And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
3. one born in my house ] The childless master of the house is here represented as likely to be succeeded by a member of his household. Lot is ignored. For the favourable position of a trusted slave in an Israelite household, cf. 24; 1Sa 9:3-8; 1Sa 9:22; 1Ch 2:34 ff.; Pro 17:2.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Of such see Gen 14:14; Ecc 2:7. And these are opposed to them that are born of a mans body, Job 19:17; Pro 31:2; Jer 2:14.
Mine heir; either,
1. By nearness of relation, being, as some conceive, descended from Aram the eldest son of Shem. Or,
2. For a recompence of his fidelity: compare Pro 17:2. Or,
3. because he only had the exact knowledge and absolute power of all his masters estate, Gen 24:10, and therefore could easily keep all after his masters death. All which reasons concurring might give occasion for this speech.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. Eliezer of Damascus . . . oneborn in my house is mine heirAccording to the usage of nomadictribes, his chief confidential servant, would be heir to hispossessions and honors. But this man could have become his son onlyby adoption; and how sadly would that have come short of the parentalhopes he had been encouraged to entertain! His language betrayed alatent spirit of fretfulness or perhaps a temporary failure in thevery virtue for which he is so renownedand absolute submission toGod’s time, as well as way, of accomplishing His promise.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Abram said, behold, to me thou hast given no seed,…. He had bestowed many temporal blessings on him, as well as spiritual ones, having given himself in covenant, and all things in it, but he had not given him a child:
and lo, one born in my house is mine heir; meaning either Eliezer or his son, whom he had made his heir, or intended to make him, since he had no child; or of course he would have been to, Lot his nephew having no sons; and this Eliezer descending from Aram, the youngest son of Shem, was like to be next heir, if Abram should have no child of his own, as Dr. Lightfoot observes g.
g Works, vol. 1. p. 695.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) One born in my house.This is a mistake. Those born in Abrams house were his servants (Gen. 14:14). The Hebrew is, the son of my house, my house-son, not born of me, but the chief of the house next to myself, and its representative. Eliezer was probably born at Damascus.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. One born in my house Hebrews, a son of my house . Abram here refers again to Eliezer, whom he has just called a son of possession of my house; and this confirms our view stated above, that the oldest servant of a childless patriarch was regarded as the principal heir .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Gen 15:3. And Abram said, &c. Abram spreads his grief before the Lord; and since he is so gracious, shews him his trouble. Observe, God’s ears are ever open to the voice of our complaint. Abram had a great promise, but no appearance of its fulfilment: he was childless, and, humanly speaking, likely to continue so, being old: and one of his servants must be his heir. Where then is the seed? What is all that thou givest me, if this be withheld? Learn, (1.) How hard it is, when mercies are long delayed, not to grow impatient, and weary of waiting. (2.) In every distress, our business is to make God our bosom-friend. (3.) Whatever we enjoy, unless this seed be born in us, Christ the Hope of glory, all is nothing. A Christless person, though rich as Croesus or great as Caesar, must still be miserable.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 15:3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
Ver. 3. And Abram said, Behold, to me, &c. ] He harps again upon the same string; when we fall upon crosses we add, we multiply, we rise in our discourse, we are eloquent above measure, and beyond truth sometimes. But how comes Abram to speak thus to God once and again? In former visions God only spake, here Abram answers. It appears he grew in a holy familiarity with the divine Majesty, and a humble boldness, as Cajetan here observeth.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Behold . . . lo. Figure of speech Asterismos (App-6).
heir. Hebrew. inherits me. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject). This was strictly in accordance with 191 of the Code of Kharnmurabi. See App-15.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Behold: Gen 12:2, Gen 13:16, Pro 13:12, Jer 12:1, Heb 10:35, Heb 10:36
born: Gen 14:14, Pro 29:21, Pro 30:23, Ecc 2:7
Reciprocal: Gen 11:30 – barren Gen 16:1 – bare Gen 17:13 – born Gen 25:21 – because Exo 21:4 – shall be her 2Sa 9:2 – a servant 2Ki 4:14 – she hath no child Ecc 4:8 – he hath Jer 2:14 – he a homeborn Luk 1:7 – they had Act 7:5 – yet
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 15:3. Behold, to me thou hast given no seed Not only no son, but no seed. If he had had a daughter, from her the promised Messias might have come, who was to be the seed of the woman; but he had neither son nor daughter.