Genesis 31:42
Unless the God of my father Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had stood by me, peradventure now thou hadst sent me away naked: God beheld my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesterday.
Open Genesis 31:42 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Nisi Deus patris mei Abraham, et timor Isaac affuisset mihi, forsitan modo nudum me dimisisses : afflictionem meam et laborem manuum mearum respexit Deus, et arguit te heri.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- εἰ μὴ ὁ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου Ἀβραὰμ καὶ ὁ φόβος Ἰσαὰκ ἦν μοι, νῦν ἂν κενόν με ἐξαπέστειλας· τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου καὶ τὸν κόπον τῶν χειρῶν μου ἴδεν ὁ θεός, καὶ ἤλεγξέν σε χθές.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- לוּלֵ֡י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִי֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם וּפַ֤חַד יִצְחָק֙ הָ֣יָה לִ֔י כִּ֥י עַתָּ֖ה רֵיקָ֣ם שִׁלַּחְתָּ֑נִי אֶת עָנְיִ֞י וְאֶת יְגִ֧יעַ כַּפַּ֛י רָאָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיּ֥וֹכַח אָֽמֶשׁ
Haydock's commentary
The fear of Isaac; or of that God, whom Isaac fears, on account of the danger to which he is exposed of losing his friendship; a thing which, Abraham being now departed in peace, has not to dread. (Calmet)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3
Would you learn how much prayers have profited? consider, I pray, Cornelius, Tabitha. ( Acts x. 3 and ix. 36 .) Hear also Jacob saying to Laban, “Except the Fear of my father had been with me, surely thou hadst now sent me away empty.” ( Gen. xxxi. 42 .) Hear also God again, saying, “I will defend this city for Mine own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.” ( 2 Kings ix. 34 .) But when? In the time of Hezekiah, who was righteous. Since if prayers availed even for the extremely wicked, why did not God say this also when Nebuchadnezzar came, and why did He give up the city? Because wickedness availed more. Again, Samuel himself also prayed for the Israelites, and prevailed. But when? When they also pleased God, then they put their enemies to flight. And what need, you say, of prayer from another, when I myself please God? Never, O man, say this. …