New English Translation
Genesis 31:42
42If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night.”
Genesis 31:42 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
- New International Version (NIV)If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”
Context of Genesis 31:42
40I was consumed by scorching heat during the day and by piercing cold at night, and I went without sleep. 41This was my lot for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave for you – fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night.” 43Laban replied to Jacob, “These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today or the children to whom they have given birth? 44So now, come, let’s make a formal agreement, you and I, and it will be proof that we have made peace.”
Read all of Genesis 31Genesis 31:42 word by word
לוּלֵ֡י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִי֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם וּפַ֤חַד יִצְחָק֙ הָ֣יָה לִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה רֵיקָ֣ם שִׁלַּחְתָּ֑נִי אֶת־עָנְיִ֞י וְאֶת־יְגִ֧יַע כַּפַּ֛י רָאָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיּ֥וֹכַח אָֽמֶשׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Exceptלוּלֵאlûlê' lûlêy · unlessH3884
- the Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- of Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
- and the fearפַּ֫חַדpachad · dreadH6343
- of Isaacיִצְחָקyitschâq · IsaacH3327
- had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- now emptyרֵיקָםrêyqâm · emptilyH7387
- hath seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- mine afflictionעֳנִי‛ŏnîy · afflictionH6040
- and the labourיְגִיעַyegîya‛ · toilH3018
- of my handsכַּףkaph · palmH3709
- and rebukedיָכַחyâkach · to rebukeH3198
- yesternightאֶ֫מֶשׁ'emesh · last nightH570
Cross-references for Genesis 31:42
- Genesis 31:24But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, “Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.”
- Psalms 124:1“If the Lord had not been on our side” – let Israel say this! –
- Genesis 31:53May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared.
- Genesis 27:33Isaac began to shake violently and asked, “Then who else hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it just before you arrived, and I blessed him. He will indeed be blessed!”
- Psalms 76:11Make vows to the Lord your God and repay them! Let all those who surround him bring tribute to the awesome one!
- Isaiah 8:13You must recognize the authority of the Lord who commands armies. He is the one you must respect; he is the one you must fear.
- Genesis 31:12Then he said, ‘Observe that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you.
- Genesis 11:5But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had started building.
- Genesis 16:11Then the Lord’s angel said to her, “You are now pregnant and are about to give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your painful groans.
- Genesis 29:32So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. Surely my husband will love me now.”
- Exodus 3:7The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
- 1 Chronicles 12:17David went out to meet them and said, “If you come to me in peace and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you. But if you come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you, may the God of our ancestors take notice and judge!”
- Psalms 31:7I will be happy and rejoice in your faithfulness, because you notice my pain and you are aware of how distressed I am.
- Jude 1:9But even when Michael the archangel was arguing with the devil and debating with him concerning Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a slanderous judgment, but said, “May the Lord rebuke you!”
Commentaries on Genesis 31:42
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 42The fear of Isaac - It is strange that Jacob should say, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, when both words are meant of the same Being. The reason perhaps was this; Abraham was long since dead, and God was his unalienable portion for ever. Isaac was yet alive in a state of probation, living in the fear of God, not exempt from the danger of falling; therefore God is said to be his fear, not only the object of his religious worship in a general way…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-55Verses 1-55 - Jacob‘s Flight from Haran 19. תרפים terāpı̂ym Teraphim. This word occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament. It appears three times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the Pentateuch. It is always in the plural number. The root does not appear in Biblical Hebrew. It perhaps means “to live well,” intransitively (Gesenius, Roedig.), “to nourish,” transitively (Furst). The teraphim were symbols or representatives of the Deity, as Laban calls…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 36-42Verses 36-42 If Jacob were willingly consumed with heat in the day, and frost by night, to become the son-in-law of Laban, what should we refuse to endure, to become the sons of God? Jacob speaks of God as the God of his father; he thought himself unworthy to be regarded, but was beloved for his father's sake. He calls him the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac; for Abraham was dead, and gone to that world where perfect love casts out fear; but Isaac…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 42the Fear of Isaac: This is a name for God used here and in 31:53. It does not mean that Isaac was afraid of God in a negative way. Here, fear means deep respect, honor, and awe for God. God was with Jacob (31:3). God saw Jacob’s hard work and faithfulness, even though Laban treated him badly. God rewarded Jacob. Laban’s dream showed Jacob that he was right.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-5522-24. it was told Laban on the third day--No sooner did the news reach Laban than he set out in pursuit, and he being not encumbered, advanced rapidly; whereas Jacob, with a young family and numerous flocks, had to march slowly, so that he overtook the fugitives after seven days' journey as they lay encamped on the brow of mount Gilead, an extensive range of hills forming the eastern boundary of Canaan. Being accompanied by a number of his people, he…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 31:42
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 31
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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