The Meaning of Genesis 29:4 Explained

Genesis 29:4

KJV: And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

YLT: And Jacob saith to them, 'My brethren, from whence are ye?' and they say, 'We are from Haran.'

Darby: And Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

ASV: And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jacob  said  unto them, My brethren,  whence  [be] ye? And they said,  Of Haran  [are] we. 

What does Genesis 29:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 29:1-20 - Jacob In Laban's Home
Well might Jacob lift up his feet! See margin. When we are sure of God we receive strength that enables us to run with patience the race that is set before us. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and we have a special claim on His guidance in our matrimonial alliances-the most solemn and momentous step of all. There were many good qualities in Rachel, fitting her to be a good wife. Her humility and industry, her patience under the oppression of the unmannerly shepherds, her haste to share her joy with her father-all these elicited Jacob's love. What a touch of old-world and new-world poetry is in those words of Genesis 29:20! Where Love is queen time is too short, labor never hard, distance never long, sacrifice unheard of! Oh, that we so loved our Lord, that for the missionary toiling through long years, and the invalid condemned to a life of pain, affliction might appear light and but for a moment. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 29

1  Jacob comes to the well of Haran
9  He becomes acquainted with Rachel
13  Laban entertains him
18  Jacob covenants for Rachel
23  He is deceived by Laban with Leah
28  He marries also Rachel, and serves for her seven years more
32  Leah bears Reuben;
33  Simeon;
34  Levi;
35  and Judah

What do the individual words in Genesis 29:4 mean?

And said to them Jacob My brothers from where [are] you and they said from Haran we [are]
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ יַעֲקֹ֔ב אַחַ֖י מֵאַ֣יִן ؟ אַתֶּ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מֵחָרָ֖ן אֲנָֽחְנוּ

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶם֙  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
יַעֲקֹ֔ב  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.
אַחַ֖י  My  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
מֵאַ֣יִן  from  where  [are] 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: אַיִן  
Sense: where?, whence?.
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ  and  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
מֵחָרָ֖ן  from  Haran 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָרָן 
Sense: a son of Caleb by his concubine Ephah.
אֲנָֽחְנוּ  we  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common plural
Root: אֲנַחְנוּ  
Sense: we (first pers.