‘And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house who ruled over all that he had, “Put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell, but you will go to my country and to my kindred and take a wife for my son Isaac”.'
It was in the normal course of events that Abraham would arrange Isaac's marriage for it was the custom of the time. The vagueness of Genesis 24:1 as to time gives us no indication as to the precise timing but Genesis 24:67 suggests it was not too long after Sarah's death. There is a suggestion in Abraham's words that he is not sure whether he will still be alive by the time the servant returns. Sarah's death has aged him and he is aware of his mortality. He feels that death may be near and acts accordingly. However events would show that he had many years to live.
“The elder of his house who ruled over all that he had.” This is no ordinary servant. He is a man of great prestige and position and the fact that he is sent demonstrates the importance Abraham places on the commission.
“Put I pray your hand under my thigh.” A recognised method of sealing an oath at the time (compare Genesis 47:29). It was clearly looked on as especially binding.
“Swear by Yahweh the God of heaven and the God of earth.” The phrase is all encompassing, referring to He Who created and Who possesses the heavens and the earth (compare Genesis 14:22 where a similar phrase is used in a most solemn covenant. Compare also Genesis 18:25 in a different context). It further reinforces the oath. This matter is under the direct eye of God. This is further emphasised in Genesis 24:7; Genesis 24:12; Genesis 24:27; Genesis 24:48 where He is ‘Yahweh the God of Heaven' and ‘Yahweh the God of my master Abraham'.
The uniqueness of Abraham's faith as a believer in the One God Who made and possesses all things is rooted in the whole account of his life and especially in the covenant promises. Only the God of heaven and earth could have done such things and made such promises and it has brought home to Abraham the truth about Yahweh Whom he serves.
“That you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell.” Abraham has a strong sense of family purity. His objection could not have been strictly religious, for Nahor is also probably not a worshipper of Yahweh (Joshua 24:2 compare Genesis 31:19). And a wife would be expected to conform, at least outwardly, to the religion of her husband. But it may well have contained an element of morality for the Canaanites had religious practises of a grossly sexual nature which could only be abhorrent to Abraham, and which he may well have spurned. Perhaps he recognised the danger of the insidious introduction of such practises (compare Genesis 35:2).
But in the end the maintenance of family purity is paramount. Compare how Abraham marries his half sister, Nahor marries his brother's daughter, and the continual insistence on marriage within the tribal connections, and indeed within the family. Compare also Isaac's grief at the marriage of Esau outside the family (Genesis 26:35). This may well have arisen through Abraham's meditations on the ancient records which brought home to him that Yahweh was preserving a distinct line through which His promises would be fulfilled, which must be kept pure. This is confirmed by the fact that Abraham does not have the same concern about the marriages of his other sons borne to him by other wives.
“But will go to my country and to my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.” Abraham now looks on Haran as his country for it was there that he lived for many years, and he sees Ur as foreign to his present lifestyle. As noted above he is concerned that Isaac marries within the family.