Genesis 31:29

Gen 31:29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Ver. 29. It is in the power of my hand.] It was, he might have said, till God forbade him: though indeed it never was (as our Saviour told Pilate, upon a like bravado, Joh 19:10-11), further than "given him from above." "To God belong the issues of death," {Psa 68:20} whatever tyrants dream they can do. Rideo, dicebat Caligula, Consulibus, quod uno nutu meo iugulare vos possim, et uxori tam bana cervix, simul ac iussero, demetur . And Caesar told Metellus, that he could as easily take away his life, as bid it to be done. But what saith our Saviour? "Fear not them that kill the body"; {Mat 10:28} to wit, by divine permission. He saith not, them that can kill the body, have power to do it at their own pleasure: for that is a royalty belongs to God only.

But the God of your father spake unto me, &c.] Hypocrites forbear sin, as dogs do their meat; not because they hate the carrion, but fear the club. These are as wicked, in their fearful abstaining from sin, as in their furious committing of it. Lupus venit ad ovile: quaerit invadere, iugulare devorare vigilant pastores, latrant canes. - Lupus venit fremens, redit tremens: lupus est tamen, et fremens et tremens , saith Augustine. {a}

{a} Aug., De Verb. Apost., ser. 21.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 31:29. The God of your fathers spake to me yesterday — We find here that Laban, whatever his disposition was, and how great soever his anger, paid regard to the heavenly vision. For though he supposed that he had both right and strength on his side, either to revenge the wrong or recover the right, yet he owns himself under the restraint of God’s power; he durst not injure one whom he saw to be the particular care of Heaven. It seems probable that God, who can change the heart in a moment, effected a sudden alteration in his disposition toward Jacob.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrew, power is in mine hand.

He was an Idolater, and therefore would not acknowledge the God of Jacob for his God.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt] Literally, My hand is unto God to do you evil, i.e., I have vowed to God that I will punish thee for thy flight, and the stealing of my teraphim; but the God of YOUR father has prevented me from doing it. It is a singular instance that the plural pronoun, when addressing an individual, should be twice used in this place - the God of your father, אביכם abichem, for אביך abicha, thy father.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

29. It is in the power of my hand. The Hebrew phrase is different, “my hand is to power;” yet the meaning is clear, that Laban declares he is ready to take vengeance. Some expound the words thus: “my hand is to God;” but from other places it appears that the word אל (el) is taken for power. But Laban, inflated with foolish boasting, contradicts himself; for whereas he had been forbidden by God to attempt anything against Jacob, where was the power of which he boasted? We see, therefore, he precipitates himself by a blind impulse, as if, at his own pleasure, he could do anything against the purpose of God. For when he perceives that God is opposed to him, he yet does not hesitate to glory in his own strength; and why is this, unless he aimed at being superior to God? Finally; pride is always the companion of unbelief; so that unbelievers, although vanquished, yet cease not impetuously to rise up against God. To this they add another sin, that they complain of being unjustly oppressed by God.

But the God of your father. Why does he not also acknowledge God as his own God, unless because Satan had so fascinated his mind already, that he chose rather to wander in darkness than to turn to the light presented before him? Willingly or unwillingly, he is compelled to yield to the God of Abraham; and yet he defrauds him of the glory which is due, by retaining those fictitious deities by which he had been deceived. We see then that the ungodly, even when they have had proof of the power of God, yet do not entirely submit themselves to his authority. Wherefore, when God manifests himself to us, we must also seek from heaven the spirit of meekness, which shall bend and subdue us to obedience unto himself.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(29) It is in the power of my hand.—This is the rendering here of all the versions, and is confirmed by Deu_28:32; Neh_5:5; Mic_2:1; but Keil and Knobel wish to translate, “My hand is for God.” This comes to the same thing in an impious way, as the sense would be,” My hand is an El, a god, for me,” and enables me to do what I will.

The speech of Laban is half true and half false. He would have wished not to part with Jacob at all, but to have recovered from him as much as he could of his property. But if he was to go, he would have liked outward appearances maintained; and, probably, he had an affection for his daughters and their children, though not so strong as to counterbalance his selfishness. His character, like that of all men, is a mixture of good and evil.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29. in the power of my hand] A Hebrew idiom occurring in Deu_28:32, Neh_5:5, Pro_3:27, Mic_2:1. The word “power” is “Êl,” usually rendered “God”; in this idiom it denotes “power” or “might” in the abstract.

the God of your father] Laban’s conscience smites him, as is implied by the vision recorded in Gen_31:24.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, because I was afraid,.... That he would have done all he could to have hindered him from going away himself; and not only so, but would have prevented his taking his daughters with him; and especially would have detained his cattle; but of this last Jacob makes no mention, only of the former:

for I said; either within himself, or to his wives:

peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me; which of right belonged to him; for though they were Laban's daughters, they were Jacob's wives; and being given in marriage to him, he had a right unto them, and to take them with him; nor had Laban any right to detain them, which Jacob feared he would have attempted to have done, had he known his design; and this must have been done by force if done at all; for neither Jacob nor his wives would have agreed that they should stay with Laban upon his departure: what Laban charges Jacob with, in going away with his wives, he himself would have done, namely, using force to them. Laban's charge was false, but there was much reason for Jacob's suspicion.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The God of your father, Isaac or Abraham, by which he disowns him for his God, and tacitly reproacheth him with the novelty of his religion, which was first brought in by his father. Compare Gen 31:53.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

29. Power of my hand — Or, to the God of my hand — לאל ידי. Laban, leavened with the notions of idolatry, contrasts the God of his hand — that is, the God for whom he lifts his hand — with the God of Jacob’s father.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt - He supposeth that he had both right on his side, and strength on his side, either to revenge the wrong, or recover the right. Yet he owns himself under the restraint of God's power; he durst not injure one of whom he saw to be the particular care of heaven.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

ידי לאל ישׁ: "there is to God my hand" (Mic 2:1; cf. Deu 28:32; Neh 5:5), i.e., my hand serves me as God (Hab 1:11; Job 12:6), a proverbial expression for "the power lies in my hand."

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

It is in my power to do you harm

The word "you" is plural and refers to everyone with Jacob. AT: "I have enough people with me to harm all of you" (See: Forms of You)

Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad

The words "good nor bad" are used together to mean "anything." See how you translated this in Genesis 31:24. AT: "Do not say anything to try and stop Jacob from leaving" (See: Merism)

you have gone away

This "you" is singular and refers to Jacob. (See: Forms of You)

to your father's house

Here "house" stands for family. AT: "to be home with your father and the rest of your family" (See: Metonymy)

my gods

"my idols"

translationWords

power

God

ancestor

Jacob

house

false god

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

יש לאל ידי means MY HAND HAS THE STRENGTH AND THE POWER — to do you hurt (אל therefore means strength and יש לאל ידי is equivalent to יש אל לידי). Wherever אל is used as a Divine Name it is because it signifies strength and abundance of power.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

יש לאל ידי, as per Onkelos, i.e. “I possess the power.”

אמש, last night.

ואלוקי אביכם, a reference to the G’d of Avraham whose name Avraham had popularised throughout the region. The reason Lavan speaks of אביכם “your father,” is that he uses the term as a pronoun including Yaakov and his children.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.