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| William Dyce's oil painting of Eliezer (1860) is on permanent exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. |
The Hebrew is challenging here as there is an attempt at play on the sound ben meshek (son of Masek)... with dam mesek. It appears that Abraham had two concubines, Hagar and Masek. This was not unusual among the Habiru rulers. Consider Jacob's 2 concubines.
The reference to Masek as a "handmaid" is clearer in the Orthodox Study Bible, based on the Septuagint. Genesis 15:2 reads: "And Abraham said, 'Lord, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus, the son of Masek, my domestic maid servant." The "of Damascus" is probably a mistake, but the Orthodox Study Bible committee decided to leave the place name.
If we include Eliezer as a son (following the Septuagint), Abraham had nine sons by two wives and two concubines. The first of the sons born to Abraham was Joktan (Yaqtan), son of Keturah.
Eliezer was Abraham's son by his concubine Masek (Mesek). He was one of the nine sons named in Scripture who were born to Abraham. However, his relationship to Abraham is only clear in the Septuagint. Bibles based on the Masoretic text do not include this information. The term dam means "blood" or "offspring" of Masek. Some Bibles have that Eliezar is from Damascus or that he is Damascene, but this is not implied in the older Greek version of the Old Testament.
To understand who Eliezar is and his importance, it is necessary to have some understanding of the marriage and ascendancy pattern of Abraham's Horim (called "Horites" in Genesis 36.)
Abraham had two wives, as was the pattern for Horite rulers. His father Terah had two wives. Sarah was Terah's daughter by one wife and Abraham was Terah's son by the other wife. This pattern of two wives meant that there were usually two firstborn sons; one by the half-sister wife and the other by the cousin/niece wife. As with all royal lines, there is problem when the wives are barren.
If we include Eliezer as a son (following the Septuagint), Abraham had nine sons by two wives and two concubines. The first of the sons born to Abraham was Joktan (Yaqtan), son of Keturah.
Eliezer was Abraham's son by his concubine Masek (Mesek). He was one of the nine sons named in Scripture who were born to Abraham. However, his relationship to Abraham is only clear in the Septuagint. Bibles based on the Masoretic text do not include this information. The term dam means "blood" or "offspring" of Masek. Some Bibles have that Eliezar is from Damascus or that he is Damascene, but this is not implied in the older Greek version of the Old Testament.
To understand who Eliezar is and his importance, it is necessary to have some understanding of the marriage and ascendancy pattern of Abraham's Horim (called "Horites" in Genesis 36.)
Abraham had two wives, as was the pattern for Horite rulers. His father Terah had two wives. Sarah was Terah's daughter by one wife and Abraham was Terah's son by the other wife. This pattern of two wives meant that there were usually two firstborn sons; one by the half-sister wife and the other by the cousin/niece wife. As with all royal lines, there is problem when the wives are barren.
In the Horite marriage and ascendancy pattern, the firstborn son of the cousin wife ascended to the throne of his maternal grandfather, after whom he was titled/named. Lamech the Younger (Gen. 5) ascended to the throne of Lamech the Elder (Gen. 4) Likewise, Esau the Younger ascended to the throne of Esau the Elder (Gen. 36). The first born sons of the cousin wives were not the proper heirs to the thrones of their biological fathers. Joktan, Abraham's first born son, the child of his cousin bride, Keturah, was never considered as Abraham's heir. He belonged to the household of Abraham's father-in-law.
The firstborn of the half-sister wife ascended to the throne of his biological father, so Isaac was Abraham's heir. However, he was not Abraham's firstborn. Neither was Ishmael. Ishmael was conceived late in Abraham's life, after Abraham had married Keturah. Keturah's firstborn son was Joktan (Yaqtan) of the Joktanite Tribes of Arabia. As Keturah was Abraham's cousin wife, Joktan ascended to the throne of his maternal grandfather.
The firstborn of the half-sister wife ascended to the throne of his biological father, so Isaac was Abraham's heir. However, he was not Abraham's firstborn. Neither was Ishmael. Ishmael was conceived late in Abraham's life, after Abraham had married Keturah. Keturah's firstborn son was Joktan (Yaqtan) of the Joktanite Tribes of Arabia. As Keturah was Abraham's cousin wife, Joktan ascended to the throne of his maternal grandfather.
Sarah was barren. This meant that Abraham was without a proper heir, and growing desperate it appears. This is when he prayed about having an heir and received the promise (Gen. 15:4) that a son would come from his own "loins" (meaning blood descent from him and his half-sister).
Eliezar, as the firstborn of Masek, one of Abraham's concubines, was Abraham's only natural heir. Clearly before Isaac arrived, Eliezar was considered Abraham's rightful heir according to the Horite marriage and ascendancy pattern.
The name Eliezar/Eleazar appears twice in the Horite ancestry of Jesus Christ.
Eliezar, as the firstborn of Masek, one of Abraham's concubines, was Abraham's only natural heir. Clearly before Isaac arrived, Eliezar was considered Abraham's rightful heir according to the Horite marriage and ascendancy pattern.
The name Eliezar/Eleazar appears twice in the Horite ancestry of Jesus Christ.
Related reading: Why Eliezer Was Abraham's Heir; Abraham's Sons; Abraham's Nephews and Niece; INDEX of Topics at Just Genesis; Sent Away Sons
Alice, You have probably come across Joseph and His Brothers, by Thomas Mann (written from 1926-1943). I hesitate to come right out and recommend it: given its gargantuan length, it could immobilize you for a year or more if you decide to take it up. But one thing that stays with me from my attempts at this novel, is how wonderfully the depiction of the character of Eliezer provides a springboard for one of Mann's most intriguing themes, having to do with the way that cycles of repetitiveness in human history can make distortions of the real span of time, so that events that happened once-upon-a-time in a collective memory of a people tend to get foreshortened in the retelling, and the whole panorama in which the events must have actually occurred is probably abbreviated: The novel tells of how a young Joseph would have carried around a repository of stories that were told to him by a family servant by the name of "Eliezer," but as time goes on, how easy it is for one Eliezer to take the place of another in a succession of family stories, until it becomes unclear who was the original Eliezer-- Jacob's servant, or Abraham's, or servant to some ancestor of Abraham's.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Jonathan. It is how some people explain the couplets in Genesis. Scratches at the layer of oral tradition.
ReplyDeleteFrom another website and about the Egba people:
ReplyDeleteConsider the phrase "Egba omo Lishabi" . This is actually Egba omo ti Lisha bi - Egba a child born of Lisha. In the Bible there were a couple of people named Eber and this is in reference to one of them,. . . . but which one? It qualifies itself - the one born of Lisha! So this particular Eber must have had a parent named Lisa, Eliza or Eleazer. To add credit to this qualification, in Abeokuta "Lisa" is a high ranking chief.
YT
Granted that biblical events are not always listed in strict chronological order, but one aspect of the original question you
ReplyDeleterefer to does not seem to be addressed at all. The writer stated that Ishmael had already been born. But this concern Abraham expressed about a possible future heir occurs before the birth of Ishmael, who does not come on the scene until later in the narrative.
What an excellent question you've raised!
ReplyDeleteRemember that Abraham had two wives, as was the pattern for all Horite rulers. His father Terah had two wives. Sarah was Terah's daughter by one wife and Abraham was Terah's son by the other wife. This pattern meant that there were always two firstborn sons; one by the half-sister wife and the other by the cousin/niece wife. The firstborn son of the cousin/niece wife ascended to the throne of his maternal grandfather, after whom he was titled/named. So Enoch the Younger ascended to the throne of Esau the Elder (Gen. 36). The firstborn of the half-sister wife ascended to the throne of his biological father, so Isaac was Abraham's heir. However, he was not Abraham's firstborn. Neither was Ishmael. Ishmael was conceived late in Abraham's life, after Abraham had married Keturah. Keturah's firstborn son was Joktan (Yaqtan), the head of the Joktanite Tribes of Arabia. As Keturah was Abraham's cousin wife, Joktan ascended to the throne of his maternal grandfather. As Sarah was barren, Abraham was still desperate for an heir.
Eliezar, as the firstborn of Masek, one of Abraham's concubines, was apparently the next in line, since Ishmael had been sent away.
I've just written a more thorough explanation, which you may read here:
ReplyDeletehttp://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-eliezar-was-abrahams-heir.html
I would like special permission to post your work on my ministry website in the Forum. I am so pleased in the findings you have discovered and would like to share with others about your work.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Prayer Mantle
Apostle Dawne
Please, email me: dawne2015@gmail.com
Dawne, I can't remember if I emailed you back in May. That was a busy time - end of school year, finals to grade, etc.
ReplyDeleteYou have permission to post any of this research as long as you credit me and link to the original post here at Just Genesis.
Best wishes and God's blessings on your ministry!
The answer to the Misery hidden behind this name is very simple. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is spiritual - meaning it is easy to understand these characters when you are filled with the holy spirit. In addition to this, it very important to have a continuous fellowship with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ Through the same Holy Spirit.
ReplyDeleteSo what am I saying to you reader?
Eliezer was a human representation of the Holy Spirit before Jesus Christ Just like Melchizedek. The high priest, King and full of majestic peace and righteousness of God in the name of Jesus.
Phillip, your mystical typology is wonderfully rich. There is a place for this approach in building up the believer.
ReplyDeleteMy approach is different. I'm more of a Biblical literalist in that I believe Eliezar actually was one of Abraham's sons, and Melchizedek was a historical person who was a ruler-priest and an ancestor of Jesus Christ.
In the Douay Bible, which I am currently reading, Genesis 15:2, the steward of the house is not Damascus Eliezer. Damascus Eliezer is the "son" of the steward of my house.
ReplyDeleteIn the Anchor Bible Commentary on Genesis (p. 112), E.A. Speiser suggests that the term Dammesek should be ben-Maseq, son of Maseq (Masek).
ReplyDeleteThe Jewish Study Bible has this: "and the one in charge of my household is Dammesek Eliezer."
The Schocken Bible (Volume 1)has this: "and the Son Domestic of My House is Damascan Eliezer." This continues with "the Son of My House must be my heir."
The New Jerusalem Bible - translated from the Hebrew - has this: "Since you have given me no offspring... a member of my household will be my heir." There is no mention of Eliezer at all.
Given what is known about the marriage and ascendancy pattern of the biblical Hebrew, I believe it is correct that Eliezer was the son or Maseq, a concubine. However, this would not be the proper heir to Abraham's kingdom in Edom. The proper heir would be the first born son of the first wife, in this case, Sarah. That is why Isaac became the heir and rules over Abraham's territory between Hebron and Beersheba (north-south axis) and between Engedi and Gerar (east-west axis).
I recommend this series: The Social Structure of the Biblical Hebrew, Part 3 which addresses inheritance rights.
http://jandyongenesis.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-social-structure-of-biblical-hebrew_9.html
My dear madam Alice, you have touched my Spiritual mind with this insight. Today I was reading the whole Genesis 15 and I came across this name been mentioned and I began to search and lo and behold am schooled. Thank you and God richly bless you and give more knowledge and money to bring out powerful research of God's Word.
ReplyDelete