and the same who was afterwards sent into Mesopotamia to seek a wife for Isaac. This last point we may dismiss with the remark, that there is not the least evidence that ’the elder servant of his house’ (Gen 24:2), whom Abraham charged with this mission, was the same as Eliezer: and our attention may therefore be confined to the verses which have been quoted.

It is obvious that the third verse is not properly a sequel to the second, but a repetition of the statement contained in the second; and, being thus regarded as parallel passages, the two may be used to explain each other.

’Eliezer of Damascus,’ or ’Damascene-Eliezer,’ is the subject of both verses. The obvious meaning is, that Eliezer was born in Damascus: and how is this compatible with the notion of his being Abraham’s house-born slave, seeing that Abraham’s household never was at Damascus?

The expression, ’the steward of mine house,’ in Gen 15:2, will explain the sense of ’one born in mine house is mine heir,’ in Gen 15:3. The first phrase, literally translated, is ’the son of possession of my house,’ i.e. one who shall possess my house, my property, after my death; and is therefore exactly the same as the phrase in the next verse, ’the son of my house (paraphrased by ’one born in mine house’) is mine heir.’ This removes the whole difficulty; for it is no longer necessary to suppose that Eliezer was a house-born slave, or a servant at all; and leaves it more probable that he was some near relative whom Abraham regarded as his heir-at-law. In this case Abraham obviously means to say, ’Behold, to me thou hast given no children, and not the son of my loins, but the son of my house (i.e. of my family—the son whom my house gives me—the heir at law) is mine heir.’ It is by no means certain that ’this Eliezer’ was present in Abraham’s camp at all: and we, of course, cannot know in what degree he stood related to Abraham, or under what circumstances he was born at, or belonged to Damascus. It is possible that he lived there at the very time when Abraham thus spoke of him, and that he is hence called ’Eliezer of Damascus.’

Eliezer, 2

The second of the two sons born to Moses while an exile in the land of Midian (Exo 18:4). Eliezer had a son called Rebadiah (1Ch 8:17).

1. Of Damascus, the lawful heir of Abraham, should he die childless, Gen 15:2 . He is generally assumed to be the "eldest servant," who was sent, sixty-five years afterwards, to obtain a wife for Isaac, Gen 24:1-67 . But as the name of the latter is not given; as Abraham had near relatives, Lot and others; and as there is no evidence that he ever lived in Damascus, some think Eliezer must have been a near relative of Abraham residing at Damascus; and that "steward of my house" and "born in my house"-literally son of my house, Gen 15:2,3 -mean the same thing, the lawful family heir.\par 2. Several others of this name are mentioned, Exo 18:4 1Ch 15:24 27:16 2Ch 20:37 Luk 3:29 .\par

("my God a help".)

1. Gen 15:2, "the steward of Abram’s house, E. of Damascus," literally, "the son of the business," or possession (i.e. heir) of my house. Entering Canaan by Damascus, Abram took thence his chief retainer, and adopted him in the absence of a son and heir. He was not "born in Abram’s house" as Gen 15:3 of KJV represents in contradiction to Gen 15:2 (unless it was while Abram was in Damascus); but, as Hebrew expresses, was "son of his house," i.e. adopted as such, according to the paternal relations then subsisting between patriarchs and their servants.

Thus, he discharged with fidelity, prayerful trust in Providence, and tact, the delicate commission of choosing a wife from his master’s connections for his master’s son Isaac. Justin (36:2) and Josephus (Ant. 1:7, sec. 2), from Nicholaus of Damascus, assert that Abraham reigned in Damascus. Eliezer’s prayer, "O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray Thee send me good speed today, and show kindness unto my master;" his looking for a providential token to guide him; God’s gracious answer in fact; and his thanksgiving, "Blessed be the Lord God of my ... who has not left destitute my master of His mercy and His truth, I being in the way, the Lord led me:" are a sample of God’s special care for His people’s temporal concerns, and of the way to secure it (Genesis 24).

2. Moses and Zipporah’s second son; so-called "because, said Moses, the God of my father was my help ... from the sword of Pharaoh" (Exo 18:4; 1Ch 23:15; 1Ch 23:17). Remained with Jethro his grandfather when Moses returned to Egypt. Zipporah after going part of the way with him was sent back by Moses (Exo 4:18; Exo 4:24-26; Exo 18:2, etc.). Jethro took Zipporah and Gershom and Eliezer to Moses in the wilderness, upon hearing of the Exodus. Had one son, Rehabiah, to whom were born very many sons (1Ch 23:17; 1Ch 26:25-26). Shelomith was his descendant. (See SHELOMITH.)

3. 1Ch 7:8.

4. 1Ch 15:24.

5. 1Ch 27:16.

6. Dodavah’s son, of Mareshah in Judah (2Ch 20:35-37). Prophesied against Jehoshaphat that "the Lord had broken (at Ezion Geber) his works" (i.e. his ships of Tarshish designed to go to Ophir for gold) for joining himself with Ahaziah king of Israel "who did very wickedly" (1Ki 22:49). On Ahaziah’s proposing a second joint expedition, Jehoshaphat taught by bitter experience (2Co 6:14-18; Rev 18:4) refused. The names suggest that possibly he was sprung from Eleazer son of Dodo (2Sa 23:9), one of David’s three mighties.

7. A "chief" and "man of understanding" whom Ezra sent to Iddo at Casiphia in order to bring the Nethinim, as minister for the house of God (Ezr 8:16).

8. Ezr 10:18; Ezr 10:23; Ezr 10:31.

9. Luk 3:29.

(Hebrew id. אֵַליעֶזֶר, God is his help, a modification of the name Eleazar [see LAZARUS]; Sept, Ε᾿λιέζερ and Ε᾿λιέζερ, N.T. Ε᾿λιέζερ), the name of eleven men.

1. "ELIEZER OF DAMASCUS," mentioned in Gen 15:2-3, apparently as a house-born domestic, SEE SLAVE and steward of Abraham, and hence likely, in the absence of direct issue, to become the patriarch’s heir. B.C. 2088. The Sept. interprets the terms thus: "But the son of Masek, my house-born maid, is this Heliezer of Damascus." It appeared even thus early that the passage of Scripture in which the name of Eliezer occurs is one of some difficulty. Abraham, being promised a son, says, "I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus (דִּמֶּשֶׂק אֵַליעֶזֶר הוּא, he of Damascus, Eliezer) ... Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in mine house is mine heir" (Gen 15:2-3). The common notion is that Eliezer was Abraham’s house-born slave, adopted as his heir, and meanwhile his chief and confidential servant, and the same who was afterwards sent into Mesopotamia to seek a wife for Isaac (q.v.). This last point we may dismiss with the remark that there is not the least evidence that ’the elder servant of his house" (Gen 24:2), whom Abraham charged with this mission, was the same as Eliezer. The obvious meaning is that Eliezer was born in Damascus, and how is this compatible with the notion of his being Abraham’s house-born slave, seeing that Abraham’s household never was at Damascus? It is true that there is a tradition, quoted by Josephus from Nicolaus of Damascus (Ant. 1:7, 4), that Abraham "reigned in Damascus;" but the tradition was probably founded on this very passage, and has no claim on our belief. The Mohammedans call him Dameshak, or Damascennis, and believe him to have been a black slave given to Abraham by Nimrod, at the time when he saw him, by virtue of the name of God, walking out of the midst of the flames (Ur), into which he had been cast by his orders. SEE ABRAHAM.

The expression, "the steward of mine house," in Gen 24:2, בֶּן מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתַּי(note the alliteration between the obscure term meshek and Dammesek), literally translated, is "the son of possession of my house," i.e., one who shall possess my house, my property, after my death, and is therefore exactly the same as the phrase in the next verse, "the son of my house (בֶּןבֵּיתַי, paraphrased by "one born in mine house") is mine heir." This removes every objection to Eliezer’s being of Damascus, and enables us to dispense with the tradition; for it is no longer necessary to suppose that Eliezer was a house-born slave, or a servant at all, and leaves it more probable that he was some near relative whom Abraham regarded as his heir-at-law. It is by no means certain that "this Eliezer" was present in Abraham’s camp at all; and we, of course, cannot know in what degree he stood related to Abraham, or under what circumstances he was born at, or belonged to Damascus. It is possible that he lived there at the very time when Abraham thus spoke of him, and that he is hence called "Eliezer of Damascus." This view removes another difficulty, which arises from the fact that, while Abraham speaks of Eliezer as his heir, his nephew Lot was in his neighborhood, and had until lately been the companion of his wanderings. If Eliezer was Abraham’s servant, it might well occasion surprise that he should speak of him and not of Lot as his heir; but this surprise ceases when we regard Eliezer as also a relative, and if so, a nearer relative than Lot, although not, like Lot, the companion of his journeys. Some have supposed that Lot and Eliezer were, in fact, the same person; and this would be an excellent explanation if the Scriptures afforded sufficient grounds for it. (See Gesenius, Thes. Hebrew s.v. מֶשֶׁק; Rosenmuller, on Gen 15:1-21; Knobel, Comment. in loc.)

2. A son of Becher, and grandson of Benjamin (1Ch 7:8). B.C. post 1856.

3. (Josephus Ε᾿λεάζαρος, Ant. 2:13, 1.) The second of the two sons of Moses and Zipporah, born during the exile in Midian, to whom his father gave this name, "because, said he, the God of my fathers was my help, that delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh" (Exo 18:4; 1Ch 23:15; 1Ch 23:17). B.C. cir. 1690. He remained with his mother and brother Gershom, in the care of Jethro his grandfather, when Moses returned to Egypt (Exo 4:18), she having been sent back to her father by Moses (Exo 18:2), though she set off to accompany him, and went part of the way with him. Jethro brought back Zipporah and her two sons to Moses in the wilderness, after he heard of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt (18). Eliezer had one son, Rehabiah, from whom sprang a numerous posterity (1Ch 23:17; 1Ch 26:25-26). Shelomith, in the reigns of Saul and David (1Ch 26:28), who had the care of all the treasures of things dedicated to God, was descended from Eliezer in the 6th generation, if the genealogy in 1Ch 26:25, is complete.

4. One of the priests who blew with trumpets before the ark when it was brought to Jerusalem (1Ch 15:24). B.C. 1043.

5. Son of Zichri, and chief of the Reubenites under David (1Ch 27:16). B.C. ante 1013.

6. A prophet (son of Dodavah of Mareshah), who foretold to Jehoshaphat (q.v.) that the merchant fleet which he fitted out in partnership with Ahaziah should be wrecked, and thus prevented from sailing to Tarshish (2Ch 20:37). B.C. 895.

7. Son of Jorim, and father of Joseh, of the private lineage of David prior to Salathiel (Luk 3:29). B.C. ante 588.

8. One of the chiefs of the Jews during the exile, sent by Ezra, with others from Ahava, to Casiphia, to induce some Levites and Nethinim to join the party returning to Jerusalem (Ezr 8:16). B.C. 459.

9. One of the priests (of the kindred of Jeshua) who divorced his Gentile wife after the exile (Ezr 10:18). B.C. 458.

10. A Levite who did the same (Ezr 10:23). B.C. 458.

11. An Israelite of the lineage of Harim, who did the same (Ezr 10:31). B.C. 458.

Eliezer (ç’li-ç’zer). To whom God is help. Gen 15:2. A name which occurs 11 times in the Old Testament. The most distinguished person who bore it was Abraham’s steward and confidential servant. Compare Gen 24:2.

[Elie’zer]

1. Steward of Abraham’s household. He was ’of Damascus’ though born in Abraham’s house. Gen 15:2. It was probably he who was sent to obtain a wife for Isaac. He was evidently a devout man, and trusted in God to prosper his journey. His mission is a beautiful type of the Holy Spirit’s work in providing a bride for the Lord Jesus, the object for which He is now gathering the church. Eliezer placed the jewels on Rebekah which she wore on her way to Isaac, answering to the graces or fruit of the Spirit with which He adorns those He is leading to the heavenly Bridegroom. Gen 24:1-67.

2. Second son of Moses and Zipporah, so named by Moses because ’God’ had been ’his help.’ He, with his mother and his brother were left in the care of Jethro until after the Exodus, when they joined Moses in the wilderness. Exo 18:4; 1Ch 23:15; 1Ch 23:17; 1Ch 26:25.

3. Son of Becher, a Benjamite. 1Ch 7:8.

4. Priest who assisted in bringing up the ark to Jerusalem. 1Ch 15:24.

5. Son of Zichri and ’ruler’ of the Reubenites. 1Ch 27:16.

6. Son of Dodavah: he was the prophet who rebuked Jehoshaphat for joining himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, for Ahaziah ’did very wickedly.’ 2Ch 20:35-37.

7. One whom Ezra sent to fetch Levites to accompany him to Jerusalem. Ezr 8:16.

8-10. Three who had married strange wives. Ezr 10:18; Ezr 10:23; Ezr 10:31.

11. Son of Jorim, in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. Luk 3:29.

ELIEZER.—An ancestor of Jesus, Luk 3:29.

By: Solomon Schechter, S. Mendelsohn

Palestinian amora of the fifth century; contemporary of Abdimi (Yer. 'Er. x. 26a) and of Berechiah II. (Gen. R. lxxvii. 3; Yalḳ., Gen. 132). Conjointly with Abba Mari and Mattaniah, he permitted Jews to bake bread on the Sabbath for the Roman soldiers under Ursicinus (Yer. Beẓah i. 60c; compare Jastrow, "Dict." 124b, s.v. ; Frankel, "Mebo," 55b et seq.). He was more of a halakist than a haggadist (see, in addition to passages cited, Yer. 'Orlah ii. 62b; Yer. Pes. viii. 36a).

ELIEZER (cf. Eleazar).—1. Abraham’s chief servant, a Damascene (Gen 15:2 AV [Note: Authorized Version.] , RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] . The construction here is difficult, but the words can hardly be rendered as a double proper name as RV [Note: Revised Version.] , ‘Dammesek Eliezer.’ Whatever the exact construction, the words, unless there is a corruption in the text, must be intended to suggest that Eliezer was in some way connected with Damascus). This same Eliezer is prob. the servant referred to in Gen 24:2. A son of Moses by Zipporah; so named to commemorate the deliverance of Moses from Pharaoh (Exo 18:4, 1Ch 23:15; 1Ch 23:17). 3. The son of Becher, a Benjamite (1Ch 7:8). 4. The son of Zichri, captain of the tribe of Reuben in David’s reign (1Ch 27:16). 5. The son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, who prophesied the destruction of the fleet of ships which Jehoshaphat built in co-operation with Ahaziah (2Ch 20:37). 6. One of the ‘chief men’ whom Ezra sent to Casiphia to find Levites and Nethinim to join the expedition to Jerusalem (Ezr 8:16 f. [= 1Es 8:43 Eleazar]). 7. 8. 9. A priest, a Levite, and a son of Harim, who had married ‘strange women’ (Ezr 10:18. [= 1Es 9:19 Eleazar] 1Es 9:23; 1Es 9:31 [= 1Es 9:32 Elionas]). 10. One of the priests appointed to blow with the trumpets before the ark of God when David brought it from the house of Obed-edom to Jerus. (1Ch 15:24). 11. A Levite (1Ch 26:25). 12. An ancestor of our Lord (Luk 3:29).

el-i-ē´zẽr, ē-lı̄-ē´zẽr (אליעזר, ’ĕlı̄‛ezer; Ἐλιέζερ, Eliézer, “God is help”):

(1) The chief servant of Abram (Gen 15:2); the American Standard Revised Version “Eliezer of Damascus,” the English Revised Version “Dammesek Eliezer.” The Hebrew is peculiar: literally, “And the son of the possession (mesheḳ) of my house is Dammeseḳ (of) Eliezer.” A possible but unlikely meaning is that his property would become the possession of Damascus, the city of Eliezer. Targum Syriac (Revised Version margin) read “Eliezer the Damascene”: this supposes a reading, “Eliezer ha-dammasḳı̄̌” or “mid-dammeseḳ̌.” The text may be corrupt: the assonance between mesheḳ and Dammeseq is suspicious. Abram calls Eliezer “one born in my house” i.e. a dependant, a member of his household, and so regards him as his heir, Lot having gone from him (Gen 13). Eliezer is probably the servant, “the eider of his house, that ruled over all that he had,” of Gen 24.

(2) The 2nd son of Moses and Zipporah, called thus for “the God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh” (Exo 18:4; 1Ch 23:15).

(3) A son of Becher, one of the sons of Benjamin (1Ch 7:8).

(4) A priest who assisted in bringing up the ark from the house of Obed-edom to Jerusalem (1Ch 15:24).

(5) The son of Zichri, ruler over the Reubenites in the time of David (1Ch 27:16).

(6) The son of Dodavahu of Mareshah who prophesied the destruction of the ships which Jehochaphat, king of Judah, built, because he had done so in coöperation with Ahaziah, king of Israel (2Ch 20:35).

(7) One of the messengers whom Ezra sent to Iddo, the chief at Casiphia, with the request for ministers for the Temple (Ezr 8:16).

(8, 9, 10) A priest, a Levite, and one of the sons of Harim who had married non-Israelitish women (Ezr 10:18, Ezr 10:23, Ezr 10:11).

(11) An ancestor of Jesus in the genealogy given by Luke (Luk 3:29).

Gen 24:2 (c) (Gen 15:2). If this eldest servant was named Eliezer, then he is a type of the Holy Spirit who was sent after a bride for Isaac. Abraham represents the Father; Isaac the son representing the Lord JESUS; Eliezer represents the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is on earth gathering out from among the people a church, the bride of the Son. He is now dealing with us, communing with us, giving us gifts, and leading us along the way until He brings us to the Son at the great marriage feast.