Genesis 31 · Verse 53

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 31:53, King James Version

Genesis 31:53 in other translations

BSBMay the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
WEBThe God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac.
ASVThe 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.
YLTthe God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, doth judge between us--the God of their father,' and Jacob sweareth by the Fear of his father Isaac.
DARBYThe God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us! And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
BBEMay the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath by the Fear of his father Isaac.
WebsterThe God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

What does Genesis 31:53 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 53 The God of their father - As Laban certainly speaks of the true God here, with what propriety can he say that this God was the God of Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor? It is certain that Terah was an idolater; of this we have the most positive proof, Jos 24:2. Because the clause is not in the Septuagint, and is besides wanting in some MSS., Dr. Kennicott considers it an interpolation. But there is no need of having recourse to this expedient if we adopt the reading אביכם abichem, Your father, for אביהם abihem, Their father, which is supported by several of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and is precisely the same form made use of by Laban, Gen 31:29, when addressing Jacob, and appears to me to be used here in the same way; for he there most manifestly uses the plural pronoun, when speaking only to Jacob himself. It is therefore to be considered as a form of speech peculiar to Laban; at least we have two instances of his use of it in this chapter. Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac - See Clarke on Gen 31:42 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 31:43-55

Laban could neither justify himself nor condemn Jacob, therefore desires to hear no more of that matter. He is not willing to own himself in fault, as he ought to have done. But he proposes a covenant of friendship between them, to which Jacob readily agrees. A heap of stones was raised, to keep up the memory of the event, writing being then not known or little used. A sacrifice of peace offerings was offered. Peace…

Read the full comment on Genesis 31:43-55 →

Genesis 31:53 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.

אֱלֹהֵ֨י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
אַבְרָהָ֜ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
וֵֽאלֹהֵ֤יve.lo.Heiand [the] God ofH430
נָחוֹר֙na.chOrNahorH5152
יִשְׁפְּט֣וּyish.pe.Tumay they judgeH8199
בֵינֵ֔ינוּvei.Nei.nubetween usH996
אֱלֹהֵ֖י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
אֲבִיהֶ֑ם'a.vi.Hemfather theirH1
וַיִּשָּׁבַ֣עvai.yi.sha.Va'and he sworeH7650
יַעֲקֹ֔בya.'a.KoJacobH3290
בְּפַ֖חַדbe.Fa.chadby [the] fear ofH6343
אָבִ֥יו'a.Vivfather hisH1
יִצְחָֽק\׃yitz.ChakIsaacH3327

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

Cross references for Genesis 31:53

  • 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 16:5

    And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.

  • Exodus 3:6

    Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

  • Joshua 24:2

    And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

  • Genesis 11:24-29

    And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. …

  • Genesis 14:22

    And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

  • Genesis 22:20-24

    And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor; Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, And Chesed, and Hazo, and Pildash, and Jidlaph, and Bethuel. And Bethuel begat Rebekah: these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. …

  • Genesis 24:3-4

    And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

  • Genesis 17:7

    And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

  • Deuteronomy 6:13

    Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

  • Genesis 28:13

    And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

  • 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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
God of Abraham.
11:24-29,31; 17:7; 22:20-24; 24:3,4; Ex 3:6; Jos 24:2
their father.For {avihem,} "Their father," several MSS. read avichem, "Your father," for Terah was an idolater: see Jos 24:2.
judge.
16:5
sware.
14:22; 21:23,24; 24:3; 26:28-31
fear.
42; De 6:13

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

Context

  • Genesis 31:52

    This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

  • 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 31:54

    Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

Read all of Genesis 31

Genesis 31:53 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
El Dios de Abraham, y el Dios de Nachôr juzgue entre nosotros, el Dios de sus padres. Y Jacob juró por el temor de Isaac su padre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Que le Dieu d’Abraham et le Dieu de Nakhor, le Dieu de leur père, juge entre nous. Et Jacob jura par la frayeur de son père Isaac.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Der Gott Abrahams und der Gott Nahors richte zwischen uns, der Gott ihres Vaters! Da schwur Jakob bei der Furcht seines Vaters Isaak.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Deus Abraham, et Deus Nachor, judicet inter nos, Deus patris eorum. Juravit ergo Jacob per timorem patris sui Isaac: