Genesis 24:2

Plain English Version

Abraham had workers that looked after everything he owned. One of those workers was older than all the other workers, and he was in charge of all the other workers too. One day, Abraham talked to that oldest worker. He said, “I want you to make me a strong promise. So come here and put your hand under my leg.” You see, in Abraham’s culture, people sometimes made promises to each other that way. The person that made the promise, they put their hand under the other person’s leg, and that showed that they had to keep their promise.

Cross References

Genesis 15:2

Then Abram talked to God, and he called God by his special name Yahweh. He said, “Yahweh, you are very powerful. But look, I’ve got no son, so it doesn’t matter what you give me. You haven’t given me the one thing I really want. You haven’t given me any kids. So when I die, one of my work-men will get all my things. His name is Eliyezer. He is from Damascus.”

Genesis 24:34

So Abraham’s worker talked to Laban and the other people in Rebekah’s family. He said, “I work for Abraham.

Genesis 24:37

Then Abraham’s worker said, “My boss Abraham got me to make him a strong promise. He said, ‘Promise me that you will not get a wife for my son from this country that we are living in. Don’t get him a wife from the Canaan people that live here.

Genesis 44:1

Joseph talked to his worker, the one that was in charge of all the other workers in his house. Joseph said to that worker, “Fill up those men’s bags with food. Put lots of food in them, so that they are really full. Then get the money that they paid for that food, and hide that money in their bags, on top of the food. Do that for every one of those men.”

Genesis 47:29

This story is about some things that happened before Jacob died. Jacob knew that he was going to die soon, so he sent somebody to get his son Joseph. Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I am going to ask you to put your hand under my leg, and make me a strong promise.” You see, in that culture, people sometimes made promises to each other that way. The person that made the promise put their hand under the other person’s leg, and that showed that they had to keep their promise. Then Jacob said to Joseph, “I know that you love me, so I want you to promise that you will be good to me, and do the right thing. When I die, don’t bury my body here in Egypt country.

Genesis 47:31

Jacob said, “Make me that strong promise.” So Joseph put his hand under Jacob’s leg, and he made him that strong promise. Then Jacob put his face down towards his bed, to thank God.

2 Samuel 12:17

Some of his important working men came to see him. They tried to make him get up. They tried to make him eat some food. But nothing. He did not want to eat anything with them.

1 Timothy 5:17

Everybody has to respect those people that lead the church properly, and the church has to pay them properly, especially the people that work hard to teach God’s word to other people.