Genesis 28 · Verse 20

Genesis 28:20

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
Genesis 28:20, King James Version

Genesis 28:20 in other translations

BSBThen Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear,
WEBJacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on,
ASVAnd Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
YLTAnd Jacob voweth a vow, saying, ‘Seeing God is with me, and hath kept me in this way which I am going, and hath given to me bread to eat, and a garment to put on--
DARBYAnd Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and keep me on this road that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and a garment to put on,
BBEThen Jacob took an oath, and said, If God will be with me, and keep me safe on my journey, and give me food and clothing to put on,
WebsterAnd Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

What does Genesis 28:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ge 28:20-22. Jacob's Vow.

20. Jacob vowed a vow--His words are not to be considered as implying a doubt, far less as stating the condition or terms on which he would dedicate himself to God. Let "if" be changed into "since," and the language will appear a proper expression of Jacob's faith--an evidence of his having truly embraced the promise. How edifying often to meditate on Jacob at Beth-el.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Vowed a vow - A vow is a solemn, holy promise, by which a man bound himself to do certain things in a particular way, time, etc., and for power to accomplish which he depended on God; hence all vows were made with prayer. If God will be with me, etc. - Jacob seems to make this vow rather for his posterity than for himself, as we may learn from Gen 28:13-15; for he particularly refers to the promises which God had made to him, which concerned the multiplication of his offspring, and their establishment in that land. If, then, God shall fulfill these promises, he binds his posterity to build God a house, and to devote for the maintenance of his worship the tenth of all their earthly goods. This mode of interpretation removes that appearance of self-interest which almost any other view of the subject presents. Jacob had certainly, long ere this, taken Jehovah for his God; and so thoroughly had he been instructed in the knowledge of Jehovah, that we may rest satisfied no reverses of fortune could have induced him to apostatize: but as his taking refuge with Laban was probably typical of the sojourning of his descendants in Egypt, his persecution, so as to be obliged to depart from Laban, the bad treatment of his posterity by the Egyptians, his rescue from death, preservation on his journey, re-establishment in his own country, etc., were all typical of the exodus of his descendants, their travels in the desert, and establishment in the promised land, where they built a house to God, and where, for the support and maintenance of the pure worship of God, they gave to the priests and Levites the tenth of all their worldly produce. If all this be understood as referring to Jacob only, the Scripture gives us no information how he performed his vow.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 28:20-22
Jacob made a solemn vow on this occasion. In this observe, 1. Jacob's faith. He trusts that God will be with him, and will keep him; he depends upon it. 2. Jacob's moderation in his desires. He asks not for soft clothing and dainty meat. If God give us much, we are bound to be thankful, and to use it for him; if he gives us but little, we are bound to be content, and cheerfully to enjoy him in it. 3. Jacob's piety, and his regard to God, appear in what he desired, that God would be with him, and keep him. We need desire no more to make us easy and happy. Also his resolution is, to cleave to the Lord, as his God in covenant. When we receive more than common mercy from God, we should abound in gratitude to him. The tenth is a fit proportion to be devoted to God, and employed for him; though it may be more or less, as God prospers us, 1Co 16:2. Let us then remember our Bethels, how we stand engaged by solemn vows to yield ourselves to the Lord, to take him for our God, and to devote all we have and are to his glory!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 28:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּדַּ֥רvai.yi.Darand he vowedH5087
יַעֲקֹ֖בya.'a.KoJacobH3290
נֶ֣דֶרNe.dera vowH5088
לֵאמֹ֑רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
אִם\־'im-ifH518
יִהְיֶ֨הyih.Yehhe will beH1961
אֱלֹהִ֜ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
עִמָּדִ֗י'i.ma.Diwith meH5978
וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙u.she.ma.Ra.niand he will protect meH8104
בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְba.De.rekhon the journeyH1870
הַזֶּה֙ha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
אָנֹכִ֣י'a.no.KhiIH595
הוֹלֵ֔ךְho.Lekh[am] goingH1980
וְנָֽתַן\־ve.na.tan-and he will giveH5414
לִ֥יlito <the> me
לֶ֛חֶםLe.chemfoodH3899
לֶאֱכֹ֖לle.'e.Kholto eatH398
וּבֶ֥גֶדu.Ve.gedand clothingH899
לִלְבֹּֽשׁ\׃lil.Boshto wearH3847

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 28:20

  • 1 Timothy 6:8

    And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

  • 2 Samuel 15:8

    For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.

  • Genesis 31:13

    I am the God of Beth–el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

  • John 1:16

    And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

  • Psalms 66:13

    I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,

  • Judges 11:30-31

    And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

  • Psalms 119:106

    I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

  • Psalms 76:11

    Vow, and pay unto the Lord your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

  • Acts 23:12-15

    And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

  • Psalms 61:8

    So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

  • Psalms 116:18

    I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people,

  • Psalms 116:14

    I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
vowed.
31:13; Le 27:1-34; Nu 6:1-20; 21:2,3; Jud 11:30,31; 1Sa 1:11,28
1Sa 14:24; 2Sa 15:8; Ne 9:1-10:39; Ps 22:25; 56:12; 61:5,8; 66:13
Ps 76:11; 116:14,18; 119:106; 132:2; Ec 5:1-7; Isa 19:21; Joh 1:16
Ac 18:18; 23:12-15
If God.
15
will give.
1Ti 6:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 28:19

    And he called the name of that place Beth–el: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

  • Genesis 28:20

    And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

  • Genesis 28:21

    So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:

Read all of Genesis 28

Genesis 28:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		E hizo Jacob voto, diciendo: Si fuere Dios conmigo, y me guardare en este viaje que voy, y me diere pan para comer y vestido para vestir,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jacob fit un vœu, en disant: Si Dieu est avec moi et me garde dans ce chemin où je marche, et qu’il me donne du pain à manger et un vêtement pour me vêtir,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jakob tat ein Gelübde und sprach: Wenn Gott mit mir ist und mich behütet auf diesem Wege, den ich gehe, und mir Brot zu essen gibt und Kleider anzuziehen,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vovit etiam votum, dicens: Si fuerit Deus mecum, et custodierit me in via, per quam ego ambulo, et dederit mihi panem ad vescendum, et vestimentum ad induendum,