Genesis 15:2

Genesis 15:2

And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

a. NLT: But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.

b. NIV: But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

c. YLT: And Abram saith, 'Lord Jehovah, what dost Thou give to me, and I am going childless? and an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.'

d. Amplified Bible: And Abram said, Lord God, what can You give me, since I am going on [from this world] childless and he who shall be the owner and heir of my house is this [steward] Eliezer of Damascus?

e. Septuagint: And Abram said, Master [and] Lord, what wilt thou give me? whereas I am departing without a child, but the son of Masek my home-born female slave, this Eliezer of Damascus [is mine heir.]

f. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: And Abram said, “My Lord, HASHEM/ELOHIM: What can You give me seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is the Damascene Elieser?

1. “And Abram said…”

a. And Abram [87 * ‘Abram] [Strong: contracted from 48; high father; Abram, the original name of Abraham:--Abram.]

b. said [559 * ‘amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

2. “…Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless…”

a. Lord [136 * ‘Adonay] [Strong: am emphatic form of 113; the Lord (used as a proper name of God only):--(my) Lord.]

b. God [3069 * Yhovih] [Strong: a variation of 3068 (used after 136, and pronounced by Jews as 430, in order to prevent the repetition of the same sound, since they elsewhere pronounce 3068 as 136):--God.]

c. what will thou give me [5414 * nathan] [Strong: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander, strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.]

d. seeing I go [1980 * halak] [Strong:  akin to 3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively):--(all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, + be eased, enter, exercise (self), + follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), + greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead, march, X more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away), be at the point, quite, run (along), + send, speedily, spread, still, surely, + tale-bearer, + travel(-ler), walk (abroad, on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax, (way-)faring man, X be weak, whirl.]

e. childless [6185 * ‘ariyriy] [Strong: from 6209; bare, i.e. destitute (of children):--childless.]

3. “…and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?”

a. and the steward [Compound Hebrew word: 1121 * ben and 4943 * mesheq] [Strong 1121 * ben: from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. [D.C. note: both Hebrew words are translated “steward”] [Strong 4943 * mesheq: from an unused root meaning to hold; possession:--+ steward.]

1). steward (Unger’s Bible Dictionary) a manager or superintendent of another’s household.

b. of my house [1004 * bayith] [Strong: probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).]

c. is this [1931 * huw’] [Strong: of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.]

d. Eliezer [461 * ‘Eliy’ezer] [Strong: from 410 and 5828; God of help; Eliezer, the name of a Damascene and of ten Israelites:--Eliezer.]

e. of Damascus [1834 * Dammeseq] [Strong: of foreign origin; Damascus, a city of Syria:--Damascus.

1). Why “Eliezer of Damascus” was referred to as being from Damascus is not known . The next verse if it is referring to Eliezer, clearly says he was born in Abram’s house. Usually, when the term is used it means either where a person was born or was from. In Acts 9:11 the Lord described Saul to Ananias in a vision as “Saul of Tarsus”, and of course it refers to where he was from and where he was born, Acts 21:39; and Acts 22:3. Jesus himself in responding to Saul’s question of who he was, said “I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest”, Acts 22:8.