Genesis 15 · Verse 2

Genesis 15:2

And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
Genesis 15:2, King James Version

Genesis 15:2 in other translations

BSBBut Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
WEBAbram said, “Lord GOD, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”
ASVAnd Abram said, O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
YLTAnd Abram saith, ‘Lord Jehovah, what dost Thou give to me, and I am going childless? and an acquired son in my house is Demmesek Eliezer.'
DARBYAnd Abram said, Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me? seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus.
BBEAnd Abram said, What will you give me? for I have no child and this Eliezer of Damascus will have all my wealth after me.
WebsterAnd Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

What does Genesis 15:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. Lord God, what wilt thou give?--To his mind the declaration, "I am thy exceeding great reward" [Ge 15:1], had but one meaning, or was viewed but in one particular light, as bearing on the fulfilment of the promise, and he was still experiencing the sickness of hope deferred.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 What wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless - The anxiety of the Asiatics to have offspring is intense and universal. Among the Hindoos the want of children renders all other blessings of no esteem. See Ward. And the steward of my house - Abram, understanding the promise as relating to that person who was to spring from his family, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed, expresses his surprise that there should be such a promise, and yet he is about to die childless! How then can the promise be fulfilled, when, far from a spiritual seed, he has not even a person in his family that has a natural right to his property, and that a stranger is likely to be his heir? This seems to be the general sense of the passage; but who this steward of his house, this Eliezer of Damascus, was, commentators are not agreed. The translation of the Septuagint is at least curious: Ὁδε υἱος Μασεκ της οικολενους μου, οὑτος Δαμασκος Ελιεζερ·. The son of Masek my homeborn maid, this Eliezer of Damascus, is my heir; which intimates that they supposed משק meshek, which we translate steward, to have been the name of a female slave, born in the family of Abram, of whom was born this Eliezer, who on account of the country either of his father or mother, was called a Damascene or one of Damascus. It is extremely probable that our Lord has this passage in view in his parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Luk 16:19. From the name Eliezer, by leaving out the first letter, Liezer is formed, which makes Lazarus in the New Testament, the person who, from an abject and distressed state, was raised to lie in the bosom of Abraham in paradise.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 15:2-6
Though we must never complain of God, yet we have leave to complain to him; and to state all our grievances. It is ease to a burdened spirit, to open its case to a faithful and compassionate friend. Abram's complaint is, that he had no child; that he was never likely to have any; that the want of a son was so great a trouble to him, that it took away all his comfort. If we suppose that Abram looked no further than outward comfort, this complaint was to be blamed. But if we suppose that Abram herein had reference to the promised Seed, his desire was very commendable. Till we have evidence of our interest in Christ, we should not rest satisfied; what will all avail me, if I go Christless? If we continue instant in prayer, yet pray with humble submission to the Divine will, we shall not seek in vain. God gave Abram an express promise of a son. Christians may believe in God with respect to the common concerns of this life; but the faith by which they are justified, always has respect to the person and work of Christ. Abram believed in God as promising Christ; they believe in him as having raised him from the dead, Ro 4:24. Through faith in his blood they obtain forgiveness of sins.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 15:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אַבְרָ֗ם'av.RamAbramH87
אֲדֹנָ֤י'a.do.NaiO LordH136
יֱהוִה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3069
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
תִּתֶּן\־ti.ten-will you giveH5414
לִ֔יLito <the> me
וְאָנֹכִ֖יve.'a.no.Khiand IH595
הוֹלֵ֣ךְho.Lekh[am] goingH1980
עֲרִירִ֑י'a.ri.RichildlessH6185
וּבֶן\־u.ven-and [the] son ofH1121
מֶ֣שֶׁקMe.shek[the] acquisition ofH4943
בֵּיתִ֔יbei.Tihousehold myH1004
ה֖וּאhu'heH1931
דַּמֶּ֥שֶׂקda.Me.sek[is] DamascusH1834
אֱלִיעֶֽזֶר\׃'e.li.'E.zerEliezerH461

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 15:2

  • Genesis 25:21

    And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

  • 1 Samuel 1:11

    And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

  • Acts 7:5

    And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

  • Genesis 12:1-3

    Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

  • Genesis 44:1

    And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.

  • Isaiah 56:5

    Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

  • Psalms 127:3

    Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

  • Genesis 24:10

    And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

  • Genesis 43:19

    And they came near to the steward of Joseph’s house, and they communed with him at the door of the house,

  • Genesis 24:2

    And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

  • Proverbs 17:2

    A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
what.
12:1-3
childless.
25:21; 30:1,2; 1Sa 1:11; Ps 127:3; Pr 13:12; Isa 56:5; Ac 7:5
the.
24:2,10; 39:4-6,9; 43:19; 44:1; Pr 17:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 15:1

    After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

  • Genesis 15:2

    And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

  • Genesis 15:3

    And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

Read all of Genesis 15

Genesis 15:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y respondió Abram: Señor Jehová ¿qué me has de dar, siendo así que ando sin hijo, y el mayordomo de mi casa es ese Damasceno Eliezer?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Abram dit: Seigneur Éternel, que me donneras-tu? Je m’en vais sans enfants, et l’héritier de ma maison, c’est Éliézer de Damas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Abram sprach: Herr, Jehova, was willst du mir geben? Ich gehe ja kinderlos dahin, und der Erbe meines Hauses, das ist Elieser von Damaskus.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque Abram: Domine Deus, quid dabis mihi? ego vadam absque liberis, et filius procuratoris domus meæ iste Damascus Eliezer.