Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 15:2

"And 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?" — Genesis 15:2 (ASV)

Lord God. —This is not Jehovah Elohim, but Lord Jehovah, where “Lord” is the ordinary title of respect. Usually, Jehovah takes the vowels of ‘adonai, “lord,” but because the two words occur here together, it takes the vowels of Elohim. Hence, the translation in our version, in obedience to a superstition of the Jews (Genesis 4:1).

What will you give me? —There is a slight tone of complaint in these words. Jehovah promised Abram a “reward great exceedingly.” Abram answers that no reward can truly be great as long as he has no heir.

I go childless. —This means either, I am going to my grave childless (Psalms 39:13), or, preferably, I continue to be, I pass my days, in childlessness.

The steward of my house. —In Hebrew, this is the benmeshek of my house. Ben-meshek is generally explained as meaning “the son of possession”—that is, the possessor or owner of my house when I die. Other authorities derive meshek from a verb meaning “to run about,” as if it was Eliezer’s responsibility to go to and fro in carrying out Abram’s orders.

This term is rare and was evidently chosen for the play on words with Dammesek (Damascus). This might also explain the last words, which are literally, he is Damascus Eliezer. Grammatically, it should have been, “he is the Damascene Eliezer,” but this would have spoiled the assonance between ben-meshek (probably pronounced bemmeshek) and Dammesek.