Genesis 28:21
New International Version
so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD will be my God

New Living Translation
and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the LORD will certainly be my God.

English Standard Version
so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God,

Berean Standard Bible
so that I may return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God.

King James Bible
So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

New King James Version
so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God.

New American Standard Bible
and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the LORD will be my God.

NASB 1995
and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the LORD will be my God.

NASB 1977
and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the LORD will be my God.

Legacy Standard Bible
and I return to my father’s house in peace, then Yahweh will be my God.

Amplified Bible
and if [He grants that] I return to my father’s house in safety, then the LORD will be my God.

Christian Standard Bible
and if I return safely to my father’s family, then the LORD will be my God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and if I return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God.

American Standard Version
so that I come again to my father's house in peace, and Jehovah will be my God,

Contemporary English Version
and bring me safely home again, you will be my God.

English Revised Version
so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the LORD be my God,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will be my God.

Good News Translation
and if I return safely to my father's home, then you will be my God.

International Standard Version
and returns me safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God,

Majority Standard Bible
so that I may return safely to my father?s house, then the LORD will be my God.

NET Bible
and I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will become my God.

New Heart English Bible
so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then he will be my God,

Webster's Bible Translation
So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

World English Bible
so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Yahweh will be my God,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
when I have turned back in peace to the house of my father, and YHWH has become my God,

Young's Literal Translation
when I have turned back in peace unto the house of my father, and Jehovah hath become my God,

Smith's Literal Translation
And I turned back in peace to my father's house; and Jehovah was to me for God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I shall return prosperously to my father's house: the Lord shall be my God:

Catholic Public Domain Version
and if I will return prosperously to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God,

New American Bible
and I come back safely to my father’s house, the LORD will be my God.

New Revised Standard Version
so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So that I may return to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I shall return in peace to the house of my father, LORD JEHOVAH shall be God to me,
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then shall the LORD be my God,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and bring me back in safety to the house of my father, then shall the Lord be for a God to me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Stone of Bethel
20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear, 21so that I may return safely to my father’s house, then the LORD will be my God. 22And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.”…

Cross References
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 32:9-12
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,’ / I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps. / Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me and the mothers and children with me. ...

Genesis 35:3
Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Genesis 48:15-16
Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, / the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”

Exodus 3:12
“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”

Exodus 13:21-22
And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night. / Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.

Deuteronomy 26:17-19
Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice. / And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments, / that He will set you high in praise and name and honor above all the nations He has made, and that you will be a holy people to the LORD your God, as He has promised.

Joshua 24:17
For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.

1 Samuel 1:11
And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

2 Samuel 15:8
For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”

Psalm 23:1-6
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. / He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. / He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. ...

Psalm 121:7-8
The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. / The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.

Isaiah 41:10
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 43:1-2
But now, this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine! / When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Jeremiah 31:33
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.


Treasury of Scripture

So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

I come.

Judges 11:31
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

2 Samuel 19:24,30
And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace…

then.

Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Deuteronomy 26:17
Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:

2 Samuel 15:8
For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.

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Father's House Peace Safely Safety Turned
Genesis 28
1. Isaac blesses Jacob, and sends him to Padan-aram.
6. Esau marries Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael.
10. Jacob journeys, and has a vision of a ladder.
18. The stone of Bethel.
20. Jacob's vow.














so that I may return safely
The phrase "so that I may return safely" reflects Jacob's deep desire for protection and assurance. The Hebrew root for "safely" is "shalom," which encompasses peace, completeness, and welfare. This word indicates not just physical safety but a holistic sense of well-being. Jacob's journey was fraught with uncertainty, and his plea for safety underscores his reliance on divine providence. Historically, travel in ancient times was perilous, with threats from bandits and wild animals. Jacob's request for a safe return highlights his vulnerability and the need for God's intervention.

to my father’s house
"To my father’s house" signifies Jacob's longing for familial connection and the continuation of his lineage. The Hebrew word for "house" is "bayit," which can mean both a physical dwelling and a household or family. This reflects the patriarchal structure of ancient Israelite society, where the father's house was the center of identity and inheritance. Jacob's desire to return to his father's house is not merely about physical location but about reclaiming his place within the covenantal promises given to Abraham and Isaac.

then the LORD
The phrase "then the LORD" introduces a conditional aspect to Jacob's vow. The Hebrew name for "LORD" here is "Yahweh," the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. This name is deeply significant, as it denotes God's personal relationship with His people. Jacob's use of "Yahweh" indicates his recognition of God's sovereignty and his willingness to enter into a deeper covenantal relationship with Him, contingent upon God's faithfulness in fulfilling Jacob's requests.

will be my God
"Will be my God" is a declaration of personal commitment and allegiance. The Hebrew word for "God" is "Elohim," a plural form that denotes majesty and power. By stating that Yahweh will be his God, Jacob is expressing a shift from a familial or inherited faith to a personal and experiential relationship with God. This marks a pivotal moment in Jacob's spiritual journey, where he moves from knowing about God to knowing God personally. It reflects the transformative power of divine encounters and the importance of personal faith in the life of a believer.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
so that I may return
וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י (wə·šaḇ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

safely
בְשָׁל֖וֹם (ḇə·šā·lō·wm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7965: Safe, well, happy, friendly, welfare, health, prosperity, peace

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

my father’s
אָבִ֑י (’ā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

house,
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

then the LORD
יְהוָ֛ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

will be
וְהָיָ֧ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

my
לִ֖י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

God.
לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ (lê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative


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OT Law: Genesis 28:21 So that I come again to my (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 28:20
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