UNDER THE THIGH

“The servant put his hand under the thigh of Avraham his master and swore to him concerning the matter.”
Genesis 24:9

Avraham was growing old and following the passing of Sarah, he requested of his servant that a wife be found for his son. The servant would go back to the land from which they came in order to find a wife for Yitz’chak. He wouldn’t marry just anyone for Adonai has announced that they were to stay within the land of Avraham’s birth. The servant agreed to this task being asked of him and made an oath with Avraham. Either he would bring a wife back, or he would be released of his oath if the woman did not wish to come back. Following the oath he was on his way.
I have said it before, and I will probably continue to say it, but oaths are meant to be taken seriously. Adonai takes the oaths we make with Him seriously, but He also holds us to the oaths we make with others just as serious. So then, when the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Avraham, instantly his word became his bond.
In looking to determine why the hand would go under the thigh as an act of sealing a bond, I found that it was all about culture. For these men this action physically was no different than us today shaking hands after a business deal or pinky swearing as children. Despite how it is sealed, the real issue is that we carry out that which we are bound to. In this bond specifically, the servant was being held to either bringing home a wife for Yitz’chak, or being released if the found wife was unwilling to return. But again I state, oaths are meant to be taken with great caution and the matter sworn to rightly understood. Why so? As stated in Matthew Henry’s Commentary for this portion, “because it is a snare to devour that which is holy, and, after vows, to make the enquiry which should have been made before.” In other words, not keeping our vow opens the door for the enemy.
Failure to accomplish that which was vowed was permissible, but only if the woman found refused to follow. But failure to try after the covenant had been made would have been an ill fate for the servant. This is a fate I do not want to see us in. I do not want to see us in a place where we fail to keep our agreements with Adonai. I urge you then to repent for broken oaths made with Adonai and people, and to use caution go forward in making oaths, be it business deals, marriage vows, or what have you. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.

Genesis 23:17 – 24:9