Genesis 28:20

20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and clothing to put on

Genesis 28:20 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 28:20

And Jacob vowed a vow
Which is the first vow we read of in Scripture: saying, if God will be with me;
the word if is not a sign of doubting, but is either an adverb of time, and may be rendered, "when God shall be with me" F20; or as a supposition, expressive of an inference or conclusion drawn, "seeing God will be with me" F21; which he had the utmost reason to believe he would, since he had not only promised it, but had so lately granted him his presence in a very singular and remarkable manner, referring to the promise of God, ( Genesis 28:15 ) : and will keep me in this way that I go;
as he had said he would, and as hitherto he had, and for the future he had reason to believe he still would: and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on;
which is included in that clause, "I will not leave thee" ( Genesis 28:15 ) , even not without food and raiment; which is all men can desire or use, and therefore with them should be content.


FOOTNOTES:

F20 (Ma) "quum", Junius & Tremellius; so Ainsworth.
F21 Quandoquidem, Tigurine version.

Genesis 28:20 In-Context

18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel, since the name of that city was called Luz at first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and clothing to put on
21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then shall the LORD be my God;
22 and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth part unto thee.
The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010