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Genesis 24:1-3
New Catholic Bible
Genesis 24:1-3
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 24
The Marriage of Isaac.[a] 1 Abraham was now old, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in everything. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who supervised his property, “Place your hand under my thigh[b] 3 and swear to the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom we live.
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- Genesis 24:1 This Yahwist story is important for the People of God. It is not a good thing for the recipient of the promises to marry a Canaanite woman; since during the early years children are in the care of their mother, such a woman’s ties to a corrupt people would do harm to God’s work. A young woman from the man’s own stock is much preferable.
- Genesis 24:2 Under my thigh: a euphemism for touching the genitals; to do this is to ask God, the author of life, to be witness to the oath.
