Genesis 31:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’

NIV: The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.'

NASB: Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob’; and I said, ‘Here I am.’

CSB: In that dream the angel of God said to me, 'Jacob! ' and I said, 'Here I am.'

NLT: Then in my dream, the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Yes, here I am.’

KJV: And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

NKJV: Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’

Jacob is describing to his wives a dream given to him by the Lord. It seems this dream took place six years earlier and became the reason Jacob made the deal with Laban to take the off-color goats and sheep as his wages.

In the dream, he saw off-color goats mating with the flock. Now Jacob reveals that the "angel of God," the Lord Himself, spoke to him in the dream. Jacob said, "Here I am!" This text, along with verse 10, explains that Jacob's deal with Laban, his use of colored sticks, and his eventual success (Genesis 30:31–43) were all due to God's direct influence. In other words, Jacob was not attempting to biologically influence the flock's color by using the sticks, he was simply using them as part of God's pre-arranged plan (Genesis 31:10, 12).

Jacob is intent that Rachel and Leah understand that the Lord is not merely the one providing for and protecting him, God is also the one directing him. He's about to tell them it's time to move away from their father and homeland. He wants it to be clear this direction is coming from God.

Genesis 31:1–21 describes the events that propel Jacob to sneak away from Laban and head toward his homeland of Canaan. First, he learns that Laban and his sons are dangerously unhappy with him for taking so many of Laban's profits. Then God commands Jacob to go, promising to be with him. After securing the support of his wives, Jacob packs up his large family and property and sneaks away toward Gilead and then home.

Genesis 31 describes Jacob's difficult separation from Laban, his father-in-law, as well as his boss for twenty years. During that time, Jacob was routinely mistreated and cheated by his master. Commanded by God to return to the land of Canaan, Jacob packs up his wives, children, and all of his possessions and leaves without telling Laban. Laban soon catches up with the large company. Laban and Jacob confront each other bitterly. Eventually, though, they make a covenant of separation and peace.

Genesis 30 described the dramatic expansion of Jacob's family and property. Now, after twenty years of working for Laban, the time comes for Jacob to return to his own people. He attempts to sneak away without telling Laban, but Laban soon catches up with him. After bitter confrontations, father and son-in-law make a covenant of separation and peace. Jacob is finally free to begin the next chapter of his life in the Promised Land. First, though, he will need to deal with his brother Esau, whose rage was the main reason Jacob fled in the first place. That encounter is described over the following two chapters.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 4/30/2024 7:20:33 AM