Genesi 24:2 Commento

Marriages and funerals are the changes of families, and the common news among the inhabitants of the villages. In the foregoing chapter we had Abraham burying his wife, here we have him marrying his son. These stories concerning his family, with their minute circumstances, are largely related, while the histories of the kingdoms of the world then in being, with their revolutions, are buried in silence; for the Lord knows those that are his. The subjoining of Isaac's marriage to Sarah's funeral (with a particular reference to it, Gen 24:67) shows us that as "one generation passes away another generation comes;" and thus the entail both of the human nature, and of the covenant, is preserved. Here is, I. Abraham's care about the marrying of his son, and the charge he gave to his servant about it (Gen 24:1-9). II. His servant's journey into Abraham's country, to seek a wife for his young master among his own relations (Gen 24:10-14). III. The kind providence which brought him acquainted with Rebekah, whose father was Isaac's cousin-german (Gen 24:15-28). IV. The treaty of marriage with her relations (v. 29-49). V. Their consent obtained (Gen 24:50-60). VI. The happy meeting and marriage between Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 24:61, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 24 This chapter shows Abraham's concern to get a suitable wife for his son Isaac, for which purpose he commits the affair into the hands of his eldest servant, and makes him swear that he will not take one from among the Canaanites, but out of his own country, and from among his own kindred, Gen 24:1; which his servant agreed to, after having the nature of his charge, and of the oath, explained to him, Gen 24:5; upon which he departed to Mesopotamia, and coming to the city of Nahor, and to a well near it, he prayed for success, and desired direction by a token, which was granted him, Gen 24:10; and inquiring of the damsel, who answered to the token, whose daughter she was, and whether they had room for him and his in their house; and an agreeable answer being returned, he gave thanks to God that had directed him, and had so far made his journey prosperous, Gen 24:23; the damsel acquainting her parents whom and what she met with at the well, a brother of her steps out, and invites the servant in, and makes him welcome, Gen 24:28; but before he would eat anything, he tells his errand he was come upon, at the instance of his master; how, he had prayed for direction, and was heard, and for which he had given thanks, Gen 24:34; and then treats with the relations of the damsel about her marriage to his master's son, to which they agreed, Gen 24:49; and after having blessed God, and given his presents he brought with him to the damsel, and her family, and ate and drank with them, was for departing the next morning, Gen 24:52; but the friends of the damsel being desirous of her stay with them some few days, and he urgent to be gone, the affair was referred to her, and she agreed to go with him directly, Gen 24:55; upon which they dismissed her with their blessing, Gen 24:59; who being met by Isaac in the way, was received and introduced into his mother's tent, and married by him, Gen 24:61.

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 oldest servant, since he must have lived with him fifty years and upwards; one may trace him near sixty years in Abraham's family, and it is highly probable he lived much longer; he was his servant when he had the vision between the pieces, Gen 15:2; and then he was the steward of his house, and bid fair to be his heir; which was some time before Hagar was given to Abraham; and Ishmael his son by Hagar was fourteen years of age when Isaac was born, and he was now forty years old, which make fifty five years, or thereabout. Bishop Usher places the vision of the pieces in A. M. 2092, and the marriage of Isaac in 2148, some fifty six years from each other; and so long Eliezer, if he is the servant here meant, must have been in Abraham's family, and how much longer cannot with certainty be said: that ruled over all that he had; had the care and management of his house, and the affairs of it under him; this agrees with the character of Eliezer in Gen 15:2, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: as a token of his subjection to him as a servant, and of his readiness, willingness, and fidelity to execute any commands he should lay upon him, and in order to take an oath, as appears by what follows; for it seems this rite was used in swearing, and is still used in India, as Aben Ezra affirms; and some say among the Ethiopians. The Jewish writers are pretty much of opinion that respect is had to the covenant of circumcision, by which Abraham made his servant to swear, which is not likely: rather respect is had to his seed, the promised Messiah, that should spring from his thigh, by whom the adjuration was made, as follows: though Dr. Clayton (k) thinks this is no other than an equivalent term for approaching in an humble servile manner, and means no more than "come near me", and I will make thee swear; and that, as a respectable method of approach with the Egyptian, as Herodotus (l) relates, was by bowing the body reciprocally when they met, and saluted one another, and by carrying their hands to each other's knee; so some such like ceremony as embracing the knee, and putting the hand under or round the thigh, might be used by servants when they approached their masters; but it should be observed, that this same rite or ceremony was required of Joseph, governor of Egypt, by his father Jacob; see Gen 47:29. (k) Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 130, 131. (l) Euterpe sive, l. 2.

Abraham made him swear by the covenant of circumcision. Because God saw that the two heads of the world had dishonored this member, he set the sign of the covenant on it so that this member, which was the most despised of all the limbs, would now be the most honored of all the limbs. The sign of the covenant that was set on it bestowed such great honor that those who take oaths now swear by it and all those who administer oaths make them swear by it.

You see, since he had reached extreme old age, the text says, he wished to preserve Isaac from association with the Canaanites, lest he take a wife from among them. So he summoned the more prudent of his servants, the text says, and gave him the following instructions: “Place your hand under my thigh.” In Greek the verse is written this way: “under my thigh”; whereas in Hebrew it says “under my loins.” Why did he speak in this fashion? It was an idiom of people in the past. But on other grounds it was also because the birth of Isaac takes its origin from there.For you to learn that the action was done according to a certain custom, notice that when he was ordering him to put his hand there, he immediately added, “and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth.” See how he teaches the servant to recognize the Creator of all things. By saying, “the God of heaven and the God of earth,” he encompassed all creation.

For an important thing was being done when a spouse was being sought for the seed of Abraham. But that the servant might learn this which Abraham knew, that he did not desire grandchildren carnally and that he did not have any carnal conception about his progeny, he said to his slave whom he was sending, “Put your hand under my thigh and swear by the God of heaven.” What does the God of heaven want to signify in respect to the thigh of Abraham? Already you understand the hidden meaning: by the thigh, his progeny. Therefore what was that swearing but a signifying that the God of heaven would come in the flesh from the progeny of Abraham?

For, putting the hand under the thigh of a man and swearing by the God of heaven, what else did that signify except that in that flesh, which took its origin from that thigh, the God of heaven would come?Marriage therefore is a good in which the married are better in proportion as they fear God more chastely and more faithfully, especially if they also nourish spiritually the children whom they desire carnally.

This surely was prophetic of the fact that the Lord God of heaven and the Lord of the earth would one day come in flesh fashioned from that thigh.

When the sacred lesson was read a little while ago, we heard that blessed Abraham called his servant and said to him, “Put your hand under my thigh that I may adjure you by the God of heaven and of earth, not to obtain a wife for my son from the daughters of this region.” And [the servant] obediently placed his hand under his thigh and swore to him. Indeed, brothers, all these things that are read in the Old Testament, if we are willing to accept them only according to the letter, will bring us little or no profit of soul. For of what benefit is it to us who assemble in church with devotion to hear the Word of God, if it is mentioned that Abraham sent his servant to bring his son a wife from a distant country, when we see this happen frequently also in this land? However, brothers, following the blessed apostle Paul, we should believe that all things which were written for the Jews “happened to them as a type” but in reality were fulfilled for us. Therefore Abraham said to his servant, “Put your hand under my thigh and swear by the God of heaven and of earth.” Thus blessed Abraham said, “Put your hand under my thigh,” as if he were saying, put your hand upon the altar, or put your hand upon the ark of the testament, or stretch forth your hand to God’s temple, and swear to me. He touched his thigh and swore by the God of heaven and earth. For blessed Abraham did not err when he commanded that this be done but because he was filled with the spirit of prophecy and knew that from his own seed Christ the Lord of heaven and earth would be born. Therefore, when his servant touched his thigh, he did not utter an oath by any carnal member but by the living and true God, because “Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah,” of whose seed Christ the Lord was born.

Abraham, being solicitous to get his son Isaac property married, calls his confidential servant, probably Eliezer, and makes him swear that he will not take a wife for Isaac from among the Canaanites, Gen 24:1-3, but from among his own kindred, Gen 24:4. The servant proposes certain difficulties, Gen 24:5, which Abraham removes by giving him the strongest assurances of God's direction in the business, Gen 24:6, Gen 24:7, and then specifies the conditions of the oath, Gen 24:8. The form of the oath itself, Gen 24:9. The servant makes preparations for his journey, and sets out for Mesopotamia, the residence of Abraham's kindred, Gen 24:10. Arrives at a well near to the place, Gen 24:11. His prayer to God, Gen 24:12-14. Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, Abraham's brother, comes to the well to draw water, Gen 24:15. She is described, Gen 24:16. Conversation between her and Abraham's servant, in which every thing took place according to his prayer to God, Gen 24:17-21. He makes her presents, and learns whose daughter she is, Gen 24:22-24. She invites him to her father's house, Gen 24:25. He returns thanks to God for having thus far given him a prosperous journey, Gen 24:26, Gen 24:27. Rebekah runs home and informs her family, Gen 24:28; on which her brother Laban comes out, and invites the servant home, Gen 24:29-31. His reception, Gen 24:32, Gen 24:33. Tells his errand, Gen 24:34, and how he had proceeded in executing the trust reposed in him, Gen 24:35-48. Requests an answer, Gen 24:49. The family of Rebekah consent that she should become the wife of Isaac, Gen 24:50, Gen 24:51. The servant worships God, Gen 24:52, and gives presents to Milcah, Laban, and Rebekah, Gen 24:53. He requests to be dismissed, Gen 24:54-56. Rebekah, being consulted, consents to go, Gen 24:57, Gen 24:58. She is accompanied by her nurse, Gen 24:59; and having received the blessing of her parents and relatives, Gen 24:60, she departs with the servant of Abraham, Gen 24:61. They are met by Isaac, who was on an evening walk for the purpose of meditation, Gen 24:62-65. The servant relates to Isaac all that he had done, Gen 24:66. Isaac and Rebekah are married, Gen 24:67.

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 Gen 15:2, Gen 15:3. Put, I pray thee, thy hand - See note on Gen 24:9.

A MARRIAGE COMMISSION. (Gen 24:1-9) And Abraham was old . . . take a wife--His anxiety to see his son married was natural to his position as a pastoral chief interested in preserving the honor of his tribe, and still more as a patriarch who had regard to the divine promise of a numerous posterity.

said unto his eldest servant--Abraham being too old, and as the heir of the promise not being at liberty to make even a temporary visit to his native land, was obliged to intrust this delicate mission to Eliezer, whom, although putting entire confidence in him, he on this occasion bound by a solemn oath. A pastoral chief in the present day would follow the same course if he could not go himself.

After the death of Sarah, Abraham had still to arrange for the marriage of Isaac. He was induced to provide for this in a mode in harmony with the promise of God, quite as much by his increasing age as by the blessing of God in everything, which necessarily instilled the wish to transmit that blessing to a distant posterity. He entrusted this commission to his servant, "the eldest of his house," - i.e., his upper servant, who had the management of all his house (according to general opinion, to Eliezer, whom he had previously thought of as the heir of his property, but who would now, like Abraham, be extremely old, as more than sixty years had passed since the occurrence related in Gen 15:2), - and made him swear that he would not take a wife for his son from the daughters of the Canaanites, but would fetch one from his (Abraham's) native country, and his kindred. Abraham made the servant take an oath in order that his wishes might be inviolably fulfilled, even if he himself should die in the interim. In swearing, the servant put his hand under Abraham's hip. This custom, which is only mentioned here and in Gen 47:29, the so-called bodily oath, was no doubt connected with the significance of the hip as the part from which the posterity issued (Gen 46:26), and the seat of vital power; but the early Jewish commentators supposed it to be especially connected with the rite of circumcision. The oath was by "Jehovah, God of heaven and earth," as the God who rules in heaven and on earth, not by Elohim; for it had respect not to an ordinary oath, but to a question of great importance in relation to the kingdom of God. "Isaac was not regarded as a merely pious candidate for matrimony, but as the heir of the promise, who must therefore be kept from any alliance with the race whose possessions were to come to his descendants, and which was ripening for the judgment to be executed by those descendants" (Hengstenberg, Dissertations i. 350). For this reason the rest of the negotiation was all conducted in the name of Jehovah.