Who was Eliezer in the Bible?
Answered from the commentary of Morrish Bible Dictionary, William Kelly, L. M. Grant and 17 others
Eliezer is mainly known as the steward of Abraham's household, "Eliezer of Damascus." Though he was of Damascus, he was born in Abraham's house. He is the first man in the Bible to be called a steward, and if no son had been born to Abraham, he would have inherited his master's possessions. This is why Abram complained in Genesis 15:2 that he went childless while this servant would be his heir. God answered that Eliezer would not be his heir, but one who would come from his own body. From this the authors draw that sonship and heirship cannot be separated: the word is not "if servants, then heirs" but "if children, then heirs". Setting Eliezer the steward aside made room for the child of promise, the son in the house.
Most of the authors take Eliezer to be the eldest servant, "that ruled over all that he had," whom Abraham sent to fetch a bride for Isaac in Genesis 24. Several note that the chapter never names him. For them the link is generally inferred or probable rather than certain. On this view he is the type of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Father to gather the church as a bride for the risen Son and to lead her across the desert to Him. His namelessness fits One who does not speak of Himself but glorifies Christ. He is also held up as a pattern of a faithful, prayerful and wholly devoted servant. That devotion is the more striking because he served zealously the heir who had displaced him from the inheritance.
The name means "God of help", and other men in Scripture bore it. Moses' second son by Zipporah was named Eliezer because the God of his father had been his help and delivered him from Pharaoh's sword. That son is first named in Exodus 18:4, after Israel's deliverance. Several authors read his name as a figure of Israel's final deliverance. Eliezer the son of Dodavah was the prophet who rebuked Jehoshaphat for joining himself with wicked Ahaziah, announcing that the Lord had broken his ships. That rebuke is in 2 Chronicles 20:37. Another Eliezer was among the priests who blew the trumpets before the ark in 1 Chronicles 15:24. Another was one of the chief men Ezra sent to fetch Levites in Ezra 8:16. Yet another appears in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus in Luke 3:29.
Verses: Genesis 24:1, Genesis 24:3, Genesis 24:4, Genesis 24:5, Genesis 24:6, Genesis 24:7, Genesis 24:8, Genesis 24:9, Genesis 24:10, Genesis 24:11, Genesis 24:12, Genesis 24:13, Genesis 24:14, Genesis 24:15, Genesis 24:16, Genesis 24:17, Genesis 24:18, Genesis 24:19, Genesis 24:20, Genesis 24:21, Genesis 24:22, Genesis 24:23, Genesis 24:24, Genesis 24:25, Genesis 24:26, Genesis 24:27, Genesis 24:28, Genesis 24:29, Genesis 24:30, Genesis 24:31, Genesis 24:32, Genesis 24:33, Genesis 24:34, Genesis 24:35, Genesis 24:36, Genesis 24:37, Genesis 24:38, Genesis 24:39, Genesis 24:40, Genesis 24:41, Genesis 24:42, Genesis 24:43, Genesis 24:44, Genesis 24:45, Genesis 24:46, Genesis 24:47, Genesis 24:48, Genesis 24:49, Genesis 24:50, Genesis 24:51, Genesis 24:52, Genesis 24:53, Genesis 24:54, Genesis 24:55, Genesis 24:56, Genesis 24:57, Genesis 24:58, Genesis 24:59, Genesis 24:60, Genesis 24:61, Genesis 24:62, Genesis 24:63, Genesis 24:64, Genesis 24:65, Genesis 24:66, Genesis 24:67, Genesis 15:2, Genesis 15:3, Genesis 15:4, Exodus 18:4, 1 Chronicles 23:15, 1 Chronicles 23:17, 1 Chronicles 26:25, 2 Chronicles 20:37, 1 Chronicles 15:24, 1 Chronicles 7:8, 1 Chronicles 27:16, Ezra 8:16, Ezra 10:18, Ezra 10:23, Ezra 10:31, Luke 3:29, Genesis 24:2
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
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.
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. Ex. 18:4; 1 Chr. 23:15, 17; 1 Chr. 26:25.
Son of Dodavah: he was the prophet who rebuked Jehoshaphat for joining himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, for Ahaziah 'did very wickedly.' 2 Chr. 20:35-37.
One whom Ezra sent to fetch Levites to accompany him to Jerusalem. Ezra 8:16.
The first man to be called a steward in the Bible was Eliezer of Damascus (Gen. 15:2). He was, however, not God's steward, but Abraham's. His position was an important one and, failing the birth of a direct heir, he would inherit his master's possessions. If this man Eliezer was the servant sent to find and fetch a bride for Isaac (see the whole narrative in Genesis 24), we may appreciate his self-denying zeal on behalf of the heir that had superseded him and had frustrated whatever hopes of the inheritance he may have entertained.
With the typical meaning of what follows (in Gen. 23 and 24) many are happily familiar now. Sarah passes away and gives place to Rebekah, — the mother to the bride (Gen. 24:67). Sarah is here the covenant of grace in connection with the people "of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came." God's dealings with the nation, in view of this, (for the present) end, and a new thing is developed, — the Father's purpose to have a bride for His risen Son. The servant's mission shows us the coming of the Holy Ghost to effect this. Isaac remains in Canaan, as Christ in heaven. The Spirit of God, having all the fullness of the divine treasury "under His hand," comes down in servant-guise as the Son came before. Thorough devotedness to the father's will and the son's interests marks the servant's course. For those who are by grace allowed to be identified with the blessed service thus pictured, how instructive the fact that even his name we have no knowledge of. From what Abraham says, in Genesis 15, of the steward of his house, it is generally inferred that it is Eliezer of Damascus, but this is by no means certain. Certainly he is the representative of One who does not speak of Himself, or seek His own glory; and for those whom He may use as His instruments, the lesson is plain.
The servant pictures the Holy Spirit. If he was Eliezer, Abraham's steward forty years previously, the silence of this chapter as to his name is the more remarkable. A name would spoil him as a type of the Holy Spirit. A name calls attention to what anyone is. The Father and the Son have glorious Names, but the Holy Spirit has none. He is here, not to call attention to Himself, nor to present Himself as an object, but to serve the purposes of the Father concerning the Son.
There was a firm basis for the call of Rebecca: it was founded on an oath between Abraham and the eldest servant of his house (not named here but generally assumed to be Eliezer of Damascus, see 15:2). The call of the church is founded on God’s eternal counsel (Eph. 1:3,4; Rom. 8:20,30) and effected by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2;1 Cor. 12:13). Just as Rebecca was unaware of this plan, so God’s counsel regarding the church dates back to a time when the church had no consciousness of it, long before it even existed.
The episode related in Exodus 4 had shown us that Zipporah was not prepared for circumcision, the sign of the covenant with Abraham, and the type of the cutting off of the flesh. And, in that chapter it is "son," in the singular, which we take as applying to Gershom, previously mentioned in Exodus 2. In naming his elder son Gershom, Moses revealed his consciousness of strangership in the world where he sojourned, and the cutting off of circumcision was very appropriate in regard to that. Now the second son is mentioned, and we pass from what is negative to what is positive, since Eliezer signifies, "My God is an help." This had now been made very plain, and in these two names we find Moses saying in principle what Joseph before him had said in the names of his two sons, which meant, "Forgetting," and "Fruitful."
Eliezer is brought in at this point in a very striking way. Gershom's name shows that Moses' heart was yearning after Israel while separate from them, in contrast with the names of Joseph's sons, which show the satisfaction and joy his heart found in other relationships while apart from his brethren after the flesh (Gen. 41). Eliezer is introduced no less suitably in Ex. 18:4, "and the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh." Most seasonable after the great deliverance just experienced, not only by himself but by the whole people of God.
Abraham is now old (140 years). He was very rich in possessions, but his greatest treasure was the son of his love who was with him in Canaan. And Isaac is the father's delight and the object of his love and thoughts. He is to have a wife to share his riches. In sending forth the servant (probably Eleazar) Abraham tells him twice, "Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again." The son is not to leave the father's side; the bride is to be brought to him. And Abraham is assured of the success of the mission of the servant.
Verses
- Genesis 24:1–671And Abraham was old, [and] advanced in age; and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things. 2And Abraham said to his servant, the eldest of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put thy hand, I pray thee, under my thigh, 3and I will make thee swear by Jehovah, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that thou take not a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am dwelling; 4but thou shalt go to my land and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac. 5And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land must I, then, bring thy son again in any case to the land from which thou hast removed? 6And Abraham said to him, Beware that thou bring not my son thither again. 7Jehovah the God of the heavens, who took me out of my father's house, and out of the land of my nativity, and who has spoken to me, and who has sworn to me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land — he will send his angel before thee, that thou mayest take a wife for my son thence. 8And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be quit of this my oath only, bring not my son thither again. 9And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore unto him concerning that matter. 10And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; now all the treasure of his master was under his hand; and he arose and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water, at the time of the evening, when the women came out to draw [water]. 12And he said, Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, meet me, I pray thee, [with thy blessing] this day, and deal kindly with my master Abraham. 13Behold, I stand [here] by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. 14And let it come to pass, [that] the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and who will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, be she whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and hereby I shall know that thou hast dealt kindly with my master. 15And it came to pass before he had ended speaking, that behold, Rebecca came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother; and [she had] her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16And the maiden was very fair in countenance; a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, sip a little water out of thy pitcher. 18And she said, Drink, my lord! And she hasted and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him to drink. 19And when she had given him enough to drink, she said, I will draw [water] for thy camels also, until they have drunk enough. 20And she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw [water]; and she drew for all his camels. 21And the man was astonished at her, remaining silent, to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not. 22And it came to pass when the camels had drunk enough, that the man took a gold ring, of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands, ten [shekels] weight of gold, 23and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room [in] thy father's house for us to lodge? 24And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. 25And she said to him, There is straw, and also much provender with us; also room to lodge. 26And the man stooped, and bowed down before Jehovah, 27and said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has not withdrawn his loving-kindness and his faithfulness from my master; I being in the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren. 28And the maiden ran and told these things to her mother's house. 29And Rebecca had a brother, named Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, to the well. 30And it came to pass when he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's hand, and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister, saying, Thus spoke the man to me — that he came to the man, and behold, he was standing by the camels, by the well. 31And he said, Come in, blessed of Jehovah! why standest thou outside? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 32And the man came into the house; and he ungirded the camels, and gave the camels straw and provender, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who were with him. 33And there was set [meat] before him to eat; but he said, I will not eat until I have made known my business. And he said, Speak on. 34And he said, I am Abraham's servant. 35And Jehovah has blessed my master greatly, and he is become great; and he has given him sheep and cattle, and silver and gold, and bondmen and bondwomen, and camels and asses. 36And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master after she had grown old; and unto him has he given all that he has. 37And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I am dwelling; 38but thou shalt by all means go to my father's house and to my family, and take a wife for my son. 39And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not follow me? 40And he said to me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way, that thou mayest take a wife for my son of my family, and out of my father's house. 41Then shalt thou be quit of my oath, when thou shalt have come to my family. And if they give thee not [one], thou shalt be quit of my oath. 42And I came this day to the well, and said, Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, if now thou wilt prosper my way on which I go, 43behold, I stand by the well of water, and let it come to pass that the damsel who cometh forth to draw [water], and to whom I shall say, Give me, I pray thee, a little water out of thy pitcher to drink, 44and she shall say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels — that she should be the woman whom Jehovah hath appointed for my master's son. 45Before I ended speaking in my heart, behold, Rebecca came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder, and went down to the well, and drew [water]; and I said to her, Give me, I pray thee, to drink. 46And she hasted and let down her pitcher from her [shoulder], and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. And I drank; and she gave the camels drink also. 47And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him. And I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. 48And I stooped, and bowed down before Jehovah; and I blessed Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has led me the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. 49And now, if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; and I will turn to the right hand or to the left. 50And Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceeds from Jehovah we cannot speak to thee bad or good. 51Behold, Rebecca is before thee take [her], and go away; and let her be wife of thy master's son, as Jehovah has said. 52And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed down to the earth before Jehovah. 53And the servant brought forth silver articles, and gold articles, and clothing, and he gave [them] to Rebecca; and he gave to her brother, and to her mother, precious things. 54And they ate and drank, he and the men that were with him, and lodged. And they rose up in the morning; and he said, Send me away to my master. 55And her brother and her mother said, Let the maiden abide with us [some] days, or [say] ten; after that she shall go. 56And he said to them, Do not hinder me, seeing Jehovah has prospered my way send me away, and I will go to my master. 57And they said, Let us call the maiden and inquire at her mouth. 58And they called Rebecca and said to her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. 59And they sent away Rebecca their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. 60And they blessed Rebecca, and said to her, Thou art our sister; mayest thou become thousands of tens of thousands; and may thy seed possess the gate of their enemies! 61And Rebecca arose, and her maids, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man. And the servant took Rebecca, and went away. 62And Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi; for he was dwelling in the south country. 63And Isaac had gone out to meditate in the fields toward the beginning of evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were coming. 64And Rebecca lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and she sprang off the camel. 65And she had said to the servant, Who is the man that is walking in the fields to meet us? And the servant said, That is my master! Then she took the veil, and covered herself. 66And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. 67And Isaac led her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother.