God’s Word Translation
Genesis 29:4
4Jacob asked some people, “My friends, where are you from?” “We’re from Haran,” they replied.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" They said, "We are from Haran."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.”
Context of Genesis 29:4
2He looked around, and out in a field he saw a well with a large stone over the opening. Three flocks of sheep were lying down near it, because the flocks were watered from that well. 3When all the flocks were gathered there, the stone would be rolled off the opening of the well so that the sheep could be watered. Then the stone would be put back in place over the opening of the well. Jacob asked some people, “My friends, where are you from?” “We’re from Haran,” they replied. 5He asked them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?” They answered, “We do.” 6“How is he doing?” Jacob asked them. “He’s fine,” they answered. “Here comes his daughter Rachel 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 his son Abram, his grandson Lot (son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, wife of his son Abram. They set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came as far as Haran, they stayed there.
- Genesis 24:10Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and left, taking with him all of his master’s best things. He traveled to Aram Naharaim, Nahor’s city.
- Genesis 27:43So now, Son, obey me. Quick! Run away to my brother Laban in Haran.
- Genesis 28:10Jacob left Beersheba and traveled toward Haran.
- Acts 7:2Stephen answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God who reveals his glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia. This happened before Abraham 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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