Genesis

Genesis 28:1–4

¹So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded. ²“Go at once to Paddan-aram,^a to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. ³May God Almighty^b bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples. ⁴And may He give the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants, so that you may possess the land where you dwell as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”

Footnotes

a 28:2 That is, northwest Mesopotamia; also in verses 5, 6, and 7
b 28:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai

Read all of Genesis 28

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 28:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Isaac	יִצְחָ֛ק	yiṣ·ḥāq	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3327 Isaac
called for	וַיִּקְרָ֥א	way·yiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
Jacob	יַעֲקֹ֖ב	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
and blessed	וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ	way·ḇā·reḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1288 kneel, bless
him	אֹת֑וֹ	’ō·ṯōw	Direct object marker; third person masculine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
Do not	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
take	תִקַּ֥ח	ṯiq·qaḥ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3947 take
a wife	אִשָּׁ֖ה	’iš·šāh	Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
from the Canaanite	כְּנָֽעַן׃	kə·nā·‘an	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3667 Canaan
women	מִבְּנ֥וֹת	mib·bə·nō·wṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine plural construct	H1323 daughter
he commanded	וַיְצַוֵּ֙הוּ֙	way·ṣaw·wê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H6680 lay charge (upon), give charge (to), charge, command, order

Genesis 28:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Go	לֵךְ֙	lêḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
at once	ק֥וּם	qūm	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
to Paddan-aram	אֲרָ֔ם	’ă·rām	Noun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H758 Aram
to the house	בֵּ֥יתָה	bê·ṯāh	Noun - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H1004 house
of your mother’s	אִמֶּ֑ךָ	’im·me·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H517 mother
father	אֲבִ֣י	’ă·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1 father
Bethuel	בְתוּאֵ֖ל	ḇə·ṯū·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1328 Bethuel
and take	וְקַח־	wə·qaḥ-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H3947 take
a wife	אִשָּׁ֔ה	’iš·šāh	Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
from among the daughters	מִבְּנ֥וֹת	mib·bə·nō·wṯ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine plural construct	H1323 daughter
of Laban	לָבָ֖ן	lā·ḇān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3837 Laban
your mother’s	אִמֶּֽךָ׃	’im·me·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H517 mother
brother	אֲחִ֥י	’ă·ḥî	Noun - masculine singular construct	H251 brother

Genesis 28:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
May God	וְאֵ֤ל	wə·’êl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H410 god
Almighty	שַׁדַּי֙	šad·day	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7706 Almighty
bless	יְבָרֵ֣ךְ	yə·ḇā·rêḵ	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1288 kneel, bless
you	אֹֽתְךָ֔	’ō·ṯə·ḵā	Direct object marker; second person masculine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
and make you fruitful	וְיַפְרְךָ֖	wə·yap̄·rə·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H6509 bear fruit, be fruitful
and multiply you	וְיַרְבֶּ֑ךָ	wə·yar·be·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular; second person masculine singular	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
so that you may become	וְהָיִ֖יתָ	wə·hā·yî·ṯā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a company	לִקְהַ֥ל	liq·hal	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H6951 assembly, convocation, congregation
of peoples	עַמִּֽים׃	‘am·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H5971 people

Genesis 28:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And may He give	וְיִֽתֶּן־	wə·yit·ten-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
the blessing	בִּרְכַּ֣ת	bir·kaṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H1293 blessing
of Abraham	אַבְרָהָ֔ם	’aḇ·rā·hām	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H85 Abraham
to you	לְךָ֖	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
and your descendants	וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֣	ū·lə·zar·‘ă·ḵā	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring
so that you may possess	לְרִשְׁתְּךָ֙	lə·riš·tə·ḵā	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singular	H3423 take possession of, inherit, dispossess
the land	אֶ֣רֶץ	’e·reṣ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H776 earth, land
where you dwell as a foreigner	מְגֻרֶ֔יךָ	mə·ḡu·re·ḵā	Noun - masculine plural construct; second person masculine singular	H4033 sojourning-place, dwelling-place
the land	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
God	אֱלֹהִ֖ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
gave	נָתַ֥ן	nā·ṯan	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
to Abraham	לְאַבְרָהָֽם׃	lə·’aḇ·rā·hām	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H85 Abraham