King James Version

Genesis 32:4

And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Genesis 32:5.

וַיְצַ֤וvaytsavand appointצָוָהconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and appoint”, the next action in the storyH6680(intensively) to constitute, enjoinappoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.אֹתָם֙otamobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).לֵאמֹ֔רlemorto sayאָמַרpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to say”, the to-form of the verbH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…כֹּ֣הkoalsoכֹּהadverb — “also”H3541properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) nowalso, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder.תֹאמְר֔וּןtomrunsayאָמַרverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural, paragogic nun — “say”, an unfinished actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לַֽאדֹנִ֖יladonito lordאָדוֹןpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to lord”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH113sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)lord, master, owner. Compare also names beginning with 'Adoni-'.לְעֵשָׂ֑וleesavto Esauעֵשָׂוpreposition, noun, proper name — “to Esau”H6215Esav, a son of Isaac, including his posterityEsau.כֹּ֤הkoalsoכֹּהadverb — “also”H3541properly, like this, i.e. by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) nowalso, here, + hitherto, like, on the other side, so (and much), such, on that manner, (on) this (manner, side, way, way and that way), + mean while, yonder.אָמַר֙amarsayאָמַרverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “say”, a completed actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…עַבְדְּךָ֣avdekhaservantעֶבֶדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “servant”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.יַעֲקֹ֔בyaaqovJacobיַעֲקֹבnoun, proper name — “Jacob”H3290Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarchJacob.עִםimwithעִםpreposition — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).לָבָ֣ןlavanLabanלָבָןnoun, proper name — “Laban”H3837Laban, a Mesopotamian; also a place in the DesertLaban.גַּ֔רְתִּיgartifearגּוּרverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “fear”, a completed actionH1481properly, to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest); also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather forhostility (as afraid)abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell, fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in awe, (be) stranger, [idiom] surely.וָאֵחַ֖רvaecharand be lateאָחַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and be late”, the next action in the storyH309to loiter (i.e. be behind); by implication to procrastinatecontinue, defer, delay, hinder, be late (slack), stay (there), tarry (longer).עַדadevenעַדpreposition — “even”H5704as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with)against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-) to, [phrase] how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, ([phrase] as) yet.עָֽתָּהatahthis timeעַתָּהadverb — “this time”H6258at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletivehenceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(32-5) And he commanded them, saying: 'Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now:

Young’s Literal Translation

and commandeth them, saying, 'Thus do ye say to my lord, to Esau: Thus said thy servant Jacob, With Laban I have sojourned, and I tarry until now;

World English Bible

He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau: ‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now.

Darby Translation

And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak to my lord, to Esau: Thy servant Jacob speaks thus — With Laban have I sojourned and tarried until now;

Douay-Rheims

And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and have been with him until this day.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(32-5) And he commanded them, saying: 'Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye say to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob; I have sojourned with Laban and tarried until now.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς, λέγων, οὕτως ἐρεῖτε τῷ κυρίῳ μου Ἡσαῦ· οὕτως λέγει ὁ παῖς σου Ἰακώβ· μετὰ Λάβαν παρῴκησα, καὶ ἐχρόνισα ἕως τοῦ νῦν.