Genesis

Genesis 31:49–53

49It was also called Mizpah,f because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other. 50If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

51Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me. 52This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me. 53May 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.

Footnotes

  • f 31:49 Mizpah means watchtower.

Read all of Genesis 31

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 31:49

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
alsoוְהַמִּצְפָּה֙wə·ham·miṣ·pāhConjunctive waw, Article; Noun - proper - feminine singularH4709 Mitspah
becauseאֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
saidאָמַ֔ר’ā·marVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
May the LORDיְהוָ֖הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
keep watchיִ֥צֶףyi·ṣep̄Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singularH6822 look out or about, spy, keep watch
between youבֵּינִ֣יbê·nîPreposition; first person common singularH996 interval, space between
and meוּבֵינֶ֑ךָū·ḇê·ne·ḵāConjunctive waw; Preposition; second person masculine singularH996 interval, space between
whenכִּ֥יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
we are absentנִסָּתֵ֖רnis·sā·ṯêrVerb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common pluralH5641 hide, conceal
from each otherמֵרֵעֵֽהוּ׃mê·rê·‘ê·hūPreposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH7453 shouting, roar

Genesis 31:50

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Ifאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
you mistreatתְּעַנֶּ֣הtə·‘an·nehVerb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH6031 be occupied, busied with
my daughtersבְּנֹתַ֗יbə·nō·ṯayNoun - feminine plural construct; first person common singularH1323 daughter
orוְאִם־wə·’im-ConjunctionH518 if
takeתִּקַּ֤חtiq·qaḥVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH3947 take
otherעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
wivesנָשִׁים֙nā·šîmNoun - feminine pluralH802 woman, wife, female
although noאֵ֥ין’ênAdverbH369 nothing, nought
oneאִ֖ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
is with usעִמָּ֑נוּ‘im·mā·nūPreposition; first person common pluralH5973 with
rememberרְאֵ֕הrə·’êhVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singularH7200 see
that Godאֱלֹהִ֥ים’ĕ·lō·hîmNoun - masculine pluralH430 God
witnessעֵ֖ד‘êḏNoun - masculine singularH5707 witness
between you and meבֵּינִ֥יbê·nîPreposition; first person common singularH996 interval, space between

Genesis 31:51

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Labanלָבָ֖ןlā·ḇānNoun - proper - masculine singularH3837 Laban
also saidוַיֹּ֥אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
to Jacobלְיַעֲקֹ֑בlə·ya·‘ă·qōḇPreposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singularH3290 Jacob
Here isהִנֵּ֣ה׀hin·nêhInterjectionH2009 lo! behold!
theהַזֶּ֗הhaz·zehArticle; Pronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
moundהַגַּ֣לhag·galArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1530 heap, wave, billow
and here is the pillarהַמַצֵּבָ֔הha·maṣ·ṣē·ḇå̄hArticle; Noun - feminine singularH4676 pillar, maƒƒ¢b¹ , stump
I have set upיָרִ֖יתִיyā·rî·ṯîVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularH3384 throw, shoot
between you and meבֵּינִ֥יbê·nîPreposition; first person common singularH996 interval, space between

Genesis 31:52

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Thisהַזֶּ֔הhaz·zehArticle; Pronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
moundהַגַּ֣לhag·galArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1530 heap, wave, billow
is a witnessעֵ֚ד‘êḏNoun - masculine singularH5707 witness
andהַמַּצֵּבָ֑הham·maṣ·ṣê·ḇāhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH4676 pillar, maƒƒ¢b¹ , stump
is a witnessוְעֵדָ֖הwə·‘ê·ḏāhConjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singularH5713 testimony, witness
thatאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
Iאָ֗נִי’ā·nîPronoun - first person common singularH589 I
will notלֹֽא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
go pastאֶֽעֱבֹ֤ר’e·‘ĕ·ḇōrVerb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
thisהַזֶּ֔הhaz·zehArticle; Pronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
moundהַגַּ֣לhag·galArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1530 heap, wave, billow
to harm youאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙’ê·le·ḵāPreposition; second person masculine singularH413 motion to
and youאַ֠תָּה’at·tāhPronoun - second person masculine singularH859 thou
will notלֹא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
go pastתַעֲבֹ֨רṯa·‘ă·ḇōrVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
thisהַזֶּ֛הhaz·zehArticle; Pronoun - masculine singularH2088 this, that
moundהַגַּ֥לhag·galArticle; Noun - masculine singularH1530 heap, wave, billow
andהַזֹּ֖אתhaz·zōṯArticle; Pronoun - feminine singularH2063 this
pillarהַמַּצֵּבָ֥הham·maṣ·ṣê·ḇāhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH4676 pillar, maƒƒ¢b¹ , stump
to harm meלְרָעָֽה׃lə·rā·‘āhPreposition-l; Adjective - feminine singularH7451 bad, evil

Genesis 31:53

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
May the Godאֱלֹהֵ֨י’ĕ·lō·hêNoun - masculine plural constructH430 God
of Abrahamאַבְרָהָ֜ם’aḇ·rā·hāmNoun - proper - masculine singularH85 Abraham
and the Godוֵֽאלֹהֵ֤יwê·lō·hêConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural constructH430 God
of Nahorנָחוֹר֙nā·ḥō·wrNoun - proper - masculine singularH5152 Nachor
the Godאֱלֹהֵ֖י’ĕ·lō·hêNoun - masculine plural constructH430 God
of their fatherאֲבִיהֶ֑ם’ă·ḇî·hemNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH1 father
judgeיִשְׁפְּט֣וּyiš·pə·ṭūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH8199 judge, govern
between usבֵינֵ֔ינוּḇê·nê·nūPreposition; first person common pluralH996 interval, space between
So Jacobיַעֲקֹ֔בya·‘ă·qōḇNoun - proper - masculine singularH3290 Jacob
sworeוַיִּשָּׁבַ֣עway·yiš·šā·ḇa‘Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7650 swear
by the Fearבְּפַ֖חַדbə·p̄a·ḥaḏPreposition-b; Noun - masculine singular constructH6343 dread
of his fatherאָבִ֥יו’ā·ḇîwNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH1 father
Isaacיִצְחָֽק׃yiṣ·ḥāqNoun - proper - masculine singularH3327 Isaac

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 31:49 Judges 11:29 · Judges 10:17

Genesis 31:50 Jeremiah 42:5 · Jeremiah 29:23 · Judges 11:10 · Micah 1:2 · Leviticus 18:18 · Malachi 2:14 · 1 Thessalonians 2:5 · Malachi 3:5 · Matthew 19:5–6 · 1 Samuel 12:5

Genesis 31:52 Genesis 31:48 · Genesis 31:44–45

Genesis 31:53 Genesis 31:42 · Genesis 16:5 · Genesis 11:24–29 · Exodus 3:6 · Joshua 24:2 · Genesis 26:28–31 · Deuteronomy 6:13 · Genesis 24:3–4 · Genesis 22:20–24 · Genesis 11:31 · Genesis 17:7 · Genesis 14:22

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.