Genesis 24:34

Gen 24:34. I am Abraham’s servant — Abraham’s name, no doubt, was well known among them, and respected; and we may suppose them not altogether ignorant of his state; for Abraham knew theirs, Gen 22:20.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said, I am Abraham's servant. Not Abraham himself, this undeceived Laban, if he so thought, but a servant of his; which was enough to introduce his discourse, his master being a near relation of theirs, and well known to them by name, if not in person.

And he said, I am Abraham's servant. Not Abraham himself, this undeceived Laban, if he so thought, but a servant of his; which was enough to introduce his discourse, his master being a near relation of theirs, and well known to them by name, if not in person.

Genesis 24:35

gen 24:35

gen 24:35

gen 24:35And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly,.... With temporal blessings, after enumerated, which are of God, and are here ascribed to him, the Father, fountain, author, and giver of all such mercies:

and he is become great; in the world, and highly honoured and esteemed among men:

and he hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and asses; though many of them were obtained in the diligent use of means, yet with the blessing of God; and others were the gifts of princes to him, as of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and Abimelech king of Gerar; yet, as it was the Lord that put it into their hearts to be so liberal to him, they are here called his gifts; see Gen 12:16.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Vers. 34-49. Availing himself of the privilege thus accorded, the faithful ambassador recounted the story of his master"s prosperity, and of the birth of Isaac when Sarah his mother was old (literally, after her old age); of the oath which he had taken to seek a wife for his master s son among his master"s kindred, and of the singularly pro vide ntial manner in which he had been led to the discovery of the chosen bride. Then with solemn earnestness he asked for a decision. And now if ye will deal kindly and truly literally, if ye are doing, i.e. are ready or willing to extend kindness and truth (cf. ver. 27)with (or, to) my master, tell me: and if not, toll me; that I may turn (literally, and I will turn) to the right hand, or to the left in further prosecution of my mission, to seek in some other family a bride for my master"s son.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I am Abraham' servant - Abraham's name, no doubt, was well known among them, and respected; and we may suppose them not altogether ignorant of his state, for Abraham knew theirs, chap. xxii, 20.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Eliezer states his errand

v. 34. And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. After thus introducing himself, Eliezer, in a carefully set speech, announces the object of his coming.

v. 35. And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great; and He hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and camels, and asses. The apparently careless enumeration serves to enhance the impression of great wealth and power.

v. 36. And Sarah, my master’s wife, bare a son to my master when she was old, after the signs of advancing age were in evidence; and unto him hath he given all that he hath. Isaac was the heir of all this great wealth.

v. 37. And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell,

v. 38. but thou shalt go unto my father’s house and to my kindred and take a wife unto my son.

v. 39. And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

v. 40. And he said unto me, The Lord before whom I walk, in the fear of whom he had arranged and led his entire life, will send His angel with thee and prosper thy way, give success to thy undertaking; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred and of my father’s house.

v. 41. Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

v. 42. And I came this day unto the well and said, O Lord God of my master-Abraham, if now Thou do prosper my way which I go, if Thou wilt indeed give success to my undertaking;

v. 43. behold, I stand by the well of water, and it shall come to pass that, when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink,

v. 44. and she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels, let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master’s son. Even in this part of his speech, by referring to the virgin, in the singular, whom he was expecting to come to the well, the servant directs the attention of his hearers to Rebekah.

v. 45. And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well and drew water; and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

v. 46. And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. So I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

v. 47. And I asked her and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him. And I put the earring (nose ring) upon her face and the bracelets upon her hands.

v. 48. And I bowed down my head, and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter (in the wider sense, for Rebekah was Nahor’s grandchild) unto his son. The circumstantial narrative, with the full account of the prayer, was intended to show that Jehovah had really taken the matter out of Eliezer’s hands already, a fact which his hearers would surely have to acknowledge.

v. 49. And now, if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand or to the left. Eliezer appeals directly to the kindness and faithfulness which Abraham should surely be entitled to from his relatives. At any rate, he expected them to give him definite information as to their stand in the matter, in order that he might know exactly what course to pursue next. Mark that in a proper and valid betrothal, as Luther here points out, the suit is directed to the parents of the young woman first, and a secret engagement has no validity before God.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

ויאמר עבד אברהם אנכי, our sages (Baba Kama 92) consider this as an example of a popular proverb that one should mention any personal deficiency before commencing to carry out whatever mission has been assigned to him. [according to this interpretation Eliezer, instead of considering it a privilege to be the servant of a man like Avraham, considered it a stigma that he was a slave. Ed.]

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.