Genesis 31:24

ESV But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."
NIV Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."
NASB However, God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, 'Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.'
CSB But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. "Watch yourself!" God warned him. "Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."
NLT But the previous night God had appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and told him, 'I’m warning you — leave Jacob alone!'
KJV And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
NKJV But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”

What does Genesis 31:24 mean?

Jacob and his wives are hoping to escape without confronting his father-in-law, or risking that Laban could stop him somehow. Laban has been in pursuit for a week and has now found Jacob's large caravan on the route to Gilead (Genesis 31:21–23).

What will he do? We don't know what he might have had in mind, because it is at this point that God intervenes once again on Jacob's behalf. This time, the Lord speaks directly to Laban in a dream. He warns Laban not to say anything good or bad to Jacob. The originally-understood meaning of this phrasing is that Laban is not to contradict Jacob in any way; he is to "go easy" on him. Laban will apparently take that to heart when he reaches Jacob. He's already seen the influence of God in Jacob's success, so he has good reason to assume God's protection comes with just as much potency.
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