English Standard Version
Genesis 29:4
4Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" They said, "We are from Haran."
Genesis 29:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
- New International Version (NIV)Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?” “We’re from Harran,” they replied.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.
Context of Genesis 29:4
2As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well's mouth was large, 3and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well. Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" They said, "We are from Haran." 5He said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him." 6He said to them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!"
Read all of Genesis 29Genesis 29:4 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ יַעֲקֹ֔ב אַחַ֖י מֵאַ֣יִן אַתֶּ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מֵחָרָ֖ן אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 29:4
- Genesis 11:31Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there.
- Genesis 24:10Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor.
- Genesis 27:43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran
- Genesis 28:10Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.
- Acts 7:2And Stephen said: "Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
Commentaries on Genesis 29:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4My brethren, whence be ye? - The language of Laban and his family was Chaldee and not Hebrew; (see Genesis 31:47;); but from the names which Leah gave to her children we see that the two languages had many words in common, and therefore Jacob and the shepherds might understand each other with little difficulty. It is possible also that Jacob might have learned the Chaldee or Aramitish language from his mother, as this was his mother's tongue.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-35Verses 1-35 - Jacob‘s Marriage 6. רחל rāchēl Rachel, “a ewe.” 16. לאה lê'âh Leah, “wearied.” 24. זלפה zı̂lpâh Zilpah, “drop?” 29. בלהה bı̂lhâh Bilhah, “timidity.” 32. ראוּבן re'uvbēn Reuben, “behold a son.” A paronomasia in allusion to the phrase בעניי ראה be‛ānyı̂y rā'âh Derivatives and compounds, being formed by the common speaker, are sometimes founded upon resemblance in sound, and not always on precise forms of the original sentence which…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-12Jacob met Rachel at the well at just the right time. This happened under God’s guidance, because God rules over all things (God is sovereign). God was leading Jacob toward the fulfillment of his promises (see 24:12–20). The well was a reminder of God’s blessing (compare 16:13–14; 21:19; 26:19–25, 33).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. Jacob said, My brethren--Finding from the shepherds who were reposing there with flocks and who all belonged to Haran, that his relatives in Haran were well and that one of the family was shortly expected, he enquired why they were idling the best part of the day there instead of watering their flocks and sending them back to pasture.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 29:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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Commentaries