Genesis 28:12

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

And he dreameth, and lo, a ladder set up on the earth, and its head is touching the heavens; and lo, messengers of God are going up and coming down by it;

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וֽ͏ַיַּחֲלֹ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים עֹלִ֥ים וְיֹרְדִ֖ים בּֽוֹ

Transliteration

wə-yaḥălōm and-behold sullām muṣṣāb ʾarṣâ wə-rōʾšô maggîaʿ haššāmāyəmâ and-behold malʾăkê ʾĕlōhîm ʿōlîm wə-yōrədîm in-him

Grammar Details

• *wə-yaḥălōm*: waw consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he dreamed
• *sullām*: noun, masculine singular - ladder/stairway
• *muṣṣāb*: hophal participle masculine singular - set up/stationed
• *ʾarṣâ*: noun, feminine singular + directional heh - to the earth
• *wə-rōʾšô*: waw conjunction + noun, masculine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix - and its top
• *maggîaʿ*: hiphil participle masculine singular - reaching
• *haššāmāyəmâ*: noun, masculine dual + definite article + directional heh - to the heavens
• *malʾăkê*: noun, masculine plural construct - messengers/angels of
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: noun, masculine plural - God
• *ʿōlîm*: qal participle masculine plural - ascending
• *wə-yōrədîm*: waw conjunction + qal participle masculine plural - and descending
• *bô*: preposition + 3rd masculine singular suffix - on it

Word Meanings

• *yaḥălōm*: dreamed/had a dream
• *sullām*: ladder/stairway/ramp
• *muṣṣāb*: set up/erected/placed/stationed
• *ʾarṣâ*: earthward/to the ground/on the earth
• *rōʾšô*: its top/its head/its upper end
• *maggîaʿ*: reaching/touching/extending to
• *haššāmāyəmâ*: heavenward/to the sky/to the heavens
• *malʾăkê*: messengers/angels/divine beings
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: God/divine beings (plural form with singular meaning)
• *ʿōlîm*: ascending/going up
• *yōrədîm*: descending/going down

Referenced Verses

• John 1:51 : 51 and he saith to him, `Verily, verily, I say to you, henceforth ye shall see the heaven opened, and the messengers of God going up and coming down upon the Son of Man.'
• Num 12:6 : 6 And He saith, `Hear, I pray you, My words: If your prophet is of Jehovah -- in an appearance unto him I make Myself known; in a dream I speak with him;
• Gen 20:3 : 3 And God cometh in unto Abimelech in a dream of the night, and saith to him, `Lo, thou `art' a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken -- and she married to a husband.'
• Job 33:15-16 : 15 In a dream -- a vision of night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, In slumberings on a bed. 16 Then He uncovereth the ear of men, And for their instruction sealeth:
• Isa 41:10 : 10 Be not afraid, for with thee I `am', Look not around, for I `am' thy God, I have strengthened thee, Yea, I have helped thee, yea, I upheld thee, With the right hand of My righteousness.
• Dan 2:1-9 : 1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, dreamed hath Nebuchadnezzar dreams, and his spirit doth move itself, and his sleep hath been against him; 2 and the king saith to call for scribes, and for enchanters, and for sorcerers, and for Chaldeans, to declare to the king his dreams. And they come in and stand before the king; 3 and the king saith to them, `A dream I have dreamed, and moved is my spirit to know the dream.' 4 And the Chaldeans speak to the king `in' Aramaean, `O king, to the ages live, tell the dream to thy servants, and the interpretation we do shew.' 5 The king hath answered and said to the Chaldeans, `The thing from me is gone; if ye do not cause me to know the dream and its interpretation, pieces ye are made, and your houses are made dunghills; 6 and if the dream and its interpretation ye do shew, gifts, and fee, and great glory ye receive from before me, therefore the dream and its interpretation shew ye me.' 7 They have answered a second time, and are saying, `Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and the interpretation we do shew. 8 The king hath answered and said, `Of a truth I know that time ye are gaining, because that ye have seen that the thing is gone from me, 9 `so' that, if the dream ye do not cause me to know -- one is your sentence, seeing a word lying and corrupt ye have prepared to speak before me, till that the time is changed, therefore the dream tell ye to me, then do I know that its interpretation ye do shew me.' 10 The Chaldeans have answered before the king, and are saying, `There is not a man on the earth who is able to shew the king's matter; therefore, no king, chief, and ruler, hath asked such a thing as this of any scribe, and enchanter, and Chaldean; 11 and the thing that the king is asking `is' precious, and others are there not that do shew it before the king, save the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.' 12 Therefore the king hath been angry and very wroth, and hath said to destroy all the wise men of Babylon; 13 And the sentence hath gone forth, and the wise men are being slain, and they have sought Daniel and his companions to be slain. 14 Then Daniel hath replied `with' counsel and discretion to Arioch chief of the executioners of the king, who hath gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. 15 He hath answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, `Wherefore `is' the sentence so urgent from before the king?' Then Arioch hath made the thing known to Daniel, 16 and Daniel hath gone up, and sought of the king that he would give him time to shew the interpretation to the king. 17 Then Daniel to his house hath gone, and to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, he hath made the thing known, 18 and to seek mercies from before the God of the heavens concerning this secret, that they destroy not Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then to Daniel, in a vision of the night, the secret hath been revealed. Then hath Daniel blessed the God of the heavens. 20 Daniel hath answered and said, `Let the name of God be blessed from age even unto age, for wisdom and might -- for they are His. 21 And He is changing times and seasons, He is causing kings to pass away, and He is raising up kings; He is giving wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those possessing understanding. 22 He is revealing deep and hidden things; He hath known what `is' in darkness, and light with Him hath dwelt. 23 Thee, O God of my fathers, I am thanking and praising, for wisdom and might Thou hast given to me; and now, Thou hast caused me to know that which we have sought from Thee, for the king's matter Thou hast caused us to know.' 24 Therefore Daniel hath gone up unto Arioch, whom the king hath appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he hath gone, and thus hath said to him, `The wise men of Babylon thou dost not destroy, bring me up before the king, and the interpretation to the king I do shew.' 25 Then Arioch in haste hath brought up Daniel before the king, and thus hath said to him -- `I have found a man of the sons of the Removed of Judah, who the interpretation to the king doth make known.' 26 The king hath answered and said to Daniel, whose name `is' Belteshazzar, `Art thou able to cause me to know the dream that I have seen, and its interpretation?' 27 Daniel hath answered before the king and said, `The secret that the king is asking, the wise men, the enchanters, the scribes, the soothsayers, are not able to shew to the king; 28 but there is a God in the heavens, a revealer of secrets, and He hath made known to king Nebuchadnezzar that which `is' to be in the latter end of the days. `Thy dream and the visions of thy head on thy bed are these: 29 Thou, O king, thy thoughts on thy bed have come up `concerning' that which `is' to be after this, and the Revealer of secrets hath caused thee to know that which `is' to be. 30 As to me -- not for `any' wisdom that is in me above any living hath this secret been revealed to me; but for the intent that the interpretation to the king they make known, and the thoughts of thy heart thou dost know. 31 `Thou, O king, wast looking, and lo, a certain great image. This image `is' mighty, and its brightness excellent; it is standing over-against thee, and its appearance `is' terrible. 32 This image! its head `is' of good gold, its breasts and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass; 33 its legs of iron, its feet, part of them of iron, and part of them of clay. 34 Thou wast looking till that a stone hath been cut out without hands, and it hath smitten the image on its feet, that `are' of iron and of clay, and it hath broken them small; 35 then broken small together have been the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, and they have been as chaff from the summer threshing-floor, and carried them away hath the wind, and no place hath been found for them: and the stone that smote the image hath become a great mountain, and hath filled all the land. 36 This `is' the dream, and its interpretation we do tell before the king. 37 `Thou, O king, art a king of kings, for the God of the heavens a kingdom, strength, and might, and glory, hath given to thee; 38 and whithersoever sons of men are dwelling, the beast of the field, and the fowl of the heavens, He hath given into thy hand, and hath caused thee to rule over them all; thou `art' this head of gold. 39 And after thee doth rise up another kingdom lower than those, and another third kingdom of brass, that doth rule overall the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom is strong as iron, because that iron is breaking small, and making feeble, all `things', even as iron that is breaking all these, it beateth small and breaketh. 41 As to that which thou hast seen: the feet and toes, part of them potter's clay, and part of them iron, the kingdom is divided: and some of the standing of the iron `is' to be in it, because that thou hast seen the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 As to the toes of the feet, part of them iron, and part of them clay: some part of the kingdom is strong, and some part of it is brittle. 43 Because thou hast seen iron mixed with miry clay, they are mixing themselves with the seed of men: and they are not adhering one with another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44 `And in the days of these kings raise up doth the God of the heavens a kingdom that is not destroyed -- to the age, and its kingdom to another people is not left: it beateth small and endeth all these kingdoms, and it standeth to the age. 45 Because that thou hast seen that out of the mountain cut hath been a stone without hands, and it hath beaten small the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king that which `is' to be after this; and the dream `is' true, and its interpretation stedfast. 46 Then hath king Nebuchadnezzar fallen on his face, and to Daniel he hath done obeisance, and present, and sweet things, he hath said to pour out to him. 47 The king hath answered Daniel and said, `Of a truth `it is' that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since thou hast been able to reveal this secret.' 48 Then the king hath made Daniel great, and many great gifts he hath given to him, and hath caused him to rule over all the province of Babylon, and chief of the perfects over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 And Daniel hath sought from the king, and he hath appointed over the work of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and Daniel `is' in the gate of the king.
• Dan 4:1-9 : 1 `Nebuchadnezzar the king to all peoples, nations, and languages, who are dwelling in all the earth: Your peace be great! 2 The signs and wonders that God Most High hath done with me, it is good before me to shew. 3 His signs how great! and His wonders how mighty! His kingdom `is' a kingdom age-during, and His rule `is' with generation and generation. 4 `I, Nebuchadnezzar, have been at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace: 5 a dream I have seen, and it maketh me afraid, and the conceptions on my bed, and the visions of my head, do trouble me. 6 And by me a decree is made, to cause all the wise men of Babylon to come up before me, that the interpretation of the dream they may cause me to know. 7 Then coming up are the scribes, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and the dream I have told before them, and its interpretation they are not making known to me. 8 And at last come up before me hath Daniel, whose name `is' Belteshazzar -- according to the name of my god -- and in whom `is' the spirit of the holy gods, and the dream before him I have told: 9 `O Belteshazzar, master of the scribes, as I have known that the spirit of the holy gods `is' in thee, and no secret doth press thee, the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation, tell. 10 As to the visions of my head on my bed, I was looking, and lo, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height `is' great: 11 become great hath the tree, yea, strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to the end of the whole land; 12 its leaves `are' fair, and its budding great, and food for all `is' in it: under it take shade doth the beast of the field, and in its boughs dwell do the birds of the heavens, and of it fed are all flesh. 13 `I was looking, in the visions of my head on my bed, and lo, a sifter, even a holy one, from the heavens is coming down. 14 He is calling mightily, and thus hath said, Cut down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its budding, move away let the beast from under it, and the birds from off its branches; 15 but the stump of its roots leave in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens is it wet, and with the beasts `is' his portion in the herb of the earth; 16 his heart from man's is changed, and the heart of a beast is given to him, and seven times pass over him; 17 by the decree of the sifters `is' the sentence, and by the saying of the holy ones the requirement, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it. 18 `This dream I have seen, I king Nebuchadnezzar; and thou, O Belteshazzar, the interpretation tell, because that all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to cause me to know the interpretation, and thou `art' able, for the spirit of the holy gods `is' in thee. 19 `Then Daniel, whose name `is' Belteshazzar, hath been astonished about one hour, and his thoughts do trouble him; the king hath answered and said, O Belteshazzar, let not the dream and its interpretation trouble thee. Belteshazzar hath answered and said, My lord, the dream -- to those hating thee, and its interpretation -- to thine enemies! 20 The tree that thou hast seen, that hath become great and strong, and its height doth reach to the heavens, and its vision to all the land, 21 and its leaves `are' fair, and its budding great, and food for all `is' in it, under it dwell doth the beast of the field, and on its boughs sit do the birds of the heavens. 22 `Thou it `is', O king, for thou hast become great and mighty, and thy greatness hath become great, and hath reached to the heavens, and thy dominion to the end of the earth; 23 and that which the king hath seen -- a sifter, even a holy one, coming down from the heavens, and he hath said, Cut down the tree, and destroy it; but the stump of its roots leave in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and with the dew of the heavens it is wet, and with the beast of the field `is' his portion, till that seven times pass over him. 24 `This `is' the interpretation, O king, and the decree of the Most High it `is' that hath come against my lord the king: 25 and they are driving thee away from men, and with the beast of the field is thy dwelling, and the herb as oxen they do cause thee to eat, and by the dew of the heavens they are wetting thee, and seven times do pass over thee, till that thou knowest that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it. 26 And that which they said -- to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom for thee abideth, after that thou knowest that the heavens are ruling. 27 `Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and thy sins by righteousness break off, and thy perversity by pitying the poor, lo, it is a lengthening of thine ease. 28 `All -- hath come on Nebuchadnezzar the king. 29 `At the end of twelve months, on the palace of the kingdom of Babylon he hath been walking; 30 the king hath answered and said, Is not this that great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom, in the might of my strength, and for the glory of mine honour? 31 `While the word is `in' the king's mouth a voice from the heavens hath fallen: To thee they are saying: O Nebuchadnezzar the king, the kingdom hath passed from thee, 32 and from men they are driving thee away, and with the beast of the field `is' thy dwelling, the herb as oxen they do cause thee to eat, and seven times do pass over thee, till that thou knowest that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it. 33 `In that hour the thing hath been fulfilled on Nebuchadnezzar, and from men he is driven, and the herb as oxen he eateth, and by the dew of the heavens his body is wet, till that his hair as eagles' hath become great, and his nails as birds.' 34 `And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, mine eyes to the heavens have lifted up, and mine understanding unto me returneth, and the Most High I have blessed, and the Age-during Living One I have praised and honoured, whose dominion `is' a dominion age-during, and His kingdom with generation and generation; 35 and all who are dwelling on the earth as nothing are reckoned, and according to his will He is doing among the forces of the heavens and those dwelling on the earth, and there is none that doth clap with his hand, and saith to Him, What hast Thou done? 36 `At that time my understanding doth return unto me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honour and my brightness doth return unto me, and to me my counsellors and my great men do seek, and over my kingdom I have been made right, and abundant greatness hath been added to me. 37 `Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and exalting and honouring the King of the heavens, for all His works `are' truth, and His paths judgment, and those walking in pride He is able to humble.'
• Dan 7:1 : 1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel hath seen a dream, and the visions of his head on his bed, then the dream he hath written, the chief of the things he hath said.
• Matt 1:20 : 20 And on his thinking of these things, lo, a messenger of the Lord in a dream appeared to him, saying, `Joseph, son of David, thou mayest not fear to receive Mary thy wife, for that which in her was begotten `is' of the Holy Spirit,
• Matt 2:12-13 : 12 and having been divinely warned in a dream not to turn back unto Herod, through another way they withdrew to their own region. 13 And on their having withdrawn, lo, a messenger of the Lord doth appear in a dream to Joseph, saying, `Having risen, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and be thou there till I may speak to thee, for Herod is about to seek the child to destroy him.'
• Matt 2:19 : 19 And Herod having died, lo, a messenger of the Lord in a dream doth appear to Joseph in Egypt,
• Gen 20:6-7 : 6 And God saith unto him in the dream, `Yea, I -- I have known that in the integrity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I withhold thee, even I, from sinning against Me, therefore I have not suffered thee to come against her; 7 and now send back the man's wife, for he `is' inspired, and he doth pray for thee, and live thou; and if thou do not send back, know that dying thou dost die, thou, and all that thou hast.'
• Gen 32:1-2 : 1 And Jacob hath gone on his way, and messengers of God come upon him; 2 and Jacob saith, when he hath seen them, `This `is' the camp of God;' and he calleth the name of that place `Two Camps.'
• Gen 37:5-9 : 5 And Joseph dreameth a dream, and declareth to his brethren, and they add still more to hate him. 6 And he saith unto them, `Hear ye, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7 that, lo, we are binding bundles in the midst of the field, and lo, my bundle hath arisen, and hath also stood up, and lo, your bundles are round about, and bow themselves to my bundle.' 8 And his brethren say to him, `Dost thou certainly reign over us? dost thou certainly rule over us?' and they add still more to hate him, for his dreams, and for his words. 9 And he dreameth yet another dream, and recounteth it to his brethren, and saith, `Lo, I have dreamed a dream again, and lo, the sun and the moon, and eleven stars, are bowing themselves to me.' 10 And he recounteth unto his father, and unto his brethren; and his father pusheth against him, and saith to him, `What `is' this dream which thou hast dreamt? do we certainly come -- I, and thy mother, and thy brethren -- to bow ourselves to thee, to the earth?' 11 and his brethren are zealous against him, and his father hath watched the matter.
• Gen 40:1-9 : 1 And it cometh to pass, after these things -- the butler of the king of Egypt and the baker have sinned against their lord, against the king of Egypt; 2 and Pharaoh is wroth against his two eunuchs, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers, 3 and giveth them in charge in the house of the chief of the executioners, unto the round-house, the place where Joseph `is' a prisoner, 4 and the chief of the executioners chargeth Joseph with them, and he serveth them; and they are days in charge. 5 And they dream a dream both of them, each his dream in one night, each according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker whom the king of Egypt hath, who `are' prisoners in the round-house. 6 And Joseph cometh in unto them in the morning, and seeth them, and lo, they `are' morose; 7 and he asketh Pharaoh's eunuchs who `are' with him in charge in the house of his lord, saying, `Wherefore `are' your faces sad to-day?' 8 And they say unto him, `A dream we have dreamed, and there is no interpreter of it;' and Joseph saith unto them, `Are not interpretations with God? recount, I pray you, to me.' 9 And the chief of the butlers recounteth his dream to Joseph, and saith to him, `In my dream, then lo, a vine `is' before me! 10 and in the vine `are' three branches, and it `is' as it were flourishing; gone up hath its blossom, its clusters have ripened grapes; 11 and Pharaoh's cup `is' in my hand, and I take the grapes and press them into the cup of Pharaoh, and I give the cup into the hand of Pharaoh.' 12 And Joseph saith to him, `This `is' its interpretation: the three branches are three days; 13 yet, within three days doth Pharaoh lift up thy head, and hath put thee back on thy station, and thou hast given the cup of Pharaoh into his hand, according to the former custom when thou wast his butler. 14 `Surely if thou hast remembered me with thee, when it is well with thee, and hast done (I pray thee) kindness with me, and hast made mention of me unto Pharaoh, then hast thou brought me out from this house, 15 for I was really stolen from the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they have put me in the pit.' 16 And the chief of the bakers seeth that he hath interpreted good, and he saith unto Joseph, `I also `am' in a dream, and lo, three baskets of white bread `are' on my head, 17 and in the uppermost basket `are' of all `kinds' of Pharaoh's food, work of a baker; and the birds are eating them out of the basket, from off my head.' 18 And Joseph answereth and saith, `This `is' its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19 yet, within three days doth Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and hath hanged thee on a tree, and the birds have eaten thy flesh from off thee.' 20 And it cometh to pass, on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, that he maketh a banquet to all his servants, and lifteth up the head of the chief of the butlers, and the head of the chief of the bakers among his servants, 21 and he putteth back the chief of the butlers to his butlership, and he giveth the cup into the hand of Pharaoh; 22 and the chief of the bakers he hath hanged, as Joseph hath interpreted to them; 23 and the chief of the butlers hath not remembered Joseph, but forgetteth him.
• 2 Chr 16:9 : 9 for Jehovah -- His eyes go to and fro in all the earth, to show Himself strong `for' a people whose heart `is' perfect towards Him; thou hast been foolish concerning this, because -- henceforth there are with thee wars.'
• Job 4:12-21 : 12 And unto me a thing is secretly brought, And receive doth mine ear a little of it. 13 In thoughts from visions of the night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, 14 Fear hath met me, and trembling, And the multitude of my bones caused to fear. 15 And a spirit before my face doth pass, Stand up doth the hair of my flesh; 16 It standeth, and I discern not its aspect, A similitude `is' over-against mine eyes, Silence! and a voice I hear: 17 `Is mortal man than God more righteous? Than his Maker is a man cleaner? 18 Lo, in His servants He putteth no credence, Nor in His messengers setteth praise.' 19 Also -- the inhabitants of houses of clay, (Whose foundation `is' in the dust, They bruise them before a moth.) 20 From morning to evening are beaten down, Without any regarding, for ever they perish. 21 Hath not their excellency been removed with them? They die, and not in wisdom!
• Gen 15:1 : 1 After these things hath the word of Jehovah been unto Abram in a vision, saying, `Fear not, Abram, I `am' a shield to thee, thy reward `is' exceeding great.'
• Gen 15:12 : 12 And the sun is about to go in, and deep sleep hath fallen upon Abram, and lo, a terror of great darkness is falling upon him;
• 2 Tim 4:16-17 : 16 in my first defence no one stood with me, but all forsook me, (may it not be reckoned to them!) 17 and the Lord stood by me, and did strengthen me, that through me the preaching might be fully assured, and all the nations might hear, and I was freed out of the mouth of a lion,
• Heb 1:1 : 1 In many parts, and many ways, God of old having spoken to the fathers in the prophets,
• Heb 1:14 : 14 are they not all spirits of service -- for ministration being sent forth because of those about to inherit salvation?