Bible Strands
Genesis 32:9
Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the LORD who told me, ‘Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,’
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jacob addresses God while still on his journey back to his homeland, immediately before entering Canaan and confronting his brother Esau. He speaks in direct response to the divine command to return to his country and kindred.
The words — The text features אֱלֹהֵי ('e.lo.Hei, "O God of") and אָבִי ('a.V/i, "my father") as Jacob names the God of his father Abraham and his father Isaac. The introductory verb וַיּאמֶר (va/i.yo.Mer, "and he said") marks this as a direct declaration.
The thread — Jacob’s invocation of the patriarchs’ God matches the formula in Genesis 28:13 and Genesis 31:42, while his expectation of deliverance parallels the pattern in Psalms 34:4.
Why it lands — The verse records Jacob’s explicit recall of God’s promise to bring him home and make him prosper, which precedes his confession of unworthiness in the following verse. It asks the reader to observe that crisis prayer begins by citing God’s prior commitments rather than human achievement.
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
And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
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.”
- Psalms 34:4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
- Genesis 28:13 And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.
- Genesis 31:3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”
- Genesis 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up, leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”
- 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.
- Psalms 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- 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 31:29 I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’
- 1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.