Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 24:34

And he said, I [am] Abraham’s servant.

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.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Verses 34-49:

Abraham’s servant began his presentation with a statement of identification. He told of Jehovah’s blessings upon Abraham; and his extensive wealth. Then he told of Sarah’s giving birth to a son, and the fact that this son would inherit the considerable riches of Abraham. The rest of the narration is a faithful account of what occurred, from the time Abraham commissioned him to seek a bride for Isaac, until the meeting with Rebekah at the well. Eleazar attributed the entire proceedings as the direction of Jehovah, down to the most minute detail. Then, he came to the point of decision: would Rebekah and her family accept the evident will of Jehovah, and send Rebekah with him to become Isaac’s bride.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

‘And he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. And Yahweh has blessed my master greatly and he has become great. And he has given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and asses. And Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. And to him he has given all that he has”.’

The worthiness of the bridegroom is described. He is the son of Abraham and Sarah, both of whom were related to Nahor and were well known to them. Moreover the wealth and success of Abraham is made clear and the fact that Isaac is his main heir. He is thus a worthy husband for such as Rebekah.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

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.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Gen 24:2

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Gen 24:34. I am Abrahams servant Abrahams 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.