The Meaning of Genesis 46:2 Explained

Genesis 46:2

KJV: And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

YLT: and God speaketh to Israel in visions of the night, and saith, 'Jacob, Jacob;' and he saith, 'Here am I.'

Darby: And God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night and said, Jacob, Jacob! And he said, Here am I.

ASV: And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And God  spake  unto Israel  in the visions  of the night,  and said,  Jacob,  Jacob.  And he said,  Here [am] I. 

What does Genesis 46:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 46:1-27 - Jacob And His Family Go To Egypt
Evidently Joseph's invitation to his father to come to him in Egypt aroused very earnest questionings in Jacob's soul. Was it a wise step for him to take? Perhaps he remembered Genesis 15:13, and dreaded to take the risk. Under these circumstances he went to Beersheba, the well of the oath, so intimately associated with the lives of Abraham and Isaac, and from which he had gone forth on his life's pilgrimage. There he offered special sacrifices and received special directions and promises. He was not only to go down into Egypt, but to go there under the divine guidance and protection. When we visit Egypt at our own impulse we shall land ourselves, as Abraham and Isaac did, in temptation and failure; but when God bids us go, we may make the journey with absolute impunity. Though we walk through the dark valley, we need not fear, if He be with us.
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Chapter Summary: Genesis 46

1  Jacob is comforted by God at Beersheba
5  Thence he with his company goes into Egypt
8  The number of his family that went into Egypt
28  Joseph meets Jacob
31  He instructs his brothers how to answer Pharaoh

What do the individual words in Genesis 46:2 mean?

And spoke God to Israel in the visions of the night and said Jacob Jacob And he said Here I am
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמַרְאֹ֣ת הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹ֣ב ׀ יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  spoke 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙  to  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בְּמַרְאֹ֣ת  in  the  visions 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מַרְאָה 
Sense: vision.
הַלַּ֔יְלָה  of  the  night 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יַעֲקֹ֣ב ׀  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.
יַעֲקֹ֑ב  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.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּֽנִי  Here  I  am 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.