1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible
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| Genesis 24:2 | *And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was ruler over all he had: **Put thy hand under my thigh, Genesis 47:29. | Year of the World 2148, Year before Christ 1856. Servant. Eliezer, or Damascus, whom he had once intended for his heir, Genesis 15:2. (Haydock) --- Under, etc. either to shew their subjection, (Sa.) or their faith in Christ, who should be born of Abraham, (St. Jerome, ep. 140) or to testify that their oath shall be no less binding than the covenant of circumcision. For this last reason, the Jews still observe the custom of sitting upon the hand of the person who takes an oath. (Menochius) See Genesis 47:29, where Jacob imitates the action of his grand-father. These two patriarchs, progenitors of Christ, are the only ones in Scripture whom we find practising it; whence St. Augustine and St. Ambrose conclude, that it had a reference to the mysterious birth of our Redeemer. (Bonfrere.) |