Genesis 31:3

3 And the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of thy father, and to thy family, and I will be with thee.

Genesis 31:3 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:3

And the Lord said unto Jacob
In answer to a prayer of his; or seeing what difficulties and discouragements Jacob laboured under, he appeared unto him for his encouragement and instruction how to proceed: return unto the land of thy fathers;
the land of Canaan, given to Abraham and Isaac by promise: and to thy kindred:
his father and mother, and brother, who all dwelt in the land of Canaan at this time, or as many as were living: or "to thy nativity" ^F23, the place where he was born, and to which he must have a natural desire to return: and I will be with thee;
to protect him from any injury that might be attempted to be done unto him, either by Laban or Esau.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F23 (Ktdlwml) "ad natale solum", Tigurine version; "ad nativitatem tuam", Vatablus, Drusius.

Genesis 31:3 In-Context

1 And Jacob heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and of our father's property has he gotten all this glory.

2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and behold it was not toward him as before.

3 And the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of thy father, and to thy family, and I will be with thee.

4 And Jacob sent and called Lea and Rachel to the plain where the flocks were.

5 And he said to them, I see the face of your father, that it is not toward me as before, but the God of my father was with me.