Genesis 31:24
in Genesis 31But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said unto him, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
KJV
And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
⋯
This verse in Genesis 31
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd God came to Laban - God’s caution to Laban was of high importance to Jacob - Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad; or rather, as is the literal meaning of the Hebrew, מטוב עד רע mittob ad ra, from good to evil; for had he neither spoken good nor evil to Jacob, they could have had no intercourse at all.
This site's exposition
On the third day Laban was informed
on Genesis 31:22-24
On the third day word reaches Laban, the distance he had set between the flocks at 30:36. He pursues seven days and overtakes Jacob in Gilead. God comes to him that night and warns him to say nothing to Jacob, good or bad. Abimelech was warned in a dream the same way at 20:3.
This site's exposition
either good or bad
Good or bad is a Hebrew pair meaning anything at all. Laban and Bethuel used it at Genesis 24:50 when they gave Rebekah away, where the Hebrew has them unable to speak bad or good. The warning closes off both coaxing Jacob back and threatening him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Wonderful is the Lord's goodness. When God saw Laban bent on fighting and intent on conflict with the good man, he said as if to check his intention by word, "Watch yourself, lest you be guilty of evil words to Jacob." Don't try even in word to harass Jacob, he is saying, but watch yourself; check this wicked assault of yours, repress your anger, rein in your seething thoughts and forbear harassing him even in word. Notice, I ask you, God's loving kindness. Instead of bidding Laban return to his own place, he only directed him to deliver no harsh or severe words to the good man. What on earth was the reason for that? For the good man to learn in fact and by experience the degree of care he was accorded by God.You see, had Laban turned back, how would the good man or his wives have known this? Hence God allowed Laban to come and from his own lips to confess the words spoken to him by God. He did so that the good man might also gain greater enthusiasm for his journey and embrace it in confidence and that his wives might come to know how much care Jacob was accorded by the God of all and so reject their father's deception and imitate the good man. They thus gained from the incident considerable instruction in knowing God. I mean, what came from Jacob was not so convincing as the words spoken by Laban, who was still a devotee of idols. After all, the testimony of infidels and opponents of religion always carries with it great power to convince. This in fact is a sign of God's creative wisdom, when he turns the enemies of truth into the very witnesses to truth, who then by their own mouth fight on its side.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), that is, to say nothing against his going on with his journey, for that it proceeded from the Lord. The same Hebraism we have, ch. xxiv. Laban, during his seven day's march, had been full of rage against Jacob, and was now full of hopes that his lust should be satisfied upon him ( Exod. xv.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
How striking and sudden a change! For several days he had been full of rage, and was now in eager anticipation that his vengeance would be fully wreaked, when lo! his hands are tied by invisible power (Ps 76:10). He did not dare to touch Jacob, but there was a war of words.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֧א | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֛ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לָבָ֥ן | lavan | Laban | H3837 → | 55 times |
| הָאֲרַמִּ֖י | haarami | the Aramean | H761 → | 11 times |
| בַּחֲלֹ֣ם | bachalom | in [the] dream of | H2472 → | 65 times |
| הַלָּ֑יְלָה | halayelah | the night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| ל֗וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| הִשָּׁ֧מֶר | hishamer | take heed | H8104 → | 468 times |
| לְךָ֛ | lekha | to <the> yourself | ||
| פֶּן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| תְּדַבֵּ֥ר | tedaber | you should speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| עִֽם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֖ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| מִטּ֥וֹב | mitov | from good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | unto | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| רָֽע׃ | ra' | bad | H7451 → | 662 times |
וַיָּבֹ֧אand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֱלֹהִ֛יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
לָבָ֥ןLaban
lavanH3837 →55 times
הָאֲרַמִּ֖יthe Aramean
haaramiH761 →11 times
בַּחֲלֹ֣םin [the] dream of
bachalomH2472 →65 times
הַלָּ֑יְלָהthe night
halayelahH3915 →233 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֗וֹto <the> him
lo
הִשָּׁ֧מֶרtake heed
hishamerH8104 →468 times
לְךָ֛to <the> yourself
lekha
פֶּן־lest
pen-H6435 →133 times
תְּדַבֵּ֥רyou should speak
tedaberH1696 →1141 times
עִֽם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
יַעֲקֹ֖בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
מִטּ֥וֹבfrom good
mitovH2896 →538 times
עַד־unto
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
רָֽע׃bad
ra'H7451 →662 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
Genesis 31:42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen…
it leads to
- Psalms 31:7
I will be glad and rejoice in Your loving devotion, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the anguish of my soul.
- Genesis 31:29
I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 31:53
May 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 8:13
The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded.
- Psalms 31:7
Through
Genesis 24:50Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.
it leads to
- Psalms 118:23
This is from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
- Psalms 118:23
Through
Genesis 20:3One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
it leads to
- Genesis 20:7
Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and…
- Matthew 27:19
While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.”
- Genesis 20:7
Through
Genesis 31:29I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’
it leads to
- Genesis 31:42
If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen…
- Genesis 31:42
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
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 Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 57.19-20; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.