Genesis 28:17

King James Version with Strong's Numbers

And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר מַה־נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם־בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

Transliteration

wə-yîrāʾ wə-yōʾmar how-nôrāʾ the-māqôm the-this not this except-bêt ʾĕlōhîm and-this šaʿar the-šāmāyim

Grammar Details

• *wə-yîrāʾ*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he feared
• *wə-yōʾmar*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *nôrāʾ*: niphal participle masculine singular - fearful/awesome
• *māqôm*: noun, masculine singular + definite article - the place
• *bêt*: noun, masculine singular construct - house of
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: noun, masculine plural - God
• *šaʿar*: noun, masculine singular construct - gate of
• *šāmāyim*: noun, masculine dual + definite article - the heavens

Word Meanings

• *yîrāʾ*: feared/was afraid/was in awe
• *yōʾmar*: said/declared/spoke
• *nôrāʾ*: fearful/awesome/terrible/dreadful
• *māqôm*: place/location/site
• *bêt*: house/dwelling/abode of
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: God/divine beings (plural form with singular meaning)
• *šaʿar*: gate/entrance/doorway
• *šāmāyim*: heavens/sky

Referenced Verses

• Gen 35:1-9 : 1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. 2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. 5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. 6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. 7 And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. 9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. 13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
• Exod 3:6 : 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
• Judg 13:22 : 22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
• 2 Chr 5:14 : 14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
• Eccl 5:1 : 1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
• 1 Tim 3:15 : 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
• Luke 2:9 : 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
• Luke 8:35 : 35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
• Heb 10:21 : 21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
• 1 Pet 4:17 : 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
• Rev 1:17 : 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
• Matt 17:6 : 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
• Gen 28:22 : 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 unto thee.