Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 31:42 – Bible Commentary

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely you hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked last night.

42. the God of my father ]Cf. Genesis 31:5.

the Fear of Isaac ]Cf. Genesis 31:53. A remarkable phrase, denoting the personal God who was the object of Isaac’s worship. see Isaiah 8:13, “Neither fear ye their fear. The Lord of Hosts let him be your fear.” It clearly shews not that Isaac was regarded as a deity; but that He whom Isaac feared was the true God of Jacob.

feel me away empty ]A regular phrase for dismissal; see Job 22:9; Luke 1:53.

rebuked thee ]Cf. Genesis 31:29.

Source: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

see each other 42. The fear of Isaac]It is strange that Jacob should say, the GOD of Abraham and the FEAR of Isaac, when both words are meant of the same Being. The reason perhaps was this; Abraham was long since dead, and God was his unalienable portion of him for ever. Isaac was yet alive in a state of probation, living in the fear of God, not exempt from the danger of falling; therefore God is said to be his fear of him, not only the object of his religious worship in a general way, but that holy and just God before whom he was still working out his salvation with fear and trembling, fear lest he should fall, and trembling lest he should offend.

Source: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

The fear of Isaac, ie the God whom my father Isaac worships with reverence and godly fear, as appears by comparing Genesis 31:53. The act is here put for the object, as it frequently is; and particularly God is called our fear, Isaiah 8:13. And fear is one of Gods names among the rabbins. He calls him not Isaacs God, but his fear of him, because Isaac was yet alive, and in the state of probation, and served God with fear and trembling: see Genesis 27:33. The Jews observe, that God is not called the God of any particular person, as of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, till after their death.

God hath seen my affliction, with compassion and intention of good to me for it. Gods seeing is oft used for his relieving and helping him, as Genesis 16:13; 29:32; Exo 3:7,9. Or, he hath showed or proved it, to wit, that he hath seen, &c.: compare Genesis 20:16. Either way it is an ellipsis of the pronoun, which is usual, as appears by comparing 1Ki 10:7with 2Ch 9:6 and Psalm 41:9with John 13:18.

Source: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me,…. One and the same God is meant, who was the God of his father Isaac, and before him the God of Abraham, and now the fear of Isaac, whom he feared and served with reverence and godly fear, being at this present time a worshipper of him: now Jacob suggests, that unless his father’s God had been on his side, and had protected and preserved him, as well as before blessed and prospered him,

surely thou hadst sent me away now empty: coming with such force upon him, he would have stripped him of all he had, of his wives and children, and servants and cattle:

God hath seen my affliction, and the labor of my hands; what hardships he endured in Laban’s service, and what pains he took in feeding his flocks of him:

and rebuked yesternight; in a dream, charging him to say neither good nor evil to Jacob, which he himself had confessed, Ge 31:29.

Source: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

“ Except the God of my father…had been for me, surely you wouldst now have sent me away empty. God has seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and last night He judged it.” By the warning given to Laban, God pronounced sentence upon the matter between Jacob and Laban, condemning the course which Laban had pursued, and still intended to pursue, towards Jacob; but not on that account sanctioning all that Jacob had done to increase his own possessions of him, still less confirming Jacob’s assertion that the vision mentioned by Jacob (Genesis 31:11, Genesis 31:12) was a revelation from God. But as Jacob had only met cunning with cunning, deceit with deceit, Laban had no right to punish him for what he had done. Some excuse may indeed be found for Jacob’s conduct of him in the heartless treatment he received from Laban, but the fact that God defended him from Laban’s revenge did not prove it to be right. He had not acted upon the rule laid down in pro 20:22 (cf. Romans 12:17; 1Th 5:15).

Source: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

42. Except the God of my father. Jacob here ascribes it to the favor of God, that he was not about to return home entirely empty; whereby he not only aggravates the sin of Laban, but meets an objection which might seem at variance with his complaints about him. He therefore denies that he has been made rich by the kindness of his father-in-law of him; but he testifies that he has been favorably regarded by the Lord: as if he had said, I owe it not to thee, that thou hast not further injured me; but God, who is propitious to me, has withstood thee. Now, since God is not the defender of unfaithfulness, nor is wont to help the wicked, the integrity of Jacob may be ascertained from the fact that God interposed as his vindicator of him. It is also to be observed, that by expressly distinguishing the God of Abraham from all fictitious gods, he declares that there is no other true God: by which he, at the same time, proves himself to be a truly pious worshipper. The expression “the fear of Isaac,” is to be taken passively for the God whom Isaac revered; just as, on account of the reverence due to him, he is called the “fear and the dread” of his people. (98) A similar expression occurs immediately after, in the same chapter. Now the pious, while they fear God, are by no means horror — struck at his presence by him, like the reprobates; but trembling at his judgment of him, they walk circumspectly before him.

God has seen my affliction, and the labor of my hands. This was spoken from a pious feeling that God would bring help to him when afflicted, if he should conduct himself with fidelity and honesty. Therefore, in order that the Lord may sustain us with his favor, let us learn to discharge our duty rightly; let us not flee from our proper work; and let us not refuse to purchase peace by submitting to many inconveniences. Further, if they from whom we have served well treat us severely and unjustly, let us bear our cross in hope and in silence, until the Lord shall succor us: for he will never forsake us, as the whole Scripture testifies. But Jacob distinctly presses his father-in-law with his own confession of him. For why God had rebuked him, unless because he was persecuting an innocent man in defiance of justice and equity; for as I have lately intimated, it is abhorrent to the nature of God to favor evil and unjust causes.

(98) Isaiah 8:13. “Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.”

Source: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(42) The fear of IsaacThat is, the object of Isaac’s worship. The reason given by the Jewish Commentators for this remarkable way of describing the Deity whom Isaac served is that, as his father was still alive, Jacob would have been wanting in reverence, if he had spoken of God as Isaacs God, even though Jehovah had condescended so to call Himself (Gen 28:13).

Source: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

42. Fear of Isaac He whom Isaac feared. Laban closed his speech with allusion to his gods from him, (Genesis 31:30,) and now Jacob, more nobly, appeals to the intervention of the God of his fathers, who had rebuked Laban as an adversary.

Source: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Gen 31:42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely you hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked yesternight.

See 42. The fear of Isaac. ]God, the proper object of fear; whence he is absolutely called “The fear”. Psa 76:11 “Bring presents to fear”; that is, to him, to whom all dread is due. The Chaldee Paraphrast rendereth Teraphim, Gen 31:32 Laban’s fear. It was an atheistical speech of Statius, Primus in orbe deos fecit Timor. But it was a true saying of Varro, as Calvin cites his words, They that first brought in images of the gods, increased men’s error, but took away their fear. a

a Qui primi deorum simulachra induxerunt, errorem auxerunt, metum dempserunt. – Var.