Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 31:5 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 5. 5And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Jacob tells Rachel and Leah that their father's attitude has changed, but the God of his father has remained with him. The contrast places Laban's instability against God's presence.
Read It With
- Genesis 31:1–21
Read verses 4–9. Verse 5 summarizes the relational and theological contrast; verses 6–9 supply Jacob's evidence about service, changed wages, and protected increase. Without them, 'God has been with me' can become an unsupported prosperity claim.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Jacob begins his consultation by contrasting Laban's changed disposition with God's continuing presence.
Read Genesis 31:4–6 together
Why these verses belong together: Jacob privately calls Rachel and Leah, identifies Laban's changed disposition, and appeals to work they know.
Verse 4. 4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
Verse 5. 5 And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
Verse 6. 6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
What Remains True
Human favor may change, while God's presence is not controlled by a powerful person's approval.
How It Can Shape Life
- Do not make another person's changing approval your measure of God's presence; evaluate the situation truthfully and remain accountable in your own conduct.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 31:1–21 — Jacob Secretly Leaves LabanSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, unit boundary, Bethel connection, departure, pursuit setup, foreign-god context, and return movement.
Exact location: Genesis 31:1–21 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 28:10–22; 30:25–43; 31:22–55; 32:1–21; and 35:1–7
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Hebrew vocabulary, idioms, speaker distinctions, dream language, wage claims, household-god term, and geography.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 31:1–21; morphology and wording for glory, countenance, ten times, taken, given, seen, sold, consumed, teraphim, stole the heart, fled, river, and Gilead
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Wealth, attitude, wage-number, animal, inheritance, teraphim, stolen-heart, Aramean, Euphrates, and route translation details.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 31:1–21 and translator notes, especially notes on 31:1–3, 7–16, 19–21; compared with 30:25–43 and 31:22–42
Open NET Genesis 31 ↗