The Meaning of Genesis 28:13 Explained

Genesis 28:13

KJV: And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

YLT: and lo, Jehovah is standing upon it, and He saith, 'I am Jehovah, God of Abraham thy father, and God of Isaac; the land on which thou art lying, to thee I give it, and to thy seed;

Darby: And behold, Jehovah stood above it. And he said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land on which thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.

ASV: And, behold, Jehovah stood above it, and said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And, behold, the LORD  stood  above it, and said,  I [am] the LORD  God  of Abraham  thy father,  and the God  of Isaac:  the land  whereon thou liest,  to thee will I give it,  and to thy seed; 

What does Genesis 28:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 28:10-22 - Jacob's Vision At Bethel
This is the Ladder chapter, in which a wayward, weak man is seen holding fellowship with the Eternal God, who loves us, notwithstanding our unworthiness, and desire to lead us into a life of power and blessedness. It is all wonderful! Notice the four Beholds! Genesis 28:12-15. Sunset. Overtaken on a moor by the swift fall of the Oriental night, Jacob had no alternative than to sleep in the open. But he slept to see! Night. There is an open way between heaven and earth for each of us. The movement of the tide and circulation of the blood are not more regular than the inter-communication between heaven and earth. Jacob may have thought that God was local: now he found Him to be omnipresent. Every lonely spot was His house, filled with angels. Morning. Worship, consecration, the vows of God. Put down thy foot on God's promises. He will do more than He has said. Thou shalt come to thy Father's house in peace.
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Chapter Summary: Genesis 28

1  Isaac blesses Jacob, and sends him to Padan-aram
6  Esau marries Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael
10  Jacob journeys, and has a vision of a ladder
18  The stone of Bethel
20  Jacob's vow

What do the individual words in Genesis 28:13 mean?

And behold Yahweh stood above it and said I [am] God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac the land which you lie upon to you I will give and to your descendants
וְהִנֵּ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה נִצָּ֣ב עָלָיו֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ אֲנִ֣י אֱלֹהֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יךָ וֵאלֹהֵ֖י יִצְחָ֑ק הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ שֹׁכֵ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ לְךָ֥ אֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה וּלְזַרְעֶֽךָ

וְהִנֵּ֨ה  And  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
נִצָּ֣ב  stood 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הֻצַּב 
Sense: to stand, take one’s stand, stand upright, be set (over), establish.
עָלָיו֮  above  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וַיֹּאמַר֒  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲנִ֣י  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
אֱלֹהֵי֙  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אַבְרָהָ֣ם  of  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
אָבִ֔יךָ  your  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וֵאלֹהֵ֖י  and  the  God 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִצְחָ֑ק  of  Isaac 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שֹׁכֵ֣ב  lie 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
עָלֶ֔יהָ  upon 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
לְךָ֥  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
אֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה  I  will  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וּלְזַרְעֶֽךָ  and  to  your  descendants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.