24
But Elohimוַ אֱלֹהִיםcameיָּבֹאto Labanאֶל לָבָןthe Arameanהָאֲרַמִּיin a dreamבַּחֲלֹםby nightהַלָּיְלָהand saidוַיֹּאמֶרto him,לוֹ“Be carefulהִשָּׁמֶר לְךָnot toפֶּןspeakתְּדַבֵּרwith Jacobעִם יַעֲקֹבeither goodמִטּוֹבor bad.”עַד רָע
Genesis 31:24
Study it in the app“But Elohim came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to speak with Jacob either good or bad.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 31:24, word by word
- But Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohim” appears- cameיָּבֹאyavo
come
To come, arrive: "days are coming".
Where else “yavo” appears- to Labanלָבָןlavan
Laban
Laban, brother of Rebekah and father of Leah and Rachel, Jacob's father-in-law, who lived in Haran. Also a place in the wilderness.
Where else “lavan” appears- the Arameanאֲרַמִּיarami
Aramean
Aramean: from Aram, the region of Syria and northern Mesopotamia.
Where else “arami” appears- in a dreamחֲלֹםchalom
dream
Dream: what one sees while asleep. In the Bible, God sometimes speaks through dreams.
Where else “chalom” appears- by nightלָּיְלָהlayla
night
Night.
Where else “layla” appears- and saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- “Be carefulהִשָּׁמֶרhishamer
take care
To watch out for oneself.
Where else “hishamer” appears- speakתְּדַבֵּרtedaber
speak
To speak, say something; above all God to his people.
Where else “tedaber” appears- with 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- either goodטּוֹבtov
good
What is as it should be and gives delight: sound, useful, beautiful or valuable.
Where else “tov” appears- or badרָעra
evil
What is evil, the opposite of good.
Where else “ra” appears
The context
23He took his brothers with him and pursued him a journey of seven days, and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.
24 · This verse (above)
25Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, and Laban encamped with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.
To study Genesis 31 in a group
1. What it says
Why did Jacob leave Laban’s house, and what did Elohim say to Laban in a dream (vv. 3, 24)?
2. What it means
What does the heap of stones mean as a witness between Jacob and Laban (vv. 44-50)?
3. How I live it
How can you close a conflict with someone in a clear and peaceful way?