Genesis 24:2
in Genesis 24So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
KJV
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:
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This verse in Genesis 24
Commentary
16 notes on this versewhen the most faithful Abraham wished to make his servant swear with more than usual solemnity by the circumcision as being a seal royal, Place, he said, thine hand under my thigh, instead of under the seal royal, that is, the circumcision
This site's exposition
old and well along in years
on Genesis 24:1-2
This is the last act of Abraham's life the book tells at length, and it is about his son's marriage. Sarah is buried, and the son the promise runs through has no wife. The oath is sworn with a hand under his thigh. The gesture touches the sign of the covenant carried in his own body, the sign the promised seed was to come through.
This site's exposition
who managed all he owned
The servant is never named in this chapter. Adam Clarke took the man who managed all Abraham owned to be Eliezer, the steward of 15:2. If Clarke is right, Abraham sends on this errand the man he had once expected to be his heir, before Isaac was born.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
For, putting the hand under the thigh of a man and swearing by the God of heaven, what else did that signify except that in that flesh, which took its origin from that thigh, the God of heaven would come?Marriage therefore is a good in which the married are better in proportion as they fear God more chastely and more faithfully, especially if they also nourish spiritually the children whom they desire carnally.
This surely was prophetic of the fact that the Lord God of heaven and the Lord of the earth would one day come in flesh fashioned from that thigh.
A commentator
Augustine of HippoTRACTATE ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 43.6.3 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
For an important thing was being done when a spouse was being sought for the seed of Abraham. But that the servant might learn this which Abraham knew, that he did not desire grandchildren carnally and that he did not have any carnal conception about his progeny, he said to his slave whom he was sending, "Put your hand under my thigh and swear by the God of heaven." What does the God of heaven want to signify in respect to the thigh of Abraham? Already you understand the hidden meaning: by the thigh, his progeny. Therefore what was that swearing but a signifying that the God of heaven would come in the flesh from the progeny of Abraham?
When the sacred lesson was read a little while ago, we heard that blessed Abraham called his servant and said to him, "Put your hand under my thigh that I may adjure you by the God of heaven and of earth, not to obtain a …
Abraham made him swear by the covenant of circumcision. Because God saw that the two heads of the world had dishonored this member, he set the sign of the covenant on it so that this member, which was the most despised of all the limbs, …
8 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
You see, since he had reached extreme old age, the text says, he wished to preserve Isaac from association with the Canaanites, lest he take a wife from among them. So he summoned the more prudent of his servants, the text says, and gave him the following instructions: "Place your hand under my thigh." In Greek the verse is written this way: "under my thigh"; whereas in Hebrew it says "under my loins." Why did he speak in this fashion? It was an idiom of people in the past. But on other grounds it was also because the birth of Isaac takes its origin from there.For you to learn that the action was done according to a certain custom, notice that when he was ordering him to put his hand there, he immediately added, "and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth." See how he teaches the servant to recognize the Creator of all things. By saying, "the God of heaven and the God of earth," he encompassed all creation.
The Reformation2 voices
And Abraham said unto his eldest servant. Abraham here fulfils the common duty of parents, in laboring for and being solicitous about the choice of a wife for his son: but he looks somewhat further; for since God had separated him from the Canaanites by a sacred covenant, he justly fears lest Isaac, by joining himself in affinity with them, should shake off the yoke of God.
And Abraham said unto his eldest servant. Abraham here fulfils the common duty of parents, in laboring for and being solicitous about the choice of a wife for his son: but he looks somewhat further; for since God had separated him from the Canaanites by a sacred covenant, he justly fears lest Isaac, by joining himself in affinity with them, should shake off the yoke of God.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Thus God swears his servants to their work, that, having sworn, they may perform it. Honour is here done to the eternal God; for he it is that is sworn by, to whom alone these appeals ought to be made. And some think honour is done to the covenant of circumcision by the ceremony here used of putting his hand under his thigh.
And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house,....
Thus God swears his servants to their work, that, having sworn, they may perform it. Honour is here done to the eternal God; for he it is that is sworn by, to whom alone these appeals ought to be made. And some think honour is done to the covenant of circumcision by the ceremony here used of putting his hand under his thigh.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Eldest servant - As this eldest servant is stated to have been the ruler over all that he had, it is very likely that Eliezer is meant. See Gen 15:2, Gen 15:3. Put, I pray thee, thy hand - See note on Gen 24:9.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
said unto his eldest servant--Abraham being too old, and as the heir of the promise not being at liberty to make even a temporary visit to his native land, was obliged to intrust this delicate mission to Eliezer, whom, although putting entire confidence in him, he on this occasion bound by a solemn oath.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Scripture reiterates [Abraham’s old age although it has already mentioned it] 57 Above,:11. in order to inform us of the reason that he adjured his servant.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Avraham was old, advanced in days [years], and Adonoy had blessed Avraham in all things.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֗ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עַבְדּוֹ֙ | avdo | servant his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| זְקַ֣ן | zekan | <the> old of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| בֵּית֔וֹ | beito | household his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַמֹּשֵׁ֖ל | hamoshel | who was ruling | H4910 → | 81 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | over all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| ל֑וֹ | lo | [belonged] to <the> him | ||
| שִֽׂים־ | sim- | put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| נָ֥א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| יָדְךָ֖ | yadekha | hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| תַּ֥חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| יְרֵכִֽי׃ | yerekhi | thigh my | H3409 → | 34 times |
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אַבְרָהָ֗םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עַבְדּוֹ֙servant his
avdoH5650 →799 times
זְקַ֣ן<the> old of
zekanH2205 →178 times
בֵּית֔וֹhousehold his
beitoH1004 →2046 times
הַמֹּשֵׁ֖לwho was ruling
hamoshelH4910 →81 times
בְּכָל־over all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
ל֑וֹ[belonged] to <the> him
lo
שִֽׂים־put
sim-H7760 →584 times
נָ֥אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
יָדְךָ֖hand your
yadekhaH3027 →1618 times
תַּ֥חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
יְרֵכִֽי׃thigh my
yerekhiH3409 →34 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 47:29When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 31:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the time of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, so that I may commission him.” So Moses and Joshua…
- Genesis 24:49
Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere.”
- 1 Kings 2:1
As the time drew near for David to die, he charged his son Solomon,
- Genesis 50:24–25
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac,…
- Acts 7:15–16
So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died.
- Deuteronomy 31:14
Through
Genesis 44:1Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.
it leads to
- Genesis 42:25
Then Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return each man’s silver to his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out,
- Genesis 43:16
When Joseph saw Benjamin with his brothers, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my house. Slaughter an animal and prepare it, for they shall dine with me at…
- Genesis 42:25
Through
Genesis 15:2But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
it leads to
- Genesis 25:21
Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
- Genesis 25:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, On the Good of Marriage 19; Augustine of Hippo, City of God 16.33; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATE ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 43.6.3; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 85.1; Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 2; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 21:2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 48.7-8; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.