Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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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:
3 and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the
God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
The charge he gave to a good servant, probably Eliezer of Damascus, one of whose conduct, fidelity, and affection to him and his family, he had had long experience. He trusted him with this great affair, and not Isaac himself, because he would not have Isaac go at all into that country, but marry there by proxy; and no proxy so fit as this steward of his house. This matter is settled between the master and the servant with a great deal of care and solemnity.
1 The servant must be bound by an oath to do his utmost to get a wife for Isaac from among his relations, Ge 24:2-4. Abraham swears him to it, both for his own satisfaction and for the engagement of his servant to all possible care and diligence in this matter. Thus God swears his servants to their work, that, having sworn, they may perform it. Honour is here done to the eternal God; for he it is that is sworn by, to whom alone these appeals ought to be made. And some think honour is done to the covenant of circumcision by the ceremony here used of putting his hand under his thigh. Note, Swearing being an ordinance not peculiar to the church, but common to mankind, is to be performed by such signs as are the appointments and common usages of our country, for binding the person sworn.
2. He must be clear of this oath if, when he had done his utmost, he could not prevail. This proviso the servant prudently inserted (Ge 24:5), putting the case that the woman would not follow him; and Abraham allowed the exception, Ge 24:8. Note, Oaths are to be taken with great caution, and the matter sworn to should be rightly understood and limited, because it is a snare to devour that which is holy, and, after vows, to make the enquiry which should have been made before.