Genesis 31:40

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Thus have I been - By day, drought hath consumed me, And, frost, by, night, - So that my sleep fled away from mine eyes.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

King James Version
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

Lexham English Bible
There I was, during the day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

New Century Version
In the daytime the sun took away my strength, and at night I was cold and could not sleep.

New English Translation
I was consumed by scorching heat during the day and by piercing cold at night, and I went without sleep.

Amplified Bible
"This was my situation: by day the heat consumed me and by night the cold, and I could not sleep.

New American Standard Bible
"This is how I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I was in the day consumed with heate, and with frost in the night, and my sleepe departed from mine eyes.

Legacy Standard Bible
Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

Contemporary English Version
I sweated every day, and I couldn't sleep at night because of the cold.

Complete Jewish Bible
Here's how it was for me: during the day thirst consumed me, and at night the cold — my sleep fled from my eyes.

Darby Translation
Thus it was with me: in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes.

Easy-to-Read Version
In the daytime the sun took away my strength, and at night sleep was taken from my eyes by the cold.

English Standard Version
There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

George Lamsa Translation
Thus by day I was scorched by the heat, and at night suffered from cold; and my sleep departed from my eyes.

Good News Translation
Many times I suffered from the heat during the day and from the cold at night. I was not able to sleep.

Christian Standard Bible®
There I was—the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

Literal Translation
I was there; by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night. And my sleep fled from my eyes.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
On the daye tyme the heate cosumed me, and the frost on the night, and my slepe departed fro myne eyes.

American Standard Version
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes.

Bible in Basic English
This was my condition, wasted by heat in the day and by the bitter cold at night; and sleep went from my eyes.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
I was in suche case, that by day the heate consumed me, and the frost by nyght, and my slepe departed from mine eyes.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Thus I was: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes.

King James Version (1611)
Thus I was in ye day, the drought consumed mee, and the frost by night, aud my sleep departed from mine eyes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
I was parched with heat by day, and chilled with frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes.

English Revised Version
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes.

Berean Standard Bible
As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y was angwischid in dai and nyyt with heete and frost, and sleep fledde fro myn iyen;

Young's Literal Translation
I have been [thus]: in the day consumed me hath drought, and frost by night, and wander doth my sleep from mine eyes.

Update Bible Version
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

Webster's Bible Translation
[Thus] I was; in the day the drouth consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes.

World English Bible
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

New King James Version
There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes.

New Living Translation
"I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights.

New Life Bible
This is the way it was for me. I suffered from heat during the day, and from cold during the night. And I could not sleep.

New Revised Standard
It was like this with me: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Day and night was I parched with heat, and with frost, and sleep departed from my eyes.

Revised Standard Version
Thus I was; by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

Contextual Overview

³⁶ And it was vexing to Jacob and he contended with Laban, - and Jacob responded and said to Laban, What was my trespass, what my sin, that thou shouldst have come burning after me? ³⁷ Now that thou hast felt about among all my goods, what hast thou found of the goods of thine own house? Set it out here, right before my brethren and thy brethren, - that they may give sentence betwixt us two. ³⁸ This twenty years' time, have, I, been with thee - Thy ewes and thy she-goats, have not cast their young, - And the rams of thy flock, have I not eaten, ³⁹ The torn, have I not brought in unto thee - I bare the loss, At my hand, didst thou require it, - Stolen by day, or stolen by night. ⁴⁰ Thus have I been - By day, drought hath consumed me, And, frost, by, night, - So that my sleep fled away from mine eyes. ⁴¹ This, hath been my lot twenty years in thy house, - I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, And six years for thy sheep - And thou didst change my wages ten times: - ⁴² But that the God of my father - The God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac - Proved to he mine, Surely even now, empty, hadst thou let me go? My humiliation and the wearying toil of my hands, God had seen, And therefore gave sentence last night!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Exodus 2:19-22, Exodus 3:1, Psalms 78:70, Psalms 78:71, Hosea 12:12, Luke 2:8, John 21:15-17, Hebrews 13:7, 1 Peter 5:2-4

Reciprocal: Genesis 30:39 - brought forth Deuteronomy 26:5 - ready Job 24:7 - no covering Proverbs 31:18 - her candle Ecclesiastes 8:16 - there is that Song of Solomon 5:2 - my head Jeremiah 36:30 - and his John 10:11 - giveth

Cross-References

Genesis 31:2
And Jacob looked upon the face of Laban, - and lo! it was not with him as afore-time.

Genesis 31:4
So Jacob sent, and called for Rachel and for Leah, to the field unto his flock;

Genesis 31:15
Are we not accounted, aliens, to him seeing that having sold us, he hath then gone on devouring, our silver?

Genesis 31:17
So Jacob arose, - and mounted his sons and his wives on the camels;

Genesis 31:19
Now, Laban, had gone, to shear his sheep, - so Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father,

Genesis 31:22
And it was told Laban, on the third day, - that Jacob had fled.

Exodus 3:1
Now, Moses, was shepherding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law priest of Midian, - so he led forth the flock behind the desert, and came in unto the mountain of God to Horeb.

Hosea 12:12
When Jacob fled to the country of Syria, then Israel served for a wife, and, for a wife, he watched over a flock.

Luke 2:8
And there were, shepherds, in the same country, dwelling in the fields, and keeping the watches of the night over their flock.

Hebrews 13:7
Be mindful of them who are guiding you, who, indeed, have spoken unto you, the word of God: the outgoing of whose behaviour, reviewing, be imitating, their faith.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[Thus] I was,.... In such a situation, as well as in the following uncomfortable plight and condition:

in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night: the violent heat in the daytime scorched him, and the severe frosts in the night pinched him: that is, in the different seasons of the year, the heat of the day in the summertime, and the cold of the night in the wintertime; for it cannot well be thought that there should be excessive heat in the day and sharp frosts in the night, in the same season of the year: it looks as if Laban did not allow Jacob the proper conveniencies of clothes, and of tents to secure him from the inclemency of the weather, which other shepherds usually had:

and my sleep departed from mine eyes; through diligent care and watchfulness of the flocks in the night season, which on some occasions were necessary; see Luke 2:8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- Jacob’s Flight from Haran

19. תרפים t^erāpı̂ym, Teraphim. This word occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament. It appears three times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the Pentateuch. It is always in the plural number. The root does not appear in Biblical Hebrew. It perhaps means “to live well,” intransitively (Gesenius, Roedig.), “to nourish,” transitively (Furst). The teraphim were symbols or representatives of the Deity, as Laban calls them his gods. They seem to have been busts (προτομαί protomai, Aquila) of the human form, sometimes as large as life 1 Samuel 19:13. Those of full size were probably of wood; the smaller ones may have been of metal. In two passages Judges 17:1-13; Judges 18:0; Hosea 3:4 they are six times associated with the ephod. This intimates either that they were worn on the ephod, like the Urim and Thummim, or more probably that the ephod was worn on them; in accordance with which they were employed for the purposes of divination Genesis 30:27; Zechariah 10:2. The employment of them in the worship of God, which Laban seems to have inherited from his fathers Joshua 24:2, is denounced as idolatry 1 Samuel 15:23; and hence, they are classed with the idols and other abominations put away by Josiah 2 Kings 23:24.

47. שׂהדוּתא יגר y^egar-śâhădûtā', Jegar-sahadutha, “cairn of witness” in the Aramaic dialect of the old Hebrew or Shemite speech. גלעד gal‛ēd, Gal‘ed; and גלעד gı̂l‛ād, Gil‘ad, “cairn of witness” in Hebrew especially so called (see Genesis 11:1-9).

49. מצפה mı̂tspâh, Mizpah, “watch-tower.”

Jacob had now been twenty years in Laban’s service, and was therefore, ninety-six years of age. It has now become manifest that he cannot obtain leave of Laban to return home. He must, therefore, either come off by the high hand, or by secret flight. Jacob has many reasons for preferring the latter course.

Genesis 31:1-13

Circumstances at length induce Jacob to propose flight to his wives. His prosperity provokes the envy and slander of Laban’s sons, and Laban himself becomes estranged. The Lord now commands Jacob to return, and promises him his presence to protect him. Jacob now opens his mind fully to Rachel and Leah. Rachel, we observe, is put first. Several new facts come out in his discourse to them. Ye know - Jacob appeals to his wives on this point - “that with all my might I served your father.” He means, of course, to the extent of his engagement. During the last six years he was to provide for his own house, as the Lord permitted him, with the full knowledge and concurrence of Laban. Beyond this, which is a fair and acknowledged exception, he has been faithful in keeping the cattle of Laban. “Your father deceived me, and changed my wages ten times;” that is, as often as he could.

If, at the end of the first year, he found that Jacob had gained considerably, though he began with nothing, he might change his wages every following half-year, and so actually change them ten times in five years. In this case, the preceding chapter only records his original expedients, and then states the final result. “God suffered him not to hurt me.” Jacob, we are to remember, left his hire to the providence of God. He thought himself bound at the same time to use all legitimate means for the attainment of the desired end. His expedients may have been perfectly legitimate in the circumstances, but they were evidently of no avail without the divine blessing. And they would become wholly ineffectual when his wages were changed. Hence, he says, God took the cattle and gave them to me. Jacob seems here to record two dreams, the former of which is dated at the rutting season. The dream indicates the result by a symbolic representation, which ascribes it rather to the God of nature than to the man of art. The second dream makes allusion to the former as a process still going on up to the present time. This appears to be an encouragement to Jacob now to commit himself to the Lord on his way home. The angel of the Lord, we observe, announces himself as the God of Bethel, and recalls to Jacob the pillar and the vow. The angel, then, is Yahweh manifesting himself to human apprehension.

Genesis 31:14-19

His wives entirely accord with his view of their father’s selfishness in dealing with his son-in-law, and approve of his intended departure. Jacob makes all the needful preparations for a hasty and secret flight. He avails himself of the occasion when Laban is at a distance probably of three or more days’ journey, shearing his sheep. “Rachel stole the teraphim.” It is not the business of Scripture to acquaint us with the kinds and characteristics of false worship. Hence, we know little of the teraphim, except that they were employed by those who professed to worship the true God. Rachel had a lingering attachment to these objects of her family’s superstitious reverence, and secretly carried them away as relics of a home she was to visit no more, and as sources of safety to herself against the perils of her flight.

Genesis 31:20-24

Laban hears of his flight, pursues, and overtakes him. “Stole the heart,” κλέπτειν νοῦν kleptein noun. The heart is the seat of the understanding in Scripture. To steal the heart of anyone is to act without his knowledge. The river. The Frat, near which, we may conclude, Jacob was tending his flocks. Haran was about seventy miles from the river, and therefore, Laban’s flocks were on the other side of Haran. “Toward mount Gilead;” about three hundred miles from the Frat. “On the third day.” This shows that Laban’s flocks kept by his sons were still three days’ journey apart from Jacob’s. His brethren - his kindred and dependents. “Seven days’ journey.” On the third day after the arrival of the messenger, Laban might return to the spot whence Jacob had taken his flight. In this case, Jacob would have at least five days of a start; which, added to the seven days of pursuit, would give him twelve days to travel three hundred English miles. To those accustomed to the pastoral life this was a possible achievement. God appears to Laban on behalf of Jacob, and warns him not to harm him. “Not to speak from good to bad” is merely to abstain from language expressing and prefacing violence.

Genesis 31:25-32

Laban’s expostulation and Jacob’s reply. What hast thou done? Laban intimates that he would have dismissed him honorably and affectionately, and therefore, that his flight was needless and unkind; and finally charges him with stealing his gods. Jacob gives him to understand that he did not expect fair treatment at his hands, and gives him leave to search for his gods, not knowing that Rachel had taken them.

Genesis 31:33-42

After the search for the teraphim has proved vain, Jacob warmly upbraids Laban. “The camel’s saddle.” This was a pack-saddle, in the recesses of which articles might be deposited, and on which was a seat or couch for the rider. Rachel pleads the custom of women as an excuse for keeping her seat; which is admitted by Laban, not perhaps from the fear of ceremonial defilement Leviticus 15:19-27, as this law was not yet in force, but from respect to his daughter and the conviction that in such circumstances she would not sit upon the teraphim. “My brethren and thy brethren” - their common kindred. Jacob recapitulates his services in feeling terms. “By day the drought;” caused by the heat, which is extreme during the day, while the cold is not less severe in Palestine during the night. “The fear of Isaac” - the God whom Isaac fears. Judged - requited by restraining thee from wrong-doing.

Genesis 31:43-47

Laban, now pacified, if not conscience-stricken, proposes a covenant between them. Jacob erects a memorial pillar, around which the clan gather a cairn of stones, which serves by its name for a witness of their compact. “Jegar-sahadutha.” Here is the first decided specimen of Aramaic, as contradistinguished from Hebrew. Its incidental appearance indicates a fully formed dialect known to Jacob, and distinct from his own. Gilead or Galeed remains to this day in Jebel Jel’ad, though the original spot was further north.

Genesis 31:48-54

The covenant is then completed. And Mizpah. This refers to some prominent cliff from which, as a watch-tower, an extensive view might be obtained. It was in the northern half of Gilead Deuteronomy 3:12-13, and is noticed in Judges 11:29. It is not to be confounded with other places called by the same name. The reference of this name to the present occurrence is explained in these two verses. The names Gilead and Mizpah may have arisen from this transaction, or received a new turn in consequence of its occurrence. The terms of the covenant are now formally stated. I have cast. The erection of the pillar was a joint act of the two parties; in which Laban proposes, Jacob performs, and all take part. “The God of Abraham, Nahor, and Terah.” This is an interesting acknowledgment that their common ancestor Terah and his descendants down to Laban still acknowledged the true God even in their idolatry. Jacob swears by the fear of isaac, perhaps to rid himself of any error that had crept into Laban’s notions of God and his worship. The common sacrifice and the common meal ratify the covenant of reconciliation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Genesis 31:40. In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night — The being exposed to the heat by day, and frost by night, is made part of the heaviest punishment of Promethus by AEschylus.

Σταθευτος δ' ἡλιου φοιβῃ φλογι,

Χροιας αμευψεις· ασμενῳ δε σοι

Ἡ ποικιλεμων νυξ αποκρυψει φαος·

Παχνην θ' ἑῳαν ἡλιος σκεδᾳ παλιν.

AEschyl. Prom. Vinc., v. Genesis 31:22.

Opposed to the sun's most fervid beam,

The hue of beauty changed; till parch'd by heat

The night with spangled stole shall hide its light

From thee rejoicing, but again the sun

Chases the hoar frost from thy harass'd form.

J. B. B. C.