John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 24:1-67
The Marriage of Isaac and RebekahA charming picture of patriarchal marriage customs. It is very characteristic of the Primitive source.2. Put.. thy hand under my thigh] a form of taking an oath, only mentioned again in Genesis 47:29. ’It is from the thighs that one’s descendants come, so that to take an oath with one hand under the thigh would be equivalent to calling upon these descendants to maintain an oath which has been fulfilled, and to avenge one which has been broken’ (D.). Modern... read more
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 24:1-9
The thigh may be a euphemism for the genitals (Genesis 24:2). [Note: Ibid., p. 254; cf. Waltke, Genesis, p. 327.] The ancients considered the "thigh" to be the source of posterity and the seat of power (cf. Genesis 47:29)."By putting his hand under Abraham’s thigh, the servant was touching his genitals and thus giving the oath a special solemnity. In the ancient Orient, solemn oaths could be taken holding some sacred object in one’s hand, as it is still customary to take an oath on the Bible... read more