Genesis Chapter 24

¹ And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

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:

Abraham called his eldest servant of his house who had been with him for a long while and knew him well. This servant was trusted with everything Abraham had.

I was curious about the placing of a hand under the thigh here so I went looking and found this on this website https://www.yeshiva.co/ask/4798 This is a website dedicated to asking Rabbi’s and Jewish scholars questions about these types of things. They all weigh in and give their beliefs. It’s quite interesting… no matter which belief you go with, it’s packed with meaning.

Question
What does it mean when it says he put his hand under Abraham’s thigh? Is this a custom?
Answer
The commentators have different opinions about the meaning over here: According to Rashi, based on the Midrash Rabbah, it does not mean literally the thigh; it means the Milah (organ of circumcision). The reason is because one who takes an oath must hold in his hand a sacred object, such as a scroll of the Torah or phylacteries. And the circumcision was his (Abraham’s) first commandment and came to him through suffering. And it was beloved to him. And (therefore) he chose it (as the object upon which to take the oath). This is also the opinion of Tosefot in the Talmud Shevuot 38b. The Keli Yakar also learns that he made him swear with the Milah. However he adds an annotation explaining the deep meaning of this action. That due to the circumcision a man becomes restricted from forbidden relations. That is why he said don’t take a wife for my son from the daughters of Cana’ani, because lust is their inheritance from Cham the father of Cana’an. Some say he mated Noach [Sanhedrin 70a]. Therefore it is not fitting for the circumcised to associate with the lustful. Due to the circumcision God blessed Abraham, and due to Cham mating Noach Cana’an was cursed, and the blessed do not adhere to the accursed. According to the Ibn Ezra it means the thigh literally. Thus that was the custom in those days, for a man to put his hand under the one who rules him. Meaning if you are under my authority please put your hand under my thigh. And the master sits with his thigh on the hand. Meaning it is as if he is saying, here my hand is under your authority to fulfill your wishes. This custom still exists in India (in the time of the Ibn Ezra). This is also the opinion of the Rashbam and the Chizkuni. See also the Netziv in Ha’amek Davar and the Maharal in Gur Aryeh.

³ And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

The Canaanites came from one of the sons of Noah… Ham (Cham). In Genesis 5:22 it says, “And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.” This seems to be more than simply walking in on his father naked, this is quite possibly that Ham violated his father while his father was passed out drunk, then told his brothers about it who went in to cover their father up. For a write up about that belief https://torah.org/torah-portion/rabbis-notebook-5762-noach/ . The end result of this violation was a curse on Canaan and Abraham didn’t want his son to marry into this cursed people, so he made his servant swear an oath to prevent this from happening. Note: Some teachings also believe that uncovering the nakedness of his father could mean that he had sex with Noah’s wife.

⁴ But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

⁵ And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

The servant wanted to know if he should take Isaac out to his potential bride if she refuses to move to the place where Abraham and Isaac were living. I imagine this question was because the servant was going through the process in his head and thinking about how hard it would be to get a woman to agree to go with him to marry a man she had never met.

⁶ And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

⁷ The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

Abraham explained to his servant that God promised to give the land he was inhabiting to his offspring, so Isaac must be there….but Abraham believed God was going to send his Angel to find the wife for Isaac.

⁸ And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

Abraham tells his servant to just do what he is sent to do and if she won’t come, he is off the hook.

⁹ And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

Having ironed out all the details of the oath… what the expectations were and exact instructions, the cheif servant of Abraham placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and took the oath.

¹⁰ And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

¹¹ And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

¹² And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

Abraham’s servant prayed for him. You can send someone who works for you to do an important job, but precious is a servant who will pray for you to get what you want while they do what they are told. The trust that Abraham had with this servant was something… not only did the servant have control of everything Abraham owned, here he is in control of finding a spouse for Isaac, Abraham’s beloved son.

¹³ Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

Jesus has an experience with a woman at the well too.

¹⁴ And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

¹⁶ And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

¹⁷ And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

¹⁸ And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

¹⁹ And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

²⁰ And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

²¹ And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

²² And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

Once she had given water to his camels, he knew the Lord had answered his prayer. Rebekah was from the right family, she was beautiful…. and she was also kind to this stranger and his camels.

²³ And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?

²⁴ And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

²⁵ She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.

²⁶ And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.

I imagine the Servant was overcome with gratitude and joy… he was blessed by the idea that he had done what his master asked of him, that God blessed everything and his master was blessed. Dear Lord God, I want to be like Abraham’s servant is towards you. To take the things you ask of me to heart in this same way so that your desires become my own desires. That I seek to please you and bless you by following your instructions. Amen

²⁷ And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.

²⁸ And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things.

²⁹ And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.

³⁰ And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

³¹ And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

³² And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.

³³ And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

³⁴ And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.

³⁵ And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

³⁶ And Sarah my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

³⁷ And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:

³⁸ But thou shalt go unto my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

³⁹ And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

⁴⁰ And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:

⁴¹ Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

⁴² And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:

⁴³ Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

⁴⁴ And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master’s son.

⁴⁵ And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

⁴⁶ And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

⁴⁷ And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

⁴⁸ And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son.

⁴⁹ And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

⁵¹ Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the Lord hath spoken.

⁵² And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.

⁵³ And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

⁵⁴ And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.

⁵⁵ And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.

⁵⁶ And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

⁵⁷ And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

⁵⁸ And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

⁵⁹ And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.

⁶⁰ And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

⁶¹ And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

⁶² And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.

⁶³ And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

⁶⁴ And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

⁶⁵ For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.

⁶⁶ And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

⁶⁷ And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.