John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 28:20
And Jacob vowed a vow ,.... Which is the first vow we read of in Scripture: saying, if God will be with me ; the word if is not a sign of doubting, but is either an adverb of time, and may be rendered, "when God shall be with me" F20 אם "quum", Junius & Tremellius; so Ainsworth. ; or as a supposition, expressive of an inference or conclusion drawn, "seeing God will be with me" F21 Quandoquidem, Tigurine version. ; which he had the utmost reason to believe he would,... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 28:16-22
God manifested himself and his favour to Jacob when he was asleep and purely passive; for the spirit, like the wind, blows when and where he listeth, and God's grace, like the dew, tarrieth not for the sons of men, Mic. 5:7. But Jacob applied himself to the improvement of the visit God had made him when he was awake; and we may well think he awaked, as the prophet did (Jer. 31:26), and behold his sleep was sweet to him. Here is much of Jacob's devotion on this occasion. I. He expressed a great... read more