Genesis 31 · Verse 42

Genesis 31:42

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.
Genesis 31:42, King James Version

Genesis 31:42 in other translations

BSBIf the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”
WEBUnless 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. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”
ASVExcept the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
YLTunless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been for me, surely now empty thou hadst sent me away; mine affliction and the labour of my hands hath God seen, and reproveth yesternight.'
DARBYHad not the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, been with me, it is certain thou wouldest have sent me away now empty.God has looked upon my affliction and the labour of my hands, and has judged last night.
BBEIf the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back.
WebsterExcept the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely thou hadst now sent me away empty. God hath seen my affliction, and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

What does Genesis 31:42 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 42 The 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, but that holy and just God before whom he was still working out his salvation with fear and trembling, fear lest he should fall, and trembling lest he should offend.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 31:36-42

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…

Read the full comment on Genesis 31:36-42 →

Genesis 31:42 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.

לוּלֵ֡יlu.Leiif notH3884
אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
אָבִי֩'a.Vifather myH1
אֱלֹהֵ֨י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
אַבְרָהָ֜ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
וּפַ֤חַדu.Fa.chadand [the] fear ofH6343
יִצְחָק֙yitz.ChakIsaacH3327
הָ֣יָהHa.yahhe had beenH1961
לִ֔יLito <the> me
כִּ֥יkiforH3588
עַתָּ֖ה'a.TahnowH6258
רֵיקָ֣םrei.KamemptyH7387
שִׁלַּחְתָּ֑נִיshi.lach.Ta.niyou sent away meH7971
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עָנְיִ֞י'a.ne.Yiaffliction myH6040
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
יְגִ֧יַעye.Gi.ya'[the] toil ofH3018
כַּפַּ֛יka.Paihands myH3709
רָאָ֥הra.'Ahhe has seenH7200
אֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
וַיּ֥וֹכַחvai.Yo.khachand he decidedH3198
אָֽמֶשׁ\׃'A.meshlast nightH570

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

Cross references for Genesis 31:42

  • Psalms 31:7

    I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;

  • Isaiah 8:13

    Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

  • Genesis 31:53

    The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.

  • Genesis 31:29

    It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

  • Genesis 31:24

    And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

  • Psalms 124:1-3

    A Song of degrees of David. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

  • Genesis 29:32

    And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

  • Exodus 3:7

    And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

  • Jude 1:9

    Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

  • 1 Chronicles 12:17

    And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.

  • Genesis 31:12

    And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

  • Genesis 11:5

    And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Except.
24,29; Ps 124:1-3
fear.
53; 27:33; Ps 76:11,12; 124:1; Isa 8:13
hath seen.
12; 11:5; 16:11,13; 29:32; Ex 3:7; 1Ch 12:17; Ps 31:7; Jude 1:9

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

Context

  • Genesis 31:41

    Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

  • Genesis 31:42

    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.

  • Genesis 31:43

    And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?

Read all of Genesis 31

Genesis 31:42 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Si el Dios de mi padre, el Dios de Abraham, y el temor de Isaac, no fuera conmigo, de cierto me enviarías ahora vacío: vió Dios mi aflicción y el trabajo de mis manos, y reprendióte anoche.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Si le Dieu de mon père, le Dieu d’Abraham et la frayeur d’Isaac, n’avait été pour moi, certes, tu m’aurais maintenant renvoyé à vide. Dieu a vu mon affliction et le labeur de mes mains, et il t’a repris la nuit passée.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wenn nicht der Gott meines Vaters, der Gott Abrahams, und die Furcht Isaaks, für mich gewesen wäre, gewiß, du würdest mich jetzt leer entlassen haben. Gott hat mein Elend und die Arbeit meiner Hände angesehen und hat gestern Nacht entschieden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Nisi Deus patris mei Abraham, et timor Isaac affuisset mihi, forsitan modo nudum me dimisisses: afflictionem meam et laborem manuum mearum respexit Deus, et arguit te heri.