BIBL 410 Week 7
Study Questions-
Dawn Cain 2022.
, WEEKLY STUDY QUESTIONS 7
1. Who is Eliezer?
Eliezer is the “eldest servant of his house” (v. 2) is not named but
commentators almost unanimously identify him with Eliezer, whom Abraham had
previously proposed to be the heir to his property (15:2). (Davis, p.227)
2. Remember the discussion about the location of Ur (Module/Week 5)? Does the location
of the city of Nahor, as given by Davis, influence the location of Ur? Explain your
answer.
The city of Nahor is described by Abraham as his country (24:4). Genesis 12:1
does not specify the city in which Abraham dwelled when God called Him, but other
passages of Scripture point to the city of Ur (Davis, 164). According to Davis, the
more likely and more generally accepted view is that Ur was located in southern
Mesopotamia (Davis, 165), which does not line up with the location where Eliezer
traveled, as Davis notes that Eliezer went north to the city of Nahor. (Davis, p. 228)
3. Why was Eliezer’s journey successful?
Eliezer’s journey was successful not because of his natural genius but because of his
persistent prayer and his sensitivity to God’s Spirit. (Davis, p.230)
4. What does the mentioning of Ishmael and his sons tell us about God?
Mentioning Ishmael and his sons tells us that God’s promises to Ishmael had been
fulfilled. The names of the twelve princes descending from Ishmael are applied not only
to tribal divisions but also to geographical localities. (Davis, p.232)
5. “The elder shall serve the younger” tells us what about God?
“The elder shall serve the younger” tells us that although contrary to ancient Eastern
custom, the elective purposes of God transcend custom. (Davis, p.232)
6. Explain in detail the patriarchal custom of the birthright.
Concerning the patriarchal custom of the birthright, the eldest son enjoyed particular
privileges in the ancient patriarchal household. During his father’s lifetime he took
precedence over his brothers; after his father died, he received a double share of the
inheritance and became head and priest of the family. He could lose the rights of
primogeniture, however, if he committed a grave offense: “The status of the first-born
was thus bound up with responsibilities and obligations on the one hand, and rights,
This study source was downloaded by 100000836267798 from CourseHero.com on 08-04-2022 04:56:48 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/36148071/Week-7-Study-Questions-Dawn-Caindocx/
Study Questions-
Dawn Cain 2022.
, WEEKLY STUDY QUESTIONS 7
1. Who is Eliezer?
Eliezer is the “eldest servant of his house” (v. 2) is not named but
commentators almost unanimously identify him with Eliezer, whom Abraham had
previously proposed to be the heir to his property (15:2). (Davis, p.227)
2. Remember the discussion about the location of Ur (Module/Week 5)? Does the location
of the city of Nahor, as given by Davis, influence the location of Ur? Explain your
answer.
The city of Nahor is described by Abraham as his country (24:4). Genesis 12:1
does not specify the city in which Abraham dwelled when God called Him, but other
passages of Scripture point to the city of Ur (Davis, 164). According to Davis, the
more likely and more generally accepted view is that Ur was located in southern
Mesopotamia (Davis, 165), which does not line up with the location where Eliezer
traveled, as Davis notes that Eliezer went north to the city of Nahor. (Davis, p. 228)
3. Why was Eliezer’s journey successful?
Eliezer’s journey was successful not because of his natural genius but because of his
persistent prayer and his sensitivity to God’s Spirit. (Davis, p.230)
4. What does the mentioning of Ishmael and his sons tell us about God?
Mentioning Ishmael and his sons tells us that God’s promises to Ishmael had been
fulfilled. The names of the twelve princes descending from Ishmael are applied not only
to tribal divisions but also to geographical localities. (Davis, p.232)
5. “The elder shall serve the younger” tells us what about God?
“The elder shall serve the younger” tells us that although contrary to ancient Eastern
custom, the elective purposes of God transcend custom. (Davis, p.232)
6. Explain in detail the patriarchal custom of the birthright.
Concerning the patriarchal custom of the birthright, the eldest son enjoyed particular
privileges in the ancient patriarchal household. During his father’s lifetime he took
precedence over his brothers; after his father died, he received a double share of the
inheritance and became head and priest of the family. He could lose the rights of
primogeniture, however, if he committed a grave offense: “The status of the first-born
was thus bound up with responsibilities and obligations on the one hand, and rights,
This study source was downloaded by 100000836267798 from CourseHero.com on 08-04-2022 04:56:48 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/36148071/Week-7-Study-Questions-Dawn-Caindocx/
