Genesis 29 · Verse 4

Genesis 29:4

And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
Genesis 29:4, King James Version

Genesis 29:4 in other translations

BSB“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.
WEBJacob said to them, “My relatives, where are you from?” They said, “We are from Haran.”
ASVAnd Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
YLTAnd Jacob saith to them, ‘My brethren, from whence are ye?' and they say, ‘We are from Haran.'
DARBYAnd Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
BBEThen Jacob said to the herdmen, My brothers, where do you come from? And they said, From Haran.
WebsterAnd Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, We are from Haran.

What does Genesis 29:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. 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.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 My brethren, whence be ye? - The language of Laban and his family was Chaldee and not Hebrew; (see Gen 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 29:1-8

Jacob proceeded cheerfully in his journey, after the sweet communion he had with God at Beth-el. Providence brought him to the field where his uncle's flocks were to be watered. What is said of the care of the shepherds for their sheep, may remind us of the tender concern which our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, has for his flock the church; for he is the good Shepherd, that knows his sheep, and is…

Read the full comment on Genesis 29:1-8 →

Genesis 29:4 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.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
לָהֶם֙la.Hemto <the> them
יַעֲקֹ֔בya.'a.KoJacobH3290
אַחַ֖י'a.ChaiO brothers myH251
מֵאַ֣יִןme.'A.yinfrom where?H370
אַתֶּ֑ם'a.Tem[are] youH859
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּvai.Yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
מֵחָרָ֖ןme.cha.Ran[are] from HaranH2771
אֲנָֽחְנוּ\׃'a.Na.che.nuweH587

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

Cross references for Genesis 29:4

  • Genesis 28:10

    And Jacob went out from Beer–sheba, and went toward Haran.

  • Genesis 27:43

    Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;

  • Genesis 11:31

    And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

  • Genesis 24:10

    And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

  • Acts 7:2

    And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,

  • Acts 7:4

    Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Of Haran.
11:31; 24:10; 27:43; 28:10; Ac 7:2,4
Charran.

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

Context

  • Genesis 29:3

    And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.

  • Genesis 29:4

    And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

  • Genesis 29:5

    And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.

Read all of Genesis 29

Genesis 29:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y díjoles Jacob: Hermanos míos, ¿de dónde sois? Y ellos respondieron: De Harán somos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jacob leur dit: Mes frères, d’où êtes-vous? Et ils dirent: Nous sommes de Charan.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jakob sprach zu ihnen: Meine Brüder, woher seid ihr? Und sie sprachen: Wir sind von Haran.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque ad pastores: Fratres, unde estis? Qui responderunt: De Haran.