Genesis 24:9

Genesis 24:9

And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

a. NLT: So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions.

b. NIV: So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

c. YLT: And the servant putteth his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and sweareth to him concerning this matter.

d. Amplified Bible Classic: So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

e. Septuagint: And the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraam, and swore to him concerning this matter. 

f. Stone Edition Chumash Torah: So the servant placed his right hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to himregarding this matter.

1. “And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master…”

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

b. 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.]

c. his 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.]

d. under the thigh [3709 * 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.

e. of 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.]

f. his master [113 * 'adown aw-done' or (shortened) adon {aw-done'}; from an unused root (meaning to rule); sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine):-- lord, master, owner.]

2. “…and sware to him concerning that matter.”

a. and sware [7650 * shaba’] [Strong: a primitive root; propr. to be complete, but used only as a denominative from 7651; to seven oneself, i.e. swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times):--adjure, charge (by an oath, with an oath), feed to the full (by mistake for 7646), take an oath, X straitly, (cause to, make to) swear.]

b. concerning [5921 * `al] [Strong: properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

c. that [2088 * zeh] [Strong: a primitive word; the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that:--he, X hence, X here, it(-self), X now, X of him, the one...the other, X than the other, (X out of) the (self) same, such (a one) that, these, this (hath, man), on this side...on that side, X thus, very, which.]

d. matter [1697 * dabar] [Strong: from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, + dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, + eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt, + iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, + please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that, X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings, what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.]