Genesis 28:21

Summary

This verse continues Jacob's conditional vow at Bethel, expressing that if he returns safely to his father's house, then YHWH will become his God. The sentence uses two sequential perfect verbs to describe future outcomes contingent on the preceding conditions stated earlier in the vow.

Key words

• shavti ("I will return", H7725G) — qal sequential perfect, first person; continues the chain of conditions begun earlier in the vow, expressing a future completed action tied to prior clauses.
• shalom ("peace", H7965G) — masculine singular noun functioning adverbially with the preposition ve- ("in"), describing the manner of the return — "in peace/safety" rather than merely arriving.
• beit 'avi ("house of my father", H1004B + H0001G) — construct chain, where beit ("house of") governs avi ("my father"), forming a single possessive unit meaning "my father's house."
• hayah ("he will become", H1961) — qal sequential perfect, third person; parallels shavti in form, marking the second consequence of the vow's conditions.
• lElohim ("into God" / "for God", H0430G) — plural noun preceded by the preposition le- ("into/for"), combined with the earlier li ("for me") to form the phrase "become for me as God."

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence is built on two parallel clauses joined by the narrative ve- ("and"), each using a sequential perfect verb (shavti and hayah). This verb form continues a chain of action begun in the prior verses of the vow, presenting these as consequences that follow once the stated conditions are met. The first clause, ve-shavti be-shalom el-beit avi ("and I will return in peace to the house of my father"), uses the construct phrase beit avi ("house of my father") to specify the destination as a single possessive unit, while be-shalom ("in peace") modifies the manner of the return.

The second clause, ve-hayah YHWH li lElohim ("and YHWH will become for me as God"), pairs two prepositional phrases with pronominal and objective force: li ("for me", first person suffix) and lElohim ("into/for God"), both governed by forms of the preposition le-. This double le- construction ("for me... for God") frames the relationship as something that will "become" (hayah) rather than something asserted as already existing.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders be-shalom ("in peace", H7965G) as meta sōtērias ("with salvation/safety"), a translation that shifts the nuance from "peace" to "safety" or "deliverance." The Vulgate's prospere ("successfully, favorably") likewise diverges from a strict "peace" sense, opting for an adverb describing favorable outcome rather than the peace/wholeness connoted by shalom.