Eliezer (Hebrew:אֱלִיעֶזֶר,romanized: ʾĔliʿezer,lit. 'Help/Court ofEl') was the name of at least three different individuals in theHebrew Bible.
Eliezer ofDamascus (Hebrew:דַּמֶּשֶׂק אֱלִיעֶזֶר,romanized: Damméseq ʾĔliʿezer) was, according toTargum Jonathan Bereishit, 14:14, the son ofNimrod. As mentioned inGenesis 15:2, Eliezer was head of the patriarchAbraham's household.
But Abram said, “Olord יהוה, what can You give me, seeing that I shall die childless, and the one in charge of my household is Dammesek Eliezer!”[1]
Medieval biblical exegetes have explained the nounben mešeq as meaning "butler; steward; overseer",[2] while the nameDamméseq Eliʿézer is explained byTargum Onkelos as meaning "Eliezer the Damascene." Others say that he was given the name "Damascus" by Abraham, who purchased Eliezer from Nimrod and had passed through the city of Damascus while returning with his servant fromBabylonia.[2] Other translations of Genesis describe Eliezer as Abraham's heir.[3]
There is an interpretation inGenesis Rabbah (43:2), cited byRashi, that Eliezer went alone with Abraham to rescueLot, about "his initiates" stated to be 318 in number(Genesis 14:14) being the numerical value of Eliezer's name inHebrew, interpreted in tractate Nedarim (32a) as Abraham not wishing to rely on a miracle by taking only one individual.[4]
According to most interpretations, the unnamed "senior servant of (Abraham's) household, who had charge of all that he owned," in Genesis 24:2, who obtained Rebecca as a bride forIsaac, was the same Eliezer. This name is first found in the Bible in Genesis 15:2 when Abraham asks God about his promises of a son while being childless, naming Eliezer as the heir of his house.[5]
Eliezer wasMoses's andZipporah's second son. His name means "Help of my God". The verse in theExodus 18:4 states, "[T]he other was named Eliezer, meaning, 'The God of my father’s [house] was my help, delivering me from the sword ofPharaoh.'"Gershom and Eliezer were born after Moses had taken refuge inMidian and marriedJethro's daughter Zipporah.
A prophet called Eliezer, son of Dodavah, rebuked KingJehoshaphat ofJudah for aligning himself with KingAhaziah of Israel. Jehosophat and Ahaziah built ships inEzion-Geber, which were to sail toTarshish for trade. According to2 Chronicles 20:37, the ships sank due to his not relying on God:
Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made." The ships were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.
