16
Jacobיַעֲקֹבawokeוַיִּיקַץfrom his sleepמִשְּׁנָתוֹand said,וַיֹּאמֶר“SurelyאָכֵןYHWHיְהוָהisיֵשׁin thisהַזֶּהplace,בַּמָּקוֹםand Iוְאָנֹכִיdid not know it.”לֹא יָדָעְתִּי
Genesis 28:16
Study it in the app“Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely YHWH is in this place, and I did not know it.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 28:16, word by word
- Jacobיַעֲקֹבyaakov
Jacob
Jacob, the younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau and father of the twelve tribes. In Hebrew "Yaakov" sounds like "heel" and "supplant" (Genesis 25:26; 27:36). God later gave him the name Israel; the name also stands for his descendants, the people of Israel.
Where else “yaakov” appears- awokeיִּיקַץyikats
wake up
Wake up, awake.
Where else “yikats” appears- from his sleepשְּׁנָתshenat
sleep
Sleep.
Where else “shenat” appears- and saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- “Surelyאָכֵןachen
surely
A word that affirms strongly: «truly», «without doubt».
Where else “achen” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- placeמָּקוֹםmakom
place
A place, a spot.
Where else “makom” appears- did not know itיָדָעְתִּיyadati
know
To know something, realize.
Where else “yadati” appears
The context
15Look, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land, for I will not abandon you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
16 · This verse (above)
17He was afraid and said, “How fearsome is this place! This is none other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of the heavens.”
To study Genesis 28 in a group
1. What it says
What did Jacob dream at Bethel, and what did YHWH say to him (vv. 12-15)?
2. What it means
What does it mean that Elohim tells Jacob, “I am with you and will keep you,” in his flight (v. 15)?
3. How I live it
In what difficult place in your life do you need to remember that Elohim is with you?