Genesis 31:42

God's presence Protection and safety Justice

⁴⁰ As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

⁴¹ Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”

⁴³ But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?

⁴⁴ Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”
KJV: Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
WEB: Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”
ASV: Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
DARBY: Had not the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, been with me, it is certain thou wouldest have sent me away now empty. God has looked upon my affliction and the labour of my hands, and has judged last night.
BLB: Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen, my affliction and the toil of my hands and He judged last night.”

ÅB: Hadde ikke min fars Gud vært med meg, han som var Abrahams Gud, og som også Isak frykter, sannelig, du hadde nå latt meg fare med tomme hender. Men Gud har sett min strev og alt mitt strev, og han har dømt inatt.
OTB: Hadde ikke min fars Gud, Abrahams Gud og den som Isak fryktet, vært med meg, ville du sikkert ha sendt meg bort tomhendt. Men Gud har sett min nød og mine henders slit, og i natt refset han deg.»
B1930: Hadde ikke min fars Gud vært med mig, han som var Abrahams Gud, og som også Isak frykter, sannelig, du hadde nu latt mig fare med tomme hender. Men Gud har sett min møie og alt mitt strev, og han har dømt inatt.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Psalms 31:7
I will be glad and rejoice in Your loving devotion, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the anguish of my soul.
Read in context
Isaiah 8:13
The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded.
Read in context
Genesis 31:53
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
Read in context
Genesis 31:29
I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’
Read in context
Genesis 31:24
But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
Read in context
Psalms 124:1–3
If the LORD had not been on our side— let Israel now declare—
Read in context
Genesis 29:32
And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
Read in context
Exodus 3:7
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
Read in context