Genesis 24:2

Genesis 24:2

And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

a. NLT: One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh.

b. NIV: He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh.

c. YLT: and Abraham saith unto his servant, the eldest of his house, who is ruling over all that he hath, 'Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And Abraham said to the eldest servant of his house [Eliezer of Damascus], who ruled over all that he had, I beg of you, put your hand under my thigh;

e. Septuagint: And Abraam said to his servant the elder of his house, who had rule over all his possessions, Put thy hand under my thigh,

f. Stone Edition Chumash Torah: And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household who controlsall that is his: “Place now your hand under my thigh.”

1. “And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had…”

a. Abraham [85 * 'Abraham] [Strong: contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram:--Abraham.]

b. said [559 * 'amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

c. unto his eldest [2205 * zaqen] [Strong: from 2204; old:--aged, ancient (man), elder(-est), old (man, men and...women), senator.]

d. servant [5650 * `ebed] [Strong: from 5647; a servant:--X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant, (man-)servant.]

e. of his house [1004 * bayith] [Strong: probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, + within(-out).]

f. that ruled over all that he had [4910 * mashal] [Strong: a primitive root; to rule:--(have, make to have) dominion, governor, X indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule(-ing, -r), have power.]

2. “…Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:”

a. put [7760 * suwm; or siym] [Strong: a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically):--X any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, + disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, + name, X on, ordain, order, + paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), + regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, + stedfastly, take, X tell, + tread down, ((over-))turn, X wholly, work.]

b. thy hand [3027 * yad] [Strong: a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad, (broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, + creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship, force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in, labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine, ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain, power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing, + thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side, where, + wide, X with (him, me, you), work, + yield, X yourselves.]

c. under my thigh [3409 * yarek] [Strong:  from an unused root meaning to be soft; the thigh (from its fleshy softness); by euphem. the generative parts; figuratively, a shank, flank, side:--X body, loins, shaft, side, thigh.]

1). Stone Edition Chumash Torah: Thigh is a euphemism for the male organ; offspring, too, are described as…literally, “coming out of the father’s thigh”, (Genesis 46:26; Exodua 1:5). Rashi explains why Abraham chose it for use in certifying the oath. One who takes an oath must place his hand on some sacred object, such as a Torah scroll or tefillin. Because circumcision was the first precept given to Abraham, and because he fulfilled it through much pain, it was particularly precious to him, so Abraham asked Eliezer to take his oath upon it.

2). I have a serious problem believing that Abraham waould require his servant to put his hand on his male sexual organ and swear an oath. This same Hebrew word is used in a number of instances that clearly do not mean a male’s sex organ. Though in some instances it could mean that, but in other instances it couldn’t possibly refer to a man’s sex organ. In fact, as we will see in one instance it refers to a woman’s anatomy. Below are some of the 34 examples of how this Hebrew word is translated.

a). Genesis 46:26 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six;

b). Genesis 47:29 And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt:

c). Exodus 1:5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.

d). Exodus 32:27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

e). Numbers 5:21, 22 Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;

5:22 And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thybelly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

f). Judges 3:16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

g). 2 Kings 16:14  And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.