Genesis 28:21

21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD^[a] will be my God

Read Chapter Compare

PREVIOUS Genesis 28:20 NEXT Genesis 28:22

Genesis 28:21 in Other Translations

KJV

21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

ESV

21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God,

NLT

21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the LORD will certainly be my God.

MSG

21 and brings me back in one piece to my father's house, this God will be my God.

CSB

21 and if I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God.

Genesis 28:21 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 28:21

So that I come again to my father's house in peace
In safety from Esau, and all other enemies, as God promised him he should: then the Lord shall be my God;
not as if he should not be his God if he did not do all this for him; which would savour not only of a mercenary spirit, but of great impiety; neither of which were to be found in Jacob: but the meaning is, that he should not only continue to own him as his God, and to worship him, but having fresh obligations upon him, should be stirred up more eagerly and devoutly to serve him in a very singular way and manner, and particularly by doing what is expressed in ( Genesis 28:22 ) . Some think he has respect to the Messiah, owning him to be the true God with the Father and the blessed Spirit, who had appeared to Abraham, and was the fear of Isaac, and whom Jacob now owned as his God: this receives some confirmation from the Targum of Jonathan, which begins the paragraph thus,

``if the Word of the Lord will be my help then the Lord shall be my God.''

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Genesis 28:21 In-Context

19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear

21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God

22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”