The Meaning of Genesis 31:42 Explained

Genesis 31:42

KJV: Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

YLT: unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been for me, surely now empty thou hadst sent me away; mine affliction and the labour of my hands hath God seen, and reproveth yesternight.'

Darby: Had not the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, been with me, it is certain thou wouldest have sent me away now empty. God has looked upon my affliction and the labour of my hands, and has judged last night.

ASV: Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Except  the God  of my father,  the God  of Abraham,  and the fear  of Isaac,  had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away  now empty.  God  hath seen  mine affliction  and the labour  of my hands,  and rebuked  [thee] yesternight. 

What does Genesis 31:42 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 31:22-42 - The Dispute Between Laban And Jacob
These chapters afford a remarkable insight into God's forbearance. He knew what was in Jacob's heart, and could see all its weakness and deceit. There was not a thought in his heart or a word on his tongue, but He knew them altogether. Yet God cast the mantle of forgiveness and defense around this most unworthy soul, bidding Laban not to speak to him either good or bad. Indeed, in a later book, we are told, "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel." Not that the holy God was unaware of the evil traits in His child, but that He refused to dwell on them, or to allow himself to be turned away from His purposes of grace. Rachel secretly carried with her the teraphim, which wrought evil throughout the home in after-years, as we shall see. The "fear of Isaac" was on Jacob's lips, but too little of it in his character and surroundings! [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 31

1  Jacob, displeased with the envy of Laban and his sons, departs secretly
19  Rachel steals her father's household gods
22  Laban pursues after him, and complains of the wrong
34  Rachel's plan to hide the images
36  Jacob's complaint of Laban
43  The covenant of Laban and Jacob at Galeed

What do the individual words in Genesis 31:42 mean?

Unless the God of my father of Abraham and the fear of Isaac had been with me surely now empty-handed you would have sent me away - my affliction and the labor of my hands has seen God and He rendered judgment last night
לוּלֵ֡י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִי֩ אַבְרָהָ֜ם וּפַ֤חַד יִצְחָק֙ הָ֣יָה לִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה רֵיקָ֣ם שִׁלַּחְתָּ֑נִי אֶת־ עָנְיִ֞י וְאֶת־ יְגִ֧יעַ‪‬ כַּפַּ֛י רָאָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיּ֥וֹכַח אָֽמֶשׁ

לוּלֵ֡י  Unless 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לוּלֵא  
Sense: unless, if not, except.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אָבִי֩  of  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
אַבְרָהָ֜ם  of  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
וּפַ֤חַד  and  the  fear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פַּחַד  
Sense: terror, dread.
יִצְחָק֙  of  Isaac 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
הָ֣יָה  had  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִ֔י  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
כִּ֥י  surely 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עַתָּ֖ה  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
רֵיקָ֣ם  empty-handed 
Parse: Adverb
Root: רֵיקָם  
Sense: vainly, emptily.
שִׁלַּחְתָּ֑נִי  you  would  have  sent  me  away 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
אֶת־    - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עָנְיִ֞י  my  affliction 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עֳנִי  
Sense: affliction, poverty, misery.
יְגִ֧יעַ‪‬  the  labor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יְגִיעַ  
Sense: toil, work.
כַּפַּ֛י  of  my  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
רָאָ֥ה  has  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיּ֥וֹכַח  and  He  rendered  judgment 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָכַח  
Sense: to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right.
אָֽמֶשׁ  last  night 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אֶמֶשׁ  
Sense: yesterday, last night.