The Meaning of Genesis 28:20 Explained

Genesis 28:20

KJV: And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

YLT: And Jacob voweth a vow, saying, 'Seeing God is with me, and hath kept me in this way which I am going, and hath given to me bread to eat, and a garment to put on --

Darby: And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and keep me on this road that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and a garment to put on,

ASV: And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jacob  vowed  a vow,  saying,  If God  will be with me, and will keep me  in this way  that I go,  and will give  me bread  to eat,  and raiment  to put on, 

What does Genesis 28:20 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 28:20 mean?

And made Jacob a vow saying if will be God with me and keep me in way this that I am going and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear
וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־ יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־ לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ

וַיִּדַּ֥ר  And  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָדַר  
Sense: to vow, make a vow.
יַעֲקֹ֖ב  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
נֶ֣דֶר  a  vow 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֵדֶר  
Sense: vow, votive offering.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יִהְיֶ֨ה  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אֱלֹהִ֜ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עִמָּדִ֗י  with  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עִמָּד  
Sense: with.
וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙  and  keep  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ  in  way 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הוֹלֵ֔ךְ  am  going 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְנָֽתַן־  and  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִ֥י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
לֶ֛חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
לֶאֱכֹ֖ל  to  eat 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וּבֶ֥גֶד  and  clothing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
לִלְבֹּֽשׁ  to  wear 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.