Bible Dictionary: Thigh

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ATS Bible Dictionary

Thigh

The mode of taking an oath, alluded to in Genesis 24:2-9 47:29-31, was significant of the swearer's obligation to obedience. Jacob's thigh was disabled by the Angel, to show the patriarch that his prevalence was through his faith and prayer, not through force, Genesis 32:25-31. Smiting the thigh was a gesture of self-condemnation and grief, Jeremiah 31:19 Ezekiel 21:12. Warriors wore their swords upon the left thigh, unless left-handed in readiness for use, Jud 3:15-21 Psalm 45:3 So 3:8; so too they may have borne their names and titles, not only on their shields, but on their swords, or on the rove or mailed coat covering the thigh, Revelation 19:16. "Hip and thigh," Jud 15:8, seems to mean utterly and irrecoverably.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) The proximal segment of the hind limb between the knee and the trunk. See Femur.

2. (n.) The coxa, or femur, of an insect.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

THIGH

thi (yarekh; Aramaic yarekhah (Daniel 2:32); meros (Judith 9:2; Sirach 19:12; Revelation 19:16); as part of a sacrificial animal (Exodus 29:22, etc.) shoq, the King James Version, the Revised Version margin "shoulder"; in addition the King James Version has "thigh" for shoq in Isaiah 47:2 (the Revised Version (British and American) "leg")): The portion of the leg from the knee to the hip, against which a weapon hangs when suspended from the waist (Exodus 32:27 Judges 3:16, 21 Psalm 45:3, etc.). So the thigh of a rider on horseback would be covered by a loose girdle, on which his name might be embroidered (Revelation 19:16). The "hollow of the thigh" (Genesis 32:25) is the hip-socket or the groin.

See also HIP.

The thighs were thought to play a part in procreation (Genesis 46:26 Exodus 1:5, English Versions of the Bible "loins"; Judges 8:30, English Versions of the Bible "body"; compare Numbers 5:21;), so that an oath taken with the hand under the thigh (Genesis 24:2, 9; Genesis 47:29) was taken by the life-power (the rabbis interpreted "by the seal of circumcision"). It is perhaps significant that this oath in both Genesis 24 and 47 is said to have been exacted by persons in danger of death. Doubtless this association of the thigh with life (aided perhaps by its excellence as food (1 Samuel 9:24 Ezekiel 24:4)) determined its choice as a sacrificial potion (Exodus 29:22, etc.; on the "heave thigh" see SACRIFICE). Consequently, it is natural to find the thigh classed as forbidden ("sacred") food among certain peoples, and, probably, this sacred character of the part is the real basis of Genesis 32:32: "The children of Israel eat not the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day." The origin of the prohibition, however, was unknown to the writer of the verse, and he sought an explanation from a story in which special attention was called to the thigh. Nothing else is heard about this precept in the Old Testament, but it receives elaborate attention in the Mishna (Chullin vii), where, for instance, all food cooked with meat containing the sinew (nervus ischiadicus) is rendered unclean if the sinew imparts a flavor to it, but not otherwise. (For further details see the comms., especially Skinner. (ICC) and RS2, 380.) One of the proofs of guilt in the jealousy trial (Numbers 5:27) was the falling-away of the "thigh" (a euphemism; see JEALOUSY). To smite upon the thigh was a token of contrition (Jeremiah 31:19) or of terror (Ezra 21:12).

Burton Scott Easton

Greek

3382. meros -- the thigh
... meros. 3383 . the thigh. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: meros
Phonetic Spelling: (may-ros') Short Definition: the thigh Definition: the thigh ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3382.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

3409. yarek -- thigh, loin, side, base
... 3408, 3409. yarek. 3410 . thigh, loin, side, base. Transliteration: yarek
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-rake') Short Definition: thigh. ...
/hebrew/3409.htm - 6k

3410. yarkah -- thigh, loin
... 3409, 3410. yarkah. 3411 . thigh, loin. Transliteration: yarkah Phonetic Spelling:
(yar-kaw') Short Definition: thighs. Word ... thigh. (Aramaic ...
/hebrew/3410.htm - 6k

5384. nasheh -- a vein (or nerve) in the thigh
... 5383, 5384. nasheh. 5385 . a vein (or nerve) in the thigh. Transliteration:
nasheh Phonetic Spelling: (naw-sheh') Short Definition: hip. ...
/hebrew/5384.htm - 6k

6344. pachad -- thigh
... 6343, 6344. pachad. 6345 . thigh. Transliteration: pachad Phonetic Spelling:
(pakh'-ad) Short Definition: thighs. Word Origin probably ...
/hebrew/6344.htm - 6k

7785. shoq -- a leg
... 7784, 7785. shoq. 7786 . a leg. Transliteration: shoq Phonetic Spelling:
(shoke) Short Definition: thigh. ... hip, leg, shoulder, thigh. ...
/hebrew/7785.htm - 6k

3247. yesod -- foundation, base
... Word Origin from yasad Definition foundation, base NASB Word Usage base (9), foundation
(5), foundations (4), thigh (1). bottom, foundation, repairing. ...
/hebrew/3247.htm - 6k

Library

They all Hold Swords, Being Expert in War; Every Man Hath his ...
... CHAPTER III. 8. They all hold swords, being expert in war; every man hath
his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. ...
/.../guyon/song of songs of solomon/8 they all hold swords.htm

King of Kings and Lord of Lords
... Revelation 19:16. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written,. ... It
is written, or inscribed, upon His vesture dipped in blood, and upon His thigh. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xxxviii king of kings.htm

He Shows by the Example of Abraham that the Ancient Saints ...
... philosophers sought Him, who knew nothing of His flesh"can that other act of Abraham,
when he orders his servant to place his hand under his thigh, and to ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 32 xxvii he shows by.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, John i. 48,"When Thou Wast under the ...
... any more called Jacob, but Israel shall thy name be," [3653] which is by interpretation,
"Seeing God." After this He touched the sinew of his thigh, the broad ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon lxxii on the words.htm

Psalm XCIII.
... For he saith in another Psalm, [4347] "Gird Thee with Thy sword upon Thy thigh,
O Thou most mighty: the people shall fall under Thee:" using the word accingere ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xciii.htm

If, Therefore, Even they who are United in Marriage Only for the ...
... Therefore it was a far greater good than the chaste marriages of believers among
us, which father Abraham knew in his own thigh, under which he bade his ...
/.../augustine/on the good of marriage/section 22 if therefore even.htm

Psalm LXXIII.
... sending his faithful servant to espouse a wife for his only son, maketh him swear
to him, and in the oath saith to him, "Put thy hand under my thigh, and swear ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxxiii.htm

How those are to be Admonished who Sin from Sudden Impulse and ...
... Hence, again, of the strong warriors of the heavenly country it is said, Every man
hath his sword upon his thigh because of fears in the night (Cant. ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/chapter xxxii how those are.htm

Chapter xxiv
... 2-4. And Abraham said unto his servant, the eldest of his house, who had control
over all that Abraham had: Put, now, thy hand under my thigh, that I may cause ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxiv.htm

Christ's Kingly Office
... Let us consider now Christ's regal office. And he has on his vesture, and on his
thigh, a name written, "King of kings, and Lord of lords", Revelation 19:16. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/5 christs kingly office.htm

Thesaurus

Thigh (38 Occurrences)
...THIGH. ... So the thigh of a rider on horseback would be covered by a loose girdle,
on which his name might be embroidered (Revelation 19:16). ...
/t/thigh.htm - 22k

Thigh-vein (1 Occurrence)
Thigh-vein. Thighs, Thigh-vein. Thimnathah . Multi-Version Concordance
Thigh-vein (1 Occurrence). Genesis 32:32 Therefore ...
/t/thigh-vein.htm - 6k

Heave-thigh (2 Occurrences)
Heave-thigh. Heave-shoulder, Heave-thigh. Heavier . Multi-Version
Concordance Heave-thigh (2 Occurrences). Leviticus ...
/h/heave-thigh.htm - 7k

Hip (8 Occurrences)
... 9. (n.) Alt. of Hipps. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. HIP. (shoq, "leg," "limb,"
"hip," "shoulder"): Samson smote the Philistines "hip and thigh" (Hebrew "leg ...
/h/hip.htm - 10k

Waved (29 Occurrences)
... Exodus 29:27 You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the thigh of
the wave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of ...
/w/waved.htm - 16k

Hollow (35 Occurrences)
... hol'-o (kaph, nabhabh): "Hollow" is the translation of kaph, "hollow" (Genesis
32:25, 32, "the hollow of his thigh," the hip-pan or socket, over the sciatic ...
/h/hollow.htm - 20k

Joint (12 Occurrences)
... Genesis 32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the
hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he ...
/j/joint.htm - 12k

Socket (5 Occurrences)
... Genesis 32:25 When he saw that he didn't prevail against him, he touched the hollow
of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained, as he wrestled. ...
/s/socket.htm - 9k

Sinew (2 Occurrences)
... "Therefore the children of Israel eat not the sinew of the hip which is upon the
hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's ...
/s/sinew.htm - 8k

Swell (9 Occurrences)
... of the Water of Jealousy described in Numbers 5:11-31 (P), the effect on the unfaithful
wife ot the drinking of the holy water was to cause the thigh to fall ...
/s/swell.htm - 13k

Bible Concordance

Thigh (38 Occurrences)

Revelation 19:16 He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 24:2 Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 24:9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 32:25 When he saw that he didn't prevail against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was strained, as he wrestled.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Genesis 32:31 The sun rose on him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped because of his thigh.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Genesis 32:32 Therefore the children of Israel don't eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Genesis 46:26 All the persons who are coming to Jacob to Egypt, coming out of his thigh, apart from the wives of Jacob's sons, all the persons 'are' sixty and six.
(YLT)

Genesis 47:29 The time drew near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph, and said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, please put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me. Please don't bury me in Egypt,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 1:5 And all the persons coming out of the thigh of Jacob are seventy persons; as to Joseph, he was in Egypt.
(YLT)

Exodus 28:42 You shall make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the waist even to the thighs they shall reach:
(Root in WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 29:22 Also you shall take some of the ram's fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 29:27 You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 32:27 He said to them, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel,'Every man put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and every man kill his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.'"
(WEB JPS ASV YLT NAS)

Leviticus 7:32 The right thigh you shall give to the priest for a heave offering out of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 7:33 He among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a portion.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 7:34 For the waved breast and the heaved thigh I have taken from the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel.'"
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 8:25 He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right thigh;
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 8:26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before Yahweh, he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat, and on the right thigh.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 9:21 and the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before Yahweh, as Moses commanded.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 10:14 The waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons' portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of Israel.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Leviticus 10:15 The heaved thigh and the waved breast they shall bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh: and it shall be yours, and your sons' with you, as a portion forever; as Yahweh has commanded."
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Numbers 5:21 then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, "Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Numbers 5:22 and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away." The woman shall say, "Amen, Amen."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Numbers 5:27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled, and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away: and the woman will be a curse among her people.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Numbers 6:20 and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Numbers 8:4 And this 'is' the work of the candlestick: beaten work of gold; unto its thigh, unto its flower it 'is' beaten work; as the appearance which Jehovah shewed Moses, so he hath made the candlestick.
(YLT)

Numbers 18:18 Their flesh shall be yours, as the wave offering breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours.
(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 3:16 Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 3:21 Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 15:8 He struck them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and lived in the cleft of the rock of Etam.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

1 Samuel 9:24 The cook took up the thigh, and that which was on it, and set it before Saul. Samuel said, "Behold, that which has been reserved! Set it before yourself and eat; because for the appointed time has it been kept for you, for I said,'I have invited the people.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
(WEB JPS ASV)

Psalms 45:3 Gird your sword on your thigh, mighty one: your splendor and your majesty.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Song of Songs 3:8 They all handle the sword, and are expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh, because of fear in the night.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Isaiah 47:2 Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.
(KJV WBS)

Jeremiah 31:19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I struck on my thigh: I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Ezekiel 21:12 Cry and wail, son of man; for it is on my people, it is on all the princes of Israel: they are delivered over to the sword with my people; strike therefore on your thigh.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Ezekiel 24:4 gather its pieces into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Habakkuk 3:13 Thou hast gone forth for the salvation of Thy people, For salvation with Thine anointed, Thou hast smitten the head of the house of the wicked, Laying bare the foundation unto the neck. Pause!
(See NAS RSV)

Subtopics

Thigh

Related Terms

Thigh-vein (1 Occurrence)

Heave-thigh (2 Occurrences)

Hip (8 Occurrences)

Waved (29 Occurrences)

Hollow (35 Occurrences)

Joint (12 Occurrences)

Socket (5 Occurrences)

Sinew (2 Occurrences)

Swell (9 Occurrences)