Genesis 31:11 Study Bible: The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'

◄ Genesis 31:11 ►

In that dream the angel of God said to me, 'Jacob!' And I replied, 'Here I am.'

In that dream
The phrase "in that dream" indicates a divine communication method frequently used in the Old Testament. Dreams were often seen as a medium through which God conveyed His will to His chosen individuals. In the Hebrew context, dreams were not merely subconscious thoughts but were considered significant and often prophetic. This highlights the intimate relationship between God and Jacob, where God chooses to reveal His plans and guidance through a dream, emphasizing the personal nature of divine revelation.

the angel of God
The "angel of God" is a significant figure in the Old Testament, often representing God's presence and authority. In Hebrew, the term "mal'ak" can mean messenger, and in this context, it is understood as a divine messenger. The angel of God is not just any angel but is often seen as a theophany, a manifestation of God Himself. This encounter underscores the importance of the message being delivered and the divine authority behind it, reassuring Jacob of God's continued guidance and protection.

said to me
The phrase "said to me" indicates a direct and personal communication. In the biblical narrative, God often speaks directly to the patriarchs, establishing a covenantal relationship. This direct speech signifies the importance of the message and the personal relationship between God and Jacob. It reflects the ongoing dialogue between the divine and humanity, where God actively participates in the lives of His chosen people.

Jacob!
The calling of Jacob by name signifies a personal and intimate relationship. In biblical times, names held significant meaning and calling someone by name was a way to establish a personal connection. This direct address by the angel of God highlights Jacob's importance in God's plan and reaffirms his role in the unfolding narrative of the Israelites. It is a moment of divine recognition and affirmation of Jacob's identity and mission.

And I replied, 'Here I am.'
Jacob's response, "Here I am," is a phrase that denotes readiness and willingness to listen and obey. In Hebrew, "Hineni" is a term used by several biblical figures when responding to God's call, indicating their availability and submission to God's will. This response reflects Jacob's acknowledgment of God's authority and his readiness to follow divine instructions. It is a moment of humility and obedience, setting the stage for the unfolding of God's plan in Jacob's life.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Jacob
The central figure in this passage, Jacob is the grandson of Abraham and the son of Isaac. He is in the midst of a complex relationship with his uncle Laban, from whom he is planning to depart.

2. Angel of God
A divine messenger who appears to Jacob in a dream, providing guidance and reassurance. The angel's appearance signifies God's direct intervention and communication with Jacob.

3. Dream
A significant medium through which God communicates with Jacob. Dreams in the Old Testament often serve as a means for divine revelation.

4. Laban
Jacob's uncle and father-in-law, with whom Jacob has a strained relationship due to issues of deceit and exploitation.

5. Paddan-aram
The region where Jacob has been living and working for Laban, and from which he is planning to return to his homeland.

Teaching Points

Divine Communication
God often communicates with His people in ways that are personal and direct. We should be attentive to how God might be speaking to us today, whether through Scripture, prayer, or other means.

Readiness to Respond
Jacob's response, "Here I am," reflects a posture of readiness and willingness to listen to God. We should cultivate a heart that is open and responsive to God's calling.

God's Guidance in Uncertainty
Just as God guided Jacob during a time of uncertainty and transition, He offers guidance to us in our own times of change and decision-making.

Trust in God's Promises
Jacob's encounter with the angel reaffirms God's promises to him. We can trust that God is faithful to His promises, even when circumstances seem challenging.

The Role of Dreams
While not every dream is a divine message, God can use dreams to communicate His will. We should seek discernment and wisdom in understanding the messages we receive.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Jacob's response to the angel of God ("Here I am") reflect his relationship with God, and how can we apply this attitude in our own spiritual lives?

2. In what ways does God's communication with Jacob through dreams encourage us to be attentive to God's voice in our own lives?

3. How does the strained relationship between Jacob and Laban illustrate the challenges of living out God's promises in difficult circumstances?

4. What are some other instances in the Bible where God uses dreams to communicate with His people, and what can we learn from these examples?

5. How can we discern when a dream or thought might be a message from God, and what steps should we take to seek confirmation and understanding?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Genesis 28:12-15
This earlier passage describes Jacob's dream at Bethel, where God promises him land and descendants. It establishes a pattern of God communicating with Jacob through dreams.

Exodus 3:4
When God calls Moses from the burning bush, Moses responds, "Here I am," similar to Jacob's response to the angel. This connection highlights the readiness and attentiveness required when God calls.

Acts 9:10
Ananias responds to the Lord with "Here I am," showing a continuity of this response to divine calling throughout Scripture.

Sermons

Jacob and Laban	A. F. Joscelyne, B. A.	Genesis 31:1-12
Jacob's Departure for Canaan	T. H. Leale.	Genesis 31:1-12
Lessons	G. Hughes, B. D.	Genesis 31:1-12
Lessons	G. Hughes, B. D.	Genesis 31:1-12
Lessons	G. Hughes, B. D.	Genesis 31:1-12
Lessons	G. Hughes, B. D.	Genesis 31:1-12
Lessons	G. Hughes, B. D. .	Genesis 31:1-12
The Stirring-Up of the Nest	F. B. Meyer, B. A.	Genesis 31:1-12

People

Aram, Isaac, Jacob, Laban, Leah, Nahor, Rachel

Places

Canaan, Euphrates River, Galeed, Gilead, Jegar-sahadutha, Mizpah, Paddan-aram

Topics

Angel, Dream, Jacob, Messenger, Saying, Spake, Spoke

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Genesis 31:1-24

5095 Jacob, life

Genesis 31:10-13

1409 dream

Genesis 31:11-13

4140 angel of the Lord

Library

Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Appendix xvi. On the Jewish views About Demons' and the Demonised,' Together with Some Notes on the Intercourse Between Jews and Jewish Christians in the First Centuries.
IT is not, of course, our purpose here to attempt an exhaustive account of the Jewish views on demons' and the demonised.' A few preliminary strictures were, however, necessary on a work upon which writers on this subject have too implictly relied. I refer to Gfrörer's Jahrhundert des Heils (especially vol. i. pp. 378-424). Gfrörer sets out by quoting a passage in the Book of Enoch on which he lays great stress, but which critical inquiries of Dillmann and other scholars have shown to be …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

How the Rude in Sacred Learning, and those who are Learned but not Humble, are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 25.) Differently to be admonished are those who do not understand aright the words of the sacred Law, and those who understand them indeed aright, but speak them not humbly. For those who understand not aright the words of sacred Law are to be admonished to consider that they turn for themselves a most wholesome drought of wine into a cup of poison, and with a medicinal knife inflict on themselves a mortal wound, when they destroy in themselves what was sound by that whereby they ought, …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Epistle Xlix. To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch .
To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch [35] . Gregory to Anastasius, &c. I received the letters of thy Fraternity, rightly holding fast the profession of the faith; and I returned great thanks to Almighty God, who, when the shepherds of His flock are changed, still, even after such change, guards the faith which He once delivered to the holy Fathers. Now the excellent preacher says, Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. iii. 2). Whosoever, then, with love of …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Great Shepherd
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

And He had Also this Favour Granted Him. ...
66. And he had also this favour granted him. For as he was sitting alone on the mountain, if ever he was in perplexity in his meditations, this was revealed to him by Providence in prayer. And the happy man, as it is written, was taught of God [1112] . After this, when he once had a discussion with certain men who had come to him concerning the state of the soul and of what nature its place will be after this life, the following night one from above called him, saying, Antony, rise, go out and look.' …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Meditations for the Morning.
1. Almighty God can, in the resurrection, as easily raise up thy body out of the grave, from the sleep of death, as he hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed, out of the sleep of nature. At the dawning of which resurrection day, Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints; and every one of the bodies of the thousands of his saints, being fashioned like unto his glorious body, shall shine as bright as the sun (2 Thess. i. 10; Jude, ver. 14; Phil. iii. 21; Luke ix. 31;) all the angels shining …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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