The Meaning of Genesis 35:5 Explained

Genesis 35:5

KJV: And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

YLT: and they journey, and the terror of God is on the cities which are round about them, and they have not pursued after the sons of Jacob.

Darby: And they journeyed; and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

ASV: And they journeyed: and a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they journeyed:  and the terror  of God  was upon the cities  that [were] round about  them, and they did not pursue  after  the sons  of Jacob. 

What does Genesis 35:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 35:1-15 - Jacob Blessed At Bethel
Thirty years before Jacob was at Bethel. Life was young then. He had only his staff. The future was unshaped and unknown. It was on the occasion of his first night from home; and he made many vows. How much had happened since then! Marriage, prosperity, children! But he had drifted down the stream, and had traveled into the far country from God. It was well that he should get back to Bethel, and consider the whole story of his life, as you may trace a river from source to mouth from an overlooking hill. The divine summons is always bidding us be clean and change our garments, and be rid of idols. There God gave him the great new name of Israel; and took to himself the reassuring name of El-Shaddai. It was as though, as the Almighty, he pledged himself to realize the highest and best. Let us take heart! God will make us fruitful, will give us the land, and will ward off the results of our misdeeds, Genesis 35:5.
For Review Questions on Genesis see the e-Sword Book Comments for Genesis.
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Chapter Summary: Genesis 35

1  God commands Jacob to go to Bethel
2  He purges his house of idols
6  He builds an altar at Bethel
8  Deborah dies at Allon Bacuth
9  God blesses Jacob at Bethel
10  Jacob Named Israel
16  Rachel travails of Benjamin, and dies in the way to Edar
22  Reuben lies with Bilhah
23  The sons of Jacob
27  Jacob comes to Isaac at Hebron
28  The age, death, and burial of Isaac

What do the individual words in Genesis 35:5 mean?

And they journeyed and was the terror of God upon the cities that [were] all around them and not they did pursue after the sons of Jacob
וַיִּסָּ֑עוּ וַיְהִ֣י ׀ חִתַּ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֗ים עַל־ הֶֽעָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם וְלֹ֣א רָֽדְפ֔וּ אַחֲרֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב

וַיִּסָּ֑עוּ  And  they  journeyed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָסַע  
Sense: to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart.
וַיְהִ֣י ׀  and  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
חִתַּ֣ת  the  terror 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חִתָּה  
Sense: terror, fear.
אֱלֹהִ֗ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הֶֽעָרִים֙  the  cities 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
אֲשֶׁר֙  that  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם  all  around  them 
Parse: Adverb, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
רָֽדְפ֔וּ  they  did  pursue 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
אַחֲרֵ֖י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
בְּנֵ֥י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יַעֲקֹֽב  of  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.