Genesis 24:50

Genesis 24:50

 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

a. NLT: Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The LORD has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say.

b. NIV: Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other.

c. YLT: And Laban answereth -- Bethuel also -- and they say, 'The thing hath gone out from Jehovah; we are not able to speak unto thee bad or good;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Then Laban and Bethuel answered, The thing comes forth from the Lord; we cannot speak bad or good to you.

e. Septuagint: And Laban and Bathuel answered and said, This matter has come forth from the Lord, we shall not be able to answer thee bad or good. 

f. Stone Edition Chumash Torah: Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The matter stemmed from HASHEM! We can say to you neither bad nor good.”

1. “Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said…”

a. Laban [3837 * Laban] [Strong: the same as 3836; Laban, a Mesopotamian; also a place in the Desert:--Laban.]

b. and Bethuel [1328 * Bthuw'el] [Strong: apparently from the same as 1326 and 410; destroyed of God; Bethuel, the name of a nephew of Abraham, and of a place in Palestine:--Bethuel.]

c. answered [6030 * `anah] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce:--give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, X scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness.]

d. and said [559 * 'amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

2. “…The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.”

a. the thing [1697 * dabar] [Strong: from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, + dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, + eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt, + iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, + please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that, X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings, what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.]

b. proceedeth [3318 * yatsa] [Strong: a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.:--X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any time, X to (and fro), utter.]

c. from the LORD [3068 * Yhovah] [Strong: from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

d. we cannot [3201 * yakol; or (fuller) yakowl] [Strong:   {yaw-kole'}; a primitive root; to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might):--be able, any at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure, might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.

e. speak unto thee [1696 * dabar] [Strong: a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.]

f. bad [7451 * ra’] [Strong: from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):-- adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease(-ure), distress, evil((- favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, X great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).

g. or [176 * ‘ow] [Strong: presumed to be the "constructive" or genitival form of -av {av}; short for 185; desire (and so probably in Prov. 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if:--also, and, either, if, at the least, X nor, or, otherwise, then, whether.]

h. good [2896 * towb] [Strong: from 2895; good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well):--beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, X fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, X most, pleasant, + pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well ((-favoured)).]