The Meaning of Genesis 30:31 Explained

Genesis 30:31

KJV: And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:

YLT: And he saith, 'What do I give to thee?' And Jacob saith, 'Thou dost not give me anything; if thou do for me this thing, I turn back; I have delight; thy flock I watch;

Darby: And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me anything. If thou doest this for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:

ASV: And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me aught: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed thy flock and keep it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said,  What shall I give thee?  And Jacob  said,  Thou shalt not give  me any thing:  if thou wilt do  this thing  for me, I will again  feed  [and] keep  thy flock: 

What does Genesis 30:31 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 30:25-43 - Jacob's Flocks Increase
There is little in this story to the credit of Jacob, and nothing to choose between him and Laban. They are well matched one against another; and if anything, Jacob excelled in cunning. The heir of the promises deals with the child of this world on the principles of which men of honor would refuse to make use. We feel inclined to pity Laban, who had never seen the angel-ladder, or shared the great promises which had surrounded the path of his relative. He trusted this man of the chosen tribe, but was to be woefully deceived. But are there not many professing Christians who are playing Jacob's part today? While holding high positions in the religious world, they stoop to practices to which men of the world would be no parties. We hear but little more of Laban, but Jacob is destined to pass through the fire of trouble, by which the dross will be consumed and his soul made white and purified. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 30

1  Rachel, in grief for her barrenness, gives Bilhah her maid unto Jacob
5  Bilhah bears Dan and Naphtali
9  Leah gives Zilpah her maid, who bears Gad and Asher
14  Reuben finds mandrakes,
15  with which Leah buys her husband's company of Rachel
17  Leah bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah
22  Rachel bears Joseph
25  Jacob desires to depart
27  Laban detains him on a new agreement
37  Jacob's policy, whereby he becomes rich

What do the individual words in Genesis 30:31 mean?

so he said what shall I give you And said Jacob not you shall give me anything If you will do for me thing this I will again feed your flock [and] keep it
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מָ֣ה אֶתֶּן־ לָ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ לֹא־ תִתֶּן־ לִ֣י מְא֔וּמָה אִם־ תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־ לִּי֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אָשׁ֛וּבָה אֶרְעֶ֥ה צֹֽאנְךָ֖ אֶשְׁמֹֽר

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר  so  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֶתֶּן־  shall  I  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יַעֲקֹב֙  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.
תִתֶּן־  you  shall  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִ֣י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
מְא֔וּמָה  anything 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְאוּמָה  
Sense: anything.
תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־  you  will  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לִּי֙  for  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הַדָּבָ֣ר  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
אָשׁ֛וּבָה  I  will  again 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֶרְעֶ֥ה  feed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
צֹֽאנְךָ֖  your  flock 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
אֶשְׁמֹֽר  [and]  keep  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 30:31?

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