Genesis 29:1

 Genesis 29:1 

Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

a. ASV: Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: And Jacob lifteth up his feet, and goeth towards the land of the sons of the east; [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Then Jacob went [briskly and cheerfully] on his way [400 miles] and came to the land of the people of the East. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT: Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: So jacob lifted his feet, and went toward the land of the easterners. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

f. Torah, Judaism and Jewish information on the web: www.chabad.org; Online English Translation of the Tanakh (Jewish Bible): Now Jacob lifted his feet and went to the land of the people of the East. [English Translation, Ⓒ Copyright The Judaica Press All rights reserved.]

1. “Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.”

a. [Then] Jacob [Strong: 3290 Ya`aqob yah-ak-obe' from 6117; heel-catcher (i.e. supplanter); Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch:--Jacob.]

b. went on [Strong: 5375 nasa' naw-saw' or nacah (Psalm 4 : 6 (7)) {naw-saw'}; a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.]

c. [his] journey [Strong: 7272 regel reh'-gel from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X according as, X after, X coming, X follow, ((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.]

d. [and] came [Strong: 3212 yalak yaw-lak' a primitive root (Compare 1980); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses):--X again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, + follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, + pursue, cause to run, spread, take away ((-journey)), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, X be weak.]

e. [into the] land [Strong: 776 'erets eh'-rets from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

f. [of the] people [Strong: 1121 ben bane from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

g. [of the] east [Strong: 6924 qedem keh'-dem or qedmah {kayd'-maw}; from 6923; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward):--aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, X ever(-lasting), forward, old, past.]

1). Barnes' Notes on the Bible:The distance was about four hundred and fifty miles, and therefore it would take Jacob fifteen days to perform the journey at thirty miles a day. If he reached Bethel the first night, he must have traveled about fifty miles the first day. After this he proceeds on his journey without any memorable incident.

2). Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: 29:1 Jacob proceeded cheerfully in his journey, after the sweet communion he had with God at Beth-el.

a). Jacob’s response to the spiritual dream that he had speaks much about his godly character, compared to his very carnal brother Esau.

 

3). Henry M Morris, The Genesis Record: Jacob, on the other hand, was a “plain man, dwelling in tents.” Just like Abraham and Isaac, he “sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles” (Hebrews 11:9)...The translators have done Jacob a disservice by calling him a “plain” man, or a “quiet” man. The Hebrew word is tam, which means “perfect” or “complete” or possibly “mature.” It is exactly the same word God used to describe Job when he called him “a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil” (Job 1:9).  

4). This Hebrew word is found 13 times in the OT. It is only translated “plain” here. Every other instance it is used, it is not referring to “plain”. In nine instances it is translated “perfect.” Once it is translated “upright.” And twice it is translated “undefiled.” In the different translations of Genesis 25:27, the closest to the Hebrew meaning is found in the two Jewish translations (See above). In the Stone Edition of THE CHUMASH, it says, “Jacob was a wholesome man.” In the Online English Translation of the Tanakh (Jewish Bible), it says “whereas Jacob was an innocent man.” 

a). Job 1:1  There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect  and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

b). Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

c). Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

d). Job 8:20 Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

e). Job 9:20 If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

f). Job 9:21 Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

g). Job 9:22 This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

h). Psalm 37:37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

i). Psalm 64:4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

j). Proverbs 29:10 The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.

k). Song of Solomon 5:2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

l. Song of Solomon 6:9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

5). Deuteronomy 26:5-10 is a confession of faith that the Israelites said every time they offered their firstfruits. The “Syrian ready to perish” was Jacob.

a). Deuteronomy 26:5-10 And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:

26:6 And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:

26:7 And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:

26:8 And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:

26:9 And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

26:10 And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God:

26:11 And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.