[Editor’s Mention: Commentaries towards Book regarding Moses and you can Genesis Chapters 1 – ten tends to be found on the ScripturePlus Application of Book out of Mormon Main as well as on the fresh Bible Central website here.]

Genesis twenty four. A spouse to own Isaac

Even in the event students assign Genesis twenty two, 23, and you may twenty-four to 3 different offer, each one of these sections show similar themes concerning the continuity out of covenant posterity. In sections twenty-two and 23, Abraham confronted Isaac’s close dying and you may Sarah’s real passing, while in chapter twenty-four he had been assured you to the newest years manage create Isaac. “As long as Isaac was single, this new divine promise of posterity stays unfulfilled.” To demonstrate united states which, section 24 recounts the wedding from Isaac.

Having said that, the whole regarding section twenty four looks outsized once we envision exactly how partners passages it could have taken to state simply one Isaac is betrothed and you may partnered to help you a great divinely chosen relative, the grandd’s brother Nahor. We wish to inquire our selves as to why the main points associated with tale provides become preserved which have for example care and attention.

One noticeable reason for the distance is that the section gives understated suggestions of your selfish and you may conniving character out-of Rebekah’s sibling Laban, whoever hard reputation are certainly more clearly found due to their after deals which have Jacob’s marriage ceremonies in order to their girl, Leah and you can Rachel (Genesis 30–31).

But indeed there certainly must be a more very important function of the newest tale than just forewarning the person from the Laban. BYU teacher Dennis J. Packard ideal this 1 of the biggest things to look to possess regarding the part “is how a good steward acts.”

The Queen James Types of Genesis fifteen:dos tells us that Eliezer off Damascus was new “steward out of [Abraham’s] family.” Although not, during the Genesis 24 the name of the steward just who serves into the Abraham’s account to find a spouse having Isaac, probably Eliezar, “is not known by name. As to why? Perhaps he or she is supposed to be remembered much less a particular individual, however, just like the a beneficial kazakhstan girls dating steward, or even more, because an illustration for everybody stewards.”

New Hebrew phrase found in Genesis 15:dos interpreted because “steward,” ben meshek beiti, is different inside the scripture, so the exact meaning is undecided. Yet not, most ancient and progressive scholars have taken they to mean that Eliezer was a student in a leading reputation off faith to own whatever Abraham had. And you can, watching the brand new perspective for the terminology when you look at the verse 2, some features advised one to “Abraham got adopted Eliezer [since their heir], to your assumption, obviously, he could have no people regarding their own.” In the event the correct, this should made Eliezer’s possibilities given that one responsible to help you like a partner to own Isaac doubly poignant. Inside experience, brand new profitable betrothal away from Isaac would make certain Isaac’s seed products do inherit what Eliezer’s pupils would have passed on had Isaac remained unmarried.

Brand new part features the fresh significant characteristics of your oath that Abraham made with his steward to be sure the success of their travel locate a girlfriend getting Isaac. Regarding transactions which have Rebekah’s friends, the brand new steward illustrated Abraham themselves really actual feel. This new claims God-made so you’re able to Abraham regarding the his seed was basically actually trusted on the hand regarding Abraham’s steward.

The severity of the brand new oath you to definitely Abraham fashioned with his steward is a great example of the sort of covenants regarding ancient industry. Latter-big date Saints can put on new ancient understanding of covenants to the covenants they generate which have God. However,, Bible scholar Scott Hahn accurately notices one to to carry out therefore,

Old testament CommentaryGenesis twenty-four: A wife to own Isaac

we have to move past certain progressive assumptions and you may recover the brand new sense of covenant because is stayed in biblical countries-and not simply throughout the Hebrew and you may Christian spiritual countries, also on Gentile and pagan communities of one’s ancient industry. To own covenant was the origin of them societies. They offered individual people the sense of kinship, the sense of relationship, their sense of that belong-in order to a household, a group, and you will a country. The new covenant oath are the origin out of household members, national, and you may religious lives.