The Meaning of Genesis 31:43 Explained

Genesis 31:43

KJV: And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?

YLT: And Laban answereth and saith unto Jacob, 'The daughters are my daughters, and the sons my sons, and the flock my flock, and all that thou art seeing is mine; and to my daughters -- what do I to these to-day, or to their sons whom they have born?

Darby: And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that thou seest is mine; but as for my daughters, what can I do this day to them, or to their sons whom they have brought forth?

ASV: And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children whom they have borne?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Laban  answered  and said  unto Jacob,  [These] daughters  [are] my daughters,  and [these] children  [are] my children,  and [these] cattle  [are] my cattle,  and all that thou seest  [is] mine: and what can I do  this day  unto these my daughters,  or  unto their children  which they have born? 

What does Genesis 31:43 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 31:43-55 - The Covenant Between Jacob And Laban
In our time covenants are engrossed on parchment, so that there may be written documentary evidence accessible, to prove that certain transactions have taken place. The same object was conserved, where the art of writing was confined to the few, by the erection of monuments, whose existence was associated with the agreements into which men had entered with one another. Though these two men were far below the Christian ideal of character, it is evident that they lived in an habitual recognition of God and the eternal sanction of His presence. The Lord was to watch between them. God was to be witness and judge. The third generation looked back on the days of Terah with reverential awe and loyalty, and commemorated their grandfather Terah's God. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 31

1  Jacob, displeased with the envy of Laban and his sons, departs secretly
19  Rachel steals her father's household gods
22  Laban pursues after him, and complains of the wrong
34  Rachel's plan to hide the images
36  Jacob's complaint of Laban
43  The covenant of Laban and Jacob at Galeed

What do the individual words in Genesis 31:43 mean?

And answered Laban and said to Jacob [These] daughters [are] my daughters and [these] children [are] my children and [this] flock [is] my flock and all that you see mine is But my daughters what can I do to these today or to their children whom they have borne
וַיַּ֨עַן לָבָ֜ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶֽל־ יַעֲקֹ֗ב הַבָּנ֨וֹת בְּנֹתַ֜י וְהַבָּנִ֤ים בָּנַי֙ וְהַצֹּ֣אן צֹאנִ֔י וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־ אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה לִי־ ה֑וּא וְלִבְנֹתַ֞י מָֽה־ אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֤ה לָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הַיּ֔וֹם א֥וֹ לִבְנֵיהֶ֖ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר ؟ יָלָֽדוּ

וַיַּ֨עַן  And  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
לָבָ֜ן  Laban 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לָבָן 
Sense: son of Bethuel, brother of Rebekah, and father of Leah and Rachel.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יַעֲקֹ֗ב  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
הַבָּנ֨וֹת  [These]  daughters  [are] 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
בְּנֹתַ֜י  my  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
וְהַבָּנִ֤ים  and  [these]  children  [are] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בָּנַי֙  my  children 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְהַצֹּ֣אן  and  [this]  flock  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
צֹאנִ֔י  my  flock 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וְכֹ֛ל  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
רֹאֶ֖ה  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
לִי־  mine 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וְלִבְנֹתַ֞י  But  my  daughters 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֤ה  can  I  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָאֵ֙לֶּה֙  to  these 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
הַיּ֔וֹם  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לִבְנֵיהֶ֖ן  to  their  children 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
؟ יָלָֽדוּ  they  have  borne 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 31:43?

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