Genesis 28:20
in Genesis 28Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
KJV
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
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This verse in Genesis 28
Commentary
8 notes on this verseVowed a vow - A vow is a solemn, holy promise, by which a man bound himself to do certain things in a particular way, time, etc., and for power to accomplish which he depended on God; hence all vows were made with prayer. If God will be with me, etc. - Jacob seems to make this vow rather for his posterity than for himself, as we may learn from Gen 28:13-15; for he particularly refers to the promises which God had made to him, which concerned the multiplication of his offspring, and their establishment in that land.
This site's exposition
Then Jacob made a vow
on Genesis 28:20-21
Verse 15 had already promised to be with him, to watch over him and to bring him back. Jacob asks for that and adds food to eat and clothes to wear, which Henry marks as modest in an heir to the whole land, and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the if as since. The vow ends with the LORD as his God.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
Jacob had now had a gracious visit from heaven, God had renewed his covenant with him, and the covenant is mutual; when God ratifies his promises to us, it is proper for us to repeat our promises to him. If thou wilt be with me and keep me - We need desire no more to make us easy and happy wherever we are, but to have God's presence with us, and to be under his protection.
He will cheerfully content himself with bread to eat, and raiment to put on; and, though God's promise had now made him heir to a very great estate, yet he indents not for soft clothing and dainty meat. Agur's wish is his, Feed me with food convenient for me; and see 1 Tim. vi. Nature is content with a little, and grace with less.
And Jacob vowed a vow,....
While there is such an alloy as there is of sin in our duties, we must expect an alloy of trouble in our comforts. It was to teach us that those who inherit the blessing must expect persecution; those who have peace in Christ shall have tribulation in the world, John xvi.
Jacob had now had a gracious visit from heaven. God had renewed his covenant with him, and the covenant is mutual. When God ratifies his promises to us, it is proper for us to repeat our promises to him.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Jacob vowed a vow--His words are not to be considered as implying a doubt, far less as stating the condition or terms on which he would dedicate himself to God. Let "if" be changed into "since," and the language will appear a proper expression of Jacob's faith--an evidence of his having truly embraced the promise.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּדַּ֥ר | vaiyidar | and he vowed | H5087 → | |
| יַעֲקֹ֖ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| נֶ֣דֶר | neder | a vow | H5088 → | |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יִהְיֶ֨ה | yihyeh | he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֜ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| עִמָּדִ֗י | ʾimadi | with me | H5978 → | 42 times |
| וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ | ushemarani | and he will protect me | H8104 → | 468 times |
| בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ | baderekh | on the journey | H1870 → | 707 times |
| הַזֶּה֙ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָנֹכִ֣י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| הוֹלֵ֔ךְ | holekh | [am] going | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְנָֽתַן־ | venatan- | and he will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִ֥י | li | to <the> me | ||
| לֶ֛חֶם | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| לֶאֱכֹ֖ל | leekhol | to eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| וּבֶ֥גֶד | uveged | and clothing | H899 → | 217 times |
| לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃ | lilbosh | to wear | H3847 → | 110 times |
וַיִּדַּ֥רand he vowed
vaiyidarH5087 →
יַעֲקֹ֖בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
נֶ֣דֶרa vow
nederH5088 →
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יִהְיֶ֨הhe will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
אֱלֹהִ֜יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
עִמָּדִ֗יwith me
ʾimadiH5978 →42 times
וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙and he will protect me
ushemaraniH8104 →468 times
בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְon the journey
baderekhH1870 →707 times
הַזֶּה֙<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָנֹכִ֣יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
הוֹלֵ֔ךְ[am] going
holekhH1980 →1546 times
וְנָֽתַן־and he will give
venatan-H5414 →2011 times
לִ֥יto <the> me
li
לֶ֛חֶםfood
lechemH3899 →298 times
לֶאֱכֹ֖לto eat
leekholH398 →810 times
וּבֶ֥גֶדand clothing
uvegedH899 →217 times
לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃to wear
lilboshH3847 →110 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 1:16From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
it leads to
- Colossians 1:19
For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him,
- Romans 5:2
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
- Ephesians 2:5–10
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!
- Ephesians 4:7–13
Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
- Colossians 2:9–10
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.
- Colossians 1:19
Through
1 Timothy 6:8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:5–6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.
- Hebrews 13:5–6
Through
Psalms 66:13I will enter Your house with burnt offerings; I will fulfill my vows to You—
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 5:4
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
- Ecclesiastes 5:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.