A Manner of Oath
Why was this (placing a hand under the thigh of another) necessary in order to make an oath / covenant / or swear?
"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: 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 Canannites, among whom I dwell"¦And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter" (Genesis 24:2-3, 9).
"And the time drew nigh that Israel must die: and he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt" (Genesis 47:29).
Well, it seems like what in fact the "thigh" is refering to is the penis. Since circumcisition has such a strong value within the Jewish culture, they would hold the penis when they made an oath.
QUOTE |
The circumcision was also used as an object of an oath because it was the main sign that separated the patriarchs and their families from the surrounding pagans. In this respect it was just like tefillin. Although touching the circumcision may seem to have sexual connotations, the Patriarchs were so holy that such a thought never entered their minds. They were not like ordinary human beings. We thus find that when Jacob had Joseph make an oath to him, he also used the sign of circumcision as the sacred object. (Genesis 47:29) However, when Jacob made Esau swear to him upon selling his birthright, he did not have him lay his hand on his circumcision. (Genesis 25:33) This could only be done when both people involved were on the highest levels of holiness. Furthermore, such a ritual should only be done by very old men. If younger men were to make oaths in such a manner, it could result in immorality. |
This actually makes much more sense than simply putting a hand on the thigh. In most ancient cultures, the Male sex organ was considered something close to sacred. Since it was the insurance that their line would live on and that they would be taken care of, it was something to be honored. The Sacred Phallus was prevalent to swear by in ancient cultures and is thus revealed, apparently, in the Bible as well.