Genesis 31:24

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said unto him, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיָּבֹ֧א אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל־לָבָ֥ן הָאֲרַמִּ֖י בַּחֲלֹ֣ם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ הִשָּׁ֧מֶר לְךָ֛ פֶּן־תְּדַבֵּ֥ר עִֽם־יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִטּ֥וֹב עַד־רָֽע׃

Transliteration

wa-yābōʾ ʾĔlōhîm to-Lābān hā-ʾărammî in ḥălôm the-laylâ wa-yōʾmer to him, hiššāmer to you pen-tĕdabbēr with-Yaʿăqōb from-good until-bad.

Grammar Details

• *wa-yābōʾ*: conjunction + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he came/appeared
• *ʾĔlōhîm*: common noun, masculine plural with singular meaning - God
• *Lābān*: proper noun with preposition - to Laban
• *hā-ʾărammî*: definite article + gentilic adjective, masculine singular - the Aramean/Syrian
• *ḥălôm*: common noun, masculine singular with prefix preposition - in dream/vision
• *laylâ*: common noun, masculine singular with definite article - the night
• *wa-yōʾmer*: conjunction + qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *hiššāmer*: niphal imperative, 2nd masculine singular - be on guard/take care/beware
• *pen*: conjunction - lest/that not
• *tĕdabbēr*: piel imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you speak/say
• *Yaʿăqōb*: proper noun with prefix preposition - with Jacob

Word Meanings

• *hiššāmer* *lĕkā*: take care for yourself/guard yourself/beware
• *mittôb* *ʿad*-*rāʿ*: from good to bad/anything at all/either good or bad
• *ḥălôm*: dream/vision/night vision

Referenced Verses

• Gen 20:3 : 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
• Gen 24:50 : 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from Jehovah: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
• Gen 31:29 : 29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
• Gen 31:42 : 42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
• 2 Sam 13:22 : 22 And Absalom spake unto Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
• Num 24:13 : 13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what Jehovah speaketh, that will I speak?
• Deut 26:5 : 5 And thou shalt answer and say before Jehovah thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father; and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.
• 1 Kgs 3:5 : 5 In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
• Job 33:15-17 : 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men, In slumberings upon the bed; 16 Then he openeth the ears of men, And sealeth their instruction, 17 That he may withdraw man [from his] purpose, And hide pride from man;
• Job 33:25 : 25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child's; He returneth to the days of his youth.
• Ps 105:14-15 : 14 He suffered no man to do them wrong; Yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, 15 [ Saying], Touch not mine anointed ones, And do my prophets no harm.
• Isa 37:29 : 29 Because of thy raging against me, and because thine arrogancy is come up into mine ears, therefore will I put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
• Hos 12:12 : 12 And Jacob fled into the field of Aram, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept [sheep].
• Matt 1:20 : 20 [He] when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
• Matt 2:12 : 12 And being warned [of God] in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
• Matt 27:19 : 19 And while he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
• Gen 40:5 : 5 And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
• Gen 41:1 : 1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
• Num 12:6 : 6 And he said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream.
• Num 22:20 : 20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do.
• Num 22:26 : 26 And the angel of Jehovah went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
• Gen 28:5 : 5 And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.
• Gen 31:10 : 10 And it came to pass at the time that the flock conceive, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled.