ELIEZER (Het). s elee-eh' ser, God of help).
This is the same name as Eleazar-whence came the abbreviated Lazar or Lazarus of the New Testament. It is proper to note this here, because the parable which describes Lazarus in Abraham's bosom (Luke xvi :23) has been sup posed to contain a htent allusion to I he name of Eliezer, whom, before the birth of Ishmael and Isaac, Abraham regarded as his heir.
1. A steward of Abraham. Abraham. being promised a son. says:-1 go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus ... Behold, to me thou bast given no seed: and. lo. one born in mine house is mine heir' (Gen. xv :2,3). The common notion is that Eliezer was Abraham's house-born slave, adopted as his heir, and meanwhile his chief and con fidential servant, and the same who was after wards sent into Mesopotamia to seek a wife for Isaac. This last point we may dismiss with the remark that there is not the least evidence that 'the elder servant of his house' (Gen. xxiv:2), whom Abraham charged with this mission, was the same as Eliezer ; and our attention may there fore be confined to the verses which have been quoted.
It is obvious that the third verse is not properly a sequel to the second. but a repetition of the statement contained in the second; and, being thus regarded as parallel passages, the two may be used to explain each other.
'Eliezer of Damascus,' or 'Damascene-Eliezer,' is the subject of both verses. The obvious mean ing is, that Eliezer was born in Damascus ; and how is this compatible with the notion of his being Ahrahant's house-born slave, seeing that Abraham's household never was at Damascus? The expression, 'the steward of mine house,' in verse 2, will explain the sense of 'one born in mine house is mine heir,' in verse 3. The first phrase, literally translated, is 'the son of posses sion of my house,' i. e. one who shall possess
my house. my property, after my death ; and is therefore exactly the same as the phrase in the next verse, 'the son of my house (paraphrased by 'one born in mine house') is mine heir.' This removes every difficulty.
This view, that Eliezer was actually Abraham's near relative and heir-at-law, removes another dif ficulty, which has always occasioned some embar rassment. and which arises from the fact, that while he speaks of Eliezer as his heir, his nephew Lot was in his neighborhood, and had been, until lately, the companion of his wanderings. If Eliezer was Abraham's servant, it might well occasion surprise that he should speak of him and not of Lot as his heir. (B. C. 2088.) 2. The second of the two sons born to Moses while an exile in the land of Midian (Exod. xviii: 4). Eliezer had a son called Zebadiah (I Chron. viii :17).
3. One of the sons of Becher and grandson of Benjamin (t Chron. vii:8). (B. C. after 1856.) 4. One of the priests, who in the time of Da vid. was appointed to accompany the ark on its removal from the house of Obed-edom to Jeru salem (r Chron. xv :24). (B. C. 1043.) 5. Son of Zichri, ruler of the Reubenites in the reign of David (i Chron. xxvii:16). (B. C. be fore io13.) 8. A prophet, son of Dodavah (2 Chron. xx : 37), who uttered a rebuke against Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. xx :35-37). (B. C. 895.) 7. Son of Jorirn, descendant of Nathan, Da vid's son (Luke iii :29).
8. A chief Israelite sent by Ezra to Casiphia on a commission (Ezra vlIi :16). (B. C. 457.) 9. A priest. who in the time of Ezra had married a foreign wife (Ezra x:18). (B. C. 456.) 10. A Levite, guilty of the same offense as 9 (Ezra x:23).
11. An Israelite who had also taken a foreign wife (Ezra x:31).