Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Genesis 24:1 - 24:9

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Genesis 24:1 - 24:9


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The Preparation for the Journey

v. 1. And Abraham was old and well stricken in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. He was now one hundred and forty years old, and felt the coming on of the infirmities of old age. It was necessary for him to provide for Isaac's marriage before death should overtake him; moreover, the Messianic promise was to be preserved to his family through Isaac and his descendants. In all things the Lord had blessed Abraham, pouring out upon him both temporal and spiritual blessings.

v. 2. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had,
the senior servant in charge of his entire establishment, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, as that member of the body which symbolized posterity, in this case the promised seed, the promise and the hope of Abraham and Israel.

v. 3. And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell;


v. 4. but thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
Abraham demanded a solemn oath from Eliezer, in order that this most important mission would be carried out, even if he himself should die soon. By Jehovah, the God of heaven and earth, he had his servant swear, for this was not an ordinary marriage which was contemplated, but a matter of the greatest importance for the kingdom of God, since Isaac was the heir of the divine promise. For that reason also a heathen woman from among the daughters of the Canaanites would not have been acceptable, just as today the marriage of a Christian with an enemy of Christ is always ill-advised, to say the least.

v. 5. And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land; must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
The caution of Eliezer in not swearing lightly is to be commended highly, although he did not have the same measure of faith as Abraham, who trusted implicitly in the promise of the Lord.

v. 6. And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again!
That would have been a step backward and would have shown mistrust in the words of the Lord.

v. 7. The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land, he shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
That was the argument of faith: Jehovah had brought Abraham into the land in which he was now sojourning as a stranger; Jehovah had, with a solemn oath, promised this land to his descendants; therefore Jehovah would crown the servant's venture in Abraham's name with success, through the guidance and protection of His angel.

v. 8. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only bring not my son thither again.
This was for the sake of reassuring the timid servant. If believers, in the name of God, undertake a matter which pleases God, then they may and should trust in the assistance and blessing of the Lord.

v. 9. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.
Eliezer now knew that he would not be held responsible in case the woman selected by him would refuse to come, and so he no longer hesitated about rendering his oath in this important matter.