New King James Version
Genesis 29:4
4And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?” And 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" 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
2And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth. 3Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth. And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.” 5Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.” 6So he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel 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 11:31And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.
- Genesis 24:10Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all his master’s goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
- Genesis 27:43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran.
- Genesis 28:10Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.
- Acts 7:2And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries