Genesis 31:10
in Genesis 31When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass at the time that the flock conceive, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled.
KJV
And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
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This verse in Genesis 31
Commentary
2 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I saw in a dream
on Genesis 31:10-12
Chapter 30 told this from the outside, with no word from God. Here a dream shows him the flock already marked, and the angel of God spoke to him and named what Laban had done. Calvin reads the increase as God's work and the branches as Jacob's own device.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And it came to pass, at the time that the cattle conceived,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
This was after Laban changed his wages, and therefore the angel said to Jacob, For I have seen all that Laban does unto thee. 180 Verse 12 here.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֗י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בְּעֵת֙ | beet | at [the] time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| יַחֵ֣ם | yachem | mated | H3179 → | 6 times |
| הַצֹּ֔אן | hatzon | the flock | H6629 → | 274 times |
| וָאֶשָּׂ֥א | vaesa' | and I lifted up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| עֵינַ֛י | ʾeinai | eyes my | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וָאֵ֖רֶא | vaere' | and I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| בַּחֲל֑וֹם | bachalom | in a dream | H2472 → | 65 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֤ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הָֽעַתֻּדִים֙ | haatudim | the male goats | H6260 → | |
| הָעֹלִ֣ים | haolim | which were going up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַצֹּ֔אן | hatzon | the flock | H6629 → | 274 times |
| עֲקֻדִּ֥ים | ʾakudim | [were] striped | H6124 → | 7 times |
| נְקֻדִּ֖ים | nekudim | speckled | H5348 → | 9 times |
| וּבְרֻדִּֽים׃ | uverudim | and mottled | H1261 → |
וַיְהִ֗יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
בְּעֵת֙at [the] time
beetH6256 →296 times
יַחֵ֣םmated
yachemH3179 →6 times
הַצֹּ֔אןthe flock
hatzonH6629 →274 times
וָאֶשָּׂ֥אand I lifted up
vaesa'H5375 →656 times
עֵינַ֛יeyes my
ʾeinaiH5869 →887 times
וָאֵ֖רֶאand I saw
vaere'H7200 →1300 times
בַּחֲל֑וֹםin a dream
bachalomH2472 →65 times
וְהִנֵּ֤הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
הָֽעַתֻּדִים֙the male goats
haatudimH6260 →
הָעֹלִ֣יםwhich were going up
haolimH5927 →890 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַצֹּ֔אןthe flock
hatzonH6629 →274 times
עֲקֻדִּ֥ים[were] striped
ʾakudimH6124 →7 times
נְקֻדִּ֖יםspeckled
nekudimH5348 →9 times
וּבְרֻדִּֽים׃and mottled
uverudimH1261 →
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
Genesis 28:12And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder.
it leads to
- John 1:51
Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
- Numbers 12:6
He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 32:1–2
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
- Job 33:15–16
In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,
- John 1:51
Through
1 Kings 3:5One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
it leads to
- 1 Kings 9:2
the LORD appeared to him a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.
- James 1:5–6
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
- 2 Chronicles 1:7–12
That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
- John 14:13–14
And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
- 1 Kings 9:2
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).