New Living Translation
Genesis 31:40
40“I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights.
Genesis 31:40 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
- New International Version (NIV)This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.
- English Standard Version (ESV)There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.
- New King James Version (NKJV)There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes.
Context of Genesis 31:40
38“For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I never used a single ram of yours for food. 39If any were attacked and killed by wild animals, I never showed you the carcass and asked you to reduce the count of your flock. No, I took the loss myself! You made me pay for every stolen animal, whether it was taken in broad daylight or in the dark of night. “I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights. 41Yes, for twenty years I slaved in your house! I worked for fourteen years earning your two daughters, and then six more years for your flock. And you changed my wages ten times! 42In fact, if the God of my father had not been on my side—the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac—you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen your abuse and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and rebuked you!”
Read all of Genesis 31Genesis 31:40 word by word
הָיִ֧יתִי בַיּ֛וֹם אֲכָלַ֥נִי חֹ֖רֶב וְקֶ֣רַח בַּלָּ֑יְלָה וַתִּדַּ֥ד שְׁנָתִ֖י מֵֽעֵינָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I was; in the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- the droughtחֹ֫רֶבchôreb · droughtH2721
- consumedאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- me, and the frostקֶ֫רַחqerach qôrach · iceH7140
- by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- and my sleepשֵׁנָהshênâh shênâ' · sleepH8142
- departedנָדַדnâdad · to wanderH5074
- from mine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
Cross-references for Genesis 31:40
- Exodus 2:19“An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they answered. “And then he drew water for us and watered our flocks.”
- Exodus 3:1One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God.
- Psalms 78:70He chose his servant David, calling him from the sheep pens.
- Hosea 12:12Jacob fled to the land of Aram, and there he earned a wife by tending sheep.
- Luke 2:8That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.
- John 21:15After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
- Hebrews 13:7Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.
- 1 Peter 5:2Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.
Commentaries on Genesis 31:40
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 40In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night - The being exposed to the heat by day, and frost by night, is made part of the heaviest punishment of Promethus by Aeschylus. ' ̔ ͅ , · ͅ <-144 ̔ · ' ̔ͅ ̔ ͅ . Aeschyl. Prom. Vinc., v. 22. Opposed to the sun's most fervid beam, The hue of beauty changed; till parch'd by heat The night with spangled stole shall hide its light From thee rejoicing, but again the sun Chases the hoar frost from thy…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. 40Jacob, who preferred life at home (25:27), had spent 20 years enduring the hardships of outdoor life, which Esau had loved.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4040. in the day the drought ... and the frost by night--The temperature changes often in twenty-four hours from the greatest extremes of heat and cold, most trying to the shepherd who has to keep watch by his flocks. Much allowance must be made for Jacob. Great and long-continued provocations ruffle the mildest and most disciplined tempers. It is difficult to "be angry and sin not" [Ep 4:26]. But these two relatives, after having given utterance to their…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 31:40
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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