Swear: Gen 24:3 And Israel bowed: As shachah, which primarily signifies to bow, denotes also to worship; and as mittah, a bed, pronounced matteh, is a staff; the LXX have taken the passage in the latter sense, and rendered it και προσεκυνησεν Ισραηλ επι το ακρον της ραβδου αυτου, "and Israel worshipped upon the top of his staff," which is literally copied by the apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews. The present reading is, however, supported by the Masoretic pointing and the Targums; and is most probably correct, as it would appear that Jacob was confined to his bed. Gen 47:29, Gen 24:26, Gen 48:1, Gen 48:2, 1Ki 1:47, Heb 11:21