Genesis 28:20

20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If the Lord God will be with me, and guard me throughout on this journey, on which I am going, and give me bread to eat, and raiment 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Genesis 28:20 In-Context

18 And Jacob rose up in the morning, and took the stone he laid there by his head, and he set it up a pillar, and poured oil on the top of it.

19 And he called the name of that place, the House of God; and the name of the city before was Ulam-luz.

20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If the Lord God will be with me, and guard me throughout on this journey, on which I am going, and give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

21 and bring me back in safety to the house of my father, then shall the Lord be for a God to me.

22 And this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be to me a house of God; and of all whatsoever thou shalt give me, I will tithe a tenth for thee.