Genesis 15:2

Lord God God = Heb. Jehovah, as in other places where it is put in capitals. "Adonai Jehovah": this combination of sacred names occurs only here, Genesis 15:8, and Deuteronomy 3:24; Deuteronomy 9:26, in the Pentateuch. It is, however, not uncommon in the prophetical writings; and is especially frequent in Ezekiel. The Hebrew student will notice that the sacred name JHVH receives here the vowel points "e" "o" "i" of Elohim, because the word "Adonai," whose pronunciation it generally receives, immediately precedes it. Where the full word "Adonai" precedes JHVH, the Jewish scribes, in order to prevent profane repetition of the word "Adonai," punctuate and pronounce JHVH as if it were "Elohim"; hence they would read here Adonai Elohim, not Adonai Adonai.

seeing I go childless R.V. marg. go hence. LXX ἀπολύομαι, Lat. ego vadam. "I go" is generally understood to mean here, "I depart this life." Cf. "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart," Luke 2:29 (νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα). But it might mean, "I take my ordinary path in life, childless."

The misfortune of having no children was acutely felt by the Israelite: see Numbers 27:4, "Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son?"

possessor of myhouse] i.e. my heir.

The conclusion of this verse, in the original, gives no sense. The R.V. probably furnishes the general meaning. The confusion is apparent in LXX, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς Μάσεκ τῆς οἰκογενοῦς μου, οὗτος Δαμασκὸς Ἐλιέζερ = "And the son of Masek, my slave born in the house, this is Damascus Eliezer."

Dammesek Eliezer R.V. marg., Targum of Onkelos, and Syriac, have Eliezer the Damascene. The text is corrupt. Literally the sentence runs: "and the son of the possession of my house is Damascus Eliezer." Dammesekis the usual Hebrew word for "Damascus." Attempts to restore the text have not been successful.

Ball conjectures, "And he who will possess my house is a Damascene, Eliezer." Eliezer is probably the same as the faithful servant of Abram mentioned in Genesis 24:2, where the name is not given. The possible reference to Damascus in this verse gave rise to the traditions connecting Abram with the conquest of Damascus; see Josephus (Ant. i. 7, 2), quoting Nicolaus of Damascus, who wrote in the days of Herod the Great; cf. note on Genesis 12:5.