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:
When the time came that Israel was about to die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, 'If I have found favor with you, please put your hand under my thigh and promise to show me kindness and faithfulness. Please don't bury me in Egypt.'
Israel (Jacob) is asking his son Joseph to make a solemn promise that he won't be buried in Egypt, but instead taken back to the land God promised his family.
📚 Historical Context
This scene takes place when Jacob (also called Israel) is dying in Egypt, where his family had moved during a severe famine. The gesture of placing a hand under the thigh was an ancient custom for making the most serious kind of oath or promise. Jacob wanted to be buried with his ancestors in the Promised Land, not in Egypt, because he believed God's promise that his descendants would inherit Canaan.
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