Bible Strands
Genesis 24:9
So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The servant stands before Abraham immediately after the patriarch clarifies the oath’s terms in Genesis 24:8. He performs the ritual act of obedience before departing for Nahor’s hometown.
The words — The phrase תַּחַת יֶרֶךְ (taḥat yerekh) literally translates to “under the thigh.” This physical gesture marks the exact location where the servant places his hand to seal the vow.
The thread — The same hand-under-thigh gesture appears in Genesis 24:2 when Abraham first issues the command. This ritual anchors the servant’s compliance to the patriarch’s initial instruction.
Why it lands — The text records the servant’s physical compliance with a specific, binding request before he begins his mission. A reader must acknowledge that ancient covenantal oaths required tangible acts of submission to establish legal and relational weight.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.
Cross-references
- Genesis 24:2 So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,