Bible Strands
Genesis 31:53
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jacob addresses Laban at the finalization of their boundary pact, invoking divine judgment over their mutual obligations.
The words — אֱלֹהֵי ('e.lo.Hei) translates to "God of" and appears twice to anchor the appeal to Abraham and Nahor, while יִשְׁפְּטוּ (yish.pe.Tu) means "may they judge," establishing the mechanism for resolving their dispute.
The thread — The appeal to the "God of Abraham" and the "Fear of Isaac" repeats Jacob’s earlier reference in Genesis 31:42 and connects to the patriarchal lineage detailed in Genesis 11:24 regarding Nahor.
Why it lands — The text establishes that human covenants require divine oversight and that sworn boundaries are enforceable only under God’s authority.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
Cross-references
- Genesis 31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”
- Genesis 16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.”
- Genesis 11:24 When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah.
- Exodus 3:6 Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
- Joshua 24:2 And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.
- Genesis 11:31 And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there.
- Genesis 14:22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,
- Genesis 17:7 I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
- Genesis 22:20 Some time later, Abraham was told, “Milcah has also borne sons to your brother Nahor:
- Genesis 24:3 and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,