Genesis 24:2
“Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh.”
What does Genesis 24:2 mean?
Abraham is asking his most trusted servant to make a solemn oath, and this gesture, while unfamiliar to us today, was a serious binding promise in ancient times. Placing a hand under someone's thigh was how people sealed covenants or vows when no written contracts existed, and it signified the deepest level of commitment and honor. Abraham is about to ask this man to find a wife for his son Isaac from among his own relatives back home, so he needs absolute assurance that the servant will carry out this delicate mission faithfully. This moment shows us how much Abraham trusts this man and how seriously he takes his family's future.