1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.
7 And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.
9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.
10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.
11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.
15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.
16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.
18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.
22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
23 The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:
24 The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:
25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:
26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.
27 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
28 And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.
29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
1 And God H430 said H559 unto Jacob, H3290 Arise, H6965 go up H5927 to Bethel, H1008 and dwell H3427 there: and make H6213 there an altar H4196 unto God, H410 that appeared H7200 unto thee when thou fleddest H1272 from the face H6440 of Esau H6215 thy brother. H251
2 Then Jacob H3290 said H559 unto his household, H1004 and to all that were with him, Put away H5493 the strange H5236 gods H430 that are among you, H8432 and be clean, H2891 and change H2498 your garments: H8071
3 And let us arise, H6965 and go up H5927 to Bethel; H1008 and I will make H6213 there an altar H4196 unto God, H410 who answered H6030 me in the day H3117 of my distress, H6869 and was with me in the way H1870 which I went. H1980
4 And they gave H5414 unto Jacob H3290 all the strange H5236 gods H430 which were in their hand, H3027 and all their earrings H5141 which were in their ears; H241 and Jacob H3290 hid H2934 them under the oak H424 which was by Shechem. H7927
5 And they journeyed: H5265 and the terror H2847 of God H430 was upon the cities H5892 that were round about H5439 them, and they did not pursue H7291 after H310 the sons H1121 of Jacob. H3290
6 So Jacob H3290 came H935 to Luz, H3870 which is in the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 that is, Bethel, H1008 he and all the people H5971 that were with him.
7 And he built H1129 there an altar, H4196 and called H7121 the place H4725 Elbethel: H416 because there God H430 appeared H1540 unto him, when he fled H1272 from the face H6440 of his brother. H251
8 But Deborah H1683 Rebekah's H7259 nurse H3243 died, H4191 and she was buried H6912 beneath Bethel H1008 under an oak: H437 and the name H8034 of it was called H7121 Allonbachuth. H439
9 And God H430 appeared H7200 unto Jacob H3290 again, when he came H935 out of Padanaram, H6307 and blessed H1288 him.
10 And God H430 said H559 unto him, Thy name H8034 is Jacob: H3290 thy name H8034 shall not be called H7121 any more Jacob, H3290 but Israel H3478 shall be thy name: H8034 and he called H7121 his name H8034 Israel. H3478
11 And God H430 said H559 unto him, I am God H410 Almighty: H7706 be fruitful H6509 and multiply; H7235 a nation H1471 and a company H6951 of nations H1471 shall be of thee, and kings H4428 shall come H3318 out of thy loins; H2504
12 And the land H776 which I gave H5414 Abraham H85 and Isaac, H3327 to thee I will give it, H5414 and to thy seed H2233 after thee H310 will I give H5414 the land. H776
13 And God H430 went up H5927 from him in the place H4725 where he talked H1696 with him.
14 And Jacob H3290 set up H5324 a pillar H4676 in the place H4725 where he talked H1696 with him, even a pillar H4678 of stone: H68 and he poured H5258 a drink offering H5262 thereon, and he poured H3332 oil H8081 thereon.
15 And Jacob H3290 called H7121 the name H8034 of the place H4725 where God H430 spake H1696 with him, Bethel. H1008
16 And they journeyed H5265 from Bethel; H1008 and there was but H5750 a little H3530 way H776 to come H935 to Ephrath: H672 and Rachel H7354 travailed, H3205 and she had hard H7185 labour. H3205
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard H7185 labour, H3205 that the midwife H3205 said H559 unto her, Fear H3372 not; thou shalt have this son H1121 also.
18 And it came to pass, as her soul H5315 was in departing, H3318 (for she died H4191 ) that she called H7121 his name H8034 Benoni: H1126 but his father H1 called H7121 him Benjamin. H1144
19 And Rachel H7354 died, H4191 and was buried H6912 in the way H1870 to Ephrath, H672 which is Bethlehem. H1035
20 And Jacob H3290 set H5324 a pillar H4676 upon her grave: H6900 that is the pillar H4678 of Rachel's H7354 grave H6900 unto this day. H3117
21 And Israel H3478 journeyed, H5265 and spread H5186 his tent H168 beyond H1973 the tower H4026 of Edar. H4029
22 And it came to pass, when Israel H3478 dwelt H7931 in that land, H776 that Reuben H7205 went H3212 and lay H7901 with Bilhah H1090 his father's H1 concubine: H6370 and Israel H3478 heard H8085 it. Now the sons H1121 of Jacob H3290 were twelve: H8147 H6240
23 The sons H1121 of Leah; H3812 Reuben, H7205 Jacob's H3290 firstborn, H1060 and Simeon, H8095 and Levi, H3878 and Judah, H3063 and Issachar, H3485 and Zebulun: H2074
24 The sons H1121 of Rachel; H7354 Joseph, H3130 and Benjamin: H1144
25 And the sons H1121 of Bilhah, H1090 Rachel's H7354 handmaid; H8198 Dan, H1835 and Naphtali: H5321
26 And the sons H1121 of Zilpah, H2153 Leah's H3812 handmaid; H8198 Gad, H1410 and Asher: H836 these are the sons H1121 of Jacob, H3290 which were born H3205 to him in Padanaram. H6307
27 And Jacob H3290 came H935 unto Isaac H3327 his father H1 unto Mamre, H4471 unto the city of Arbah, H7153 which is Hebron, H2275 where Abraham H85 and Isaac H3327 sojourned. H1481
28 And the days H3117 of Isaac H3327 were an hundred H3967 H8141 and fourscore H8084 years. H8141
29 And Isaac H3327 gave up the ghost, H1478 and died, H4191 and was gathered H622 unto his people, H5971 being old H2205 and full H7649 of days: H3117 and his sons H1121 Esau H6215 and Jacob H3290 buried H6912 him.
1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments:
3 and let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
4 And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 And they journeyed: and a terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (the same is Beth-el), he and all the people that were with him.
7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el; because there God was revealed unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
8 And Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried below Beth-el under the oak: and the name of it was called Allon-bacuth.
9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him.
10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.
11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
12 and the land which I gave unto Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
13 And God went up from him in the place where he spake with him.
14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spake with him, a pillar of stone: and he poured out a drink-offering thereon, and poured oil thereon.
15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Beth-el.
16 And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was still some distance to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; for now thou shalt have another son.
18 And it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin.
19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem).
20 And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave: the same is the Pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
22 And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
23 The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's first-born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun;
24 the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin;
25 and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Naphtali;
26 and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Paddan-aram.
27 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father to Mamre, to Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
28 And the days of Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years.
29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, old and full of days: and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.
1 And God saith unto Jacob, `Rise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared unto thee in thy fleeing from the face of Esau thy brother.'
2 And Jacob saith unto his household, and unto all who `are' with him, `Turn aside the gods of the stranger which `are' in your midst, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments;
3 and we rise, and go up to Bethel, and I make there an altar to God, who is answering me in the day of my distress, and is with me in the way that I have gone.'
4 And they give unto Jacob all the gods of the stranger that `are' in their hand, and the rings that `are' in their ears, and Jacob hideth them under the oak which `is' by Shechem;
5 and they journey, and the terror of God is on the cities which `are' round about them, and they have not pursued after the sons of Jacob.
6 And Jacob cometh in to Luz which `is' in the land of Canaan (it `is' Bethel), he and all the people who `are' with him,
7 and he buildeth there an altar, and proclaimeth at the place the God of Bethel: for there had God been revealed unto him, in his fleeing from the face of his brother.
8 And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, dieth, and she is buried at the lower part of Bethel, under the oak, and he calleth its name `Oak of weeping.'
9 And God appeareth unto Jacob again, in his coming from Padan-Aram, and blesseth him;
10 and God saith to him, `Thy name `is' Jacob: thy name is no more called Jacob, but Israel is thy name;' and He calleth his name Israel.
11 And God saith to him, `I `am' God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, a nation and an assembly of nations is from thee, and kings from thy loins go out;
12 and the land which I have given to Abraham and to Isaac -- to thee I give it, yea to thy seed after thee I give the land.'
13 And God goeth up from him, in the place where He hath spoken with him.
14 And Jacob setteth up a standing pillar in the place where He hath spoken with him, a standing pillar of stone, and he poureth on it an oblation, and he poureth on it oil;
15 and Jacob calleth the name of the place where God spake with him Bethel.
16 And they journey from Bethel, and there is yet a kibrath of land before entering Ephratha, and Rachel beareth, and is sharply pained in her bearing;
17 and it cometh to pass, in her being sharply pained in her bearing, that the midwife saith to her, `Fear not, for this also `is' a son for thee.'
18 And it cometh to pass in the going out of her soul (for she died), that she calleth his name Ben-Oni; and his father called him Benjamin;
19 and Rachel dieth, and is buried in the way to Ephratha, which `is' Bethlehem,
20 and Jacob setteth up a standing pillar over her grave; which `is' the standing pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
21 And Israel journeyeth, and stretcheth out his tent beyond the tower of Edar;
22 and it cometh to pass in Israel's dwelling in that land, that Reuben goeth, and lieth with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heareth.
23 And the sons of Jacob are twelve. Sons of Leah: Jacob's first-born Reuben, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 Sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25 And sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid-servant: Dan and Naphtali.
26 And sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid-servant: Gad and Asher. These `are' sons of Jacob, who have been born to him in Padan-Aram.
27 And Jacob cometh unto Isaac his father, at Mamre, the city of Arba (which `is' Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac have sojourned.
28 And the days of Isaac are a hundred and eighty years,
29 and Isaac expireth, and dieth, and is gathered unto his people, aged and satisfied with days; and bury him do Esau and Jacob his sons.
1 And God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar unto the ùGod that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
2 And Jacob said to his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments;
3 and we will arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar to the ùGod that answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way that I went.
4 And they gave to Jacob all the strange gods that were in their hand, and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the terebinth that [is] by Shechem.
5 And they journeyed; and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
6 And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.
7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el; because there God had appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.
8 And Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, died; and she was buried beneath Bethel, under the oak; and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth.
9 And God appeared to Jacob again after he had come from Padan-Aram, and blessed him.
10 And God said to him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not henceforth be called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called his name Israel.
11 And God said to him, I am the Almighty ùGod: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee; and kings shall come out of thy loins.
12 And the land that I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
13 And God went up from him in the place where he had talked with him.
14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had talked with him, a pillar of stone, and poured on it a drink-offering, and poured oil on it.
15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God had talked with him, Beth-el.
16 And they journeyed from Bethel. And there was yet a certain distance to come to Ephrath, when Rachel travailed in childbirth; and it went hard with her in her childbearing.
17 And it came to pass when it went hard with her in her childbearing, that the midwife said to her, Fear not; for this also is a son for thee.
18 And it came to pass as her soul was departing -- for she died -- that she called his name Benoni; but his father called him Benjamin.
19 And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath, which [is] Bethlehem.
20 And Jacob erected a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave to [this] day.
21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent on the other side of Migdal-Eder.
22 And it came to pass when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine; and Israel heard of it. And the sons of Jacob were twelve.
23 The sons of Leah: Reuben -- Jacob's firstborn -- and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant: Dan and Naphtali.
26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob that were born to him in Padan-Aram.
27 And Jacob came to Isaac his father to Mamre -- to Kirjath-Arba, which is Hebron; where Abraham had sojourned, and Isaac.
28 And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years.
29 And Isaac expired and died, and was gathered to his peoples, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
1 God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother."
2 Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments.
3 Let us arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went."
4 They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 They traveled: and a terror of God was on the cities that were round about them, and they didn't pursue the sons of Jacob.
6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (the same is Bethel), he and all the people who were with him.
7 He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
8 Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and the name of it was called Allon Bacuth.
9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him.
10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel." He named him Israel.
11 God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your loins.
12 The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your seed after you will I give the land."
13 God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him.
14 Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink-offering on it, and poured oil on it.
15 Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him "Bethel."
16 They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.
17 It happened that, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for now you will have another son."
18 It happened, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni,{"Ben-oni" means "son of my trouble."} but his father named him Benjamin.{"Benjamin" means "son of my right hand."}
19 Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem).
20 Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.
21 Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
22 It happened, while Israel lived in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25 The sons of Bilhah (Rachel's handmaid): Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Zilpah (Leah's handmaid): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
27 Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (the same is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners.
28 The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years.
29 Isaac gave up the spirit, and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.
1 And God said to Jacob, Go up now to Beth-el and make your living-place there: and put up an altar there to the God who came to you when you were in flight from your brother Esau.
2 Then Jacob said to all his people, Put away the strange gods which are among you, and make yourselves clean, and put on a change of clothing:
3 And let us go up to Beth-el: and there I will make an altar to God, who gave me an answer in the day of my trouble, and was with me wherever I went.
4 Then they gave to Jacob all the strange gods which they had, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob put them away under the holy tree at Shechem.
5 So they went on their journey: and the fear of God was on the towns round about, so that they made no attack on the sons of Jacob.
6 And Jacob came to Luz in the land of Canaan (which is the same as Beth-el), he and all his people.
7 And there he made an altar, naming the place El-beth-el: because it was there he had the vision of God when he was in flight from his brother.
8 And Deborah, the servant who had taken care of Rebekah from her birth, came to her end, and was put to rest near Beth-el, under the holy tree: and they gave it the name of Allon-bacuth.
9 Now when Jacob was on his way from Paddan-aram, God came to him again and, blessing him, said,
10 Jacob is your name, but it will be so no longer; from now your name will be Israel; so he was named Israel.
11 And God said to him, I am God, the Ruler of all: be fertile, and have increase; a nation, truly a group of nations, will come from you, and kings will be your offspring;
12 And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you; and to your seed after you I will give the land.
13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had been talking with him.
14 And Jacob put up a pillar in the place where he had been talking with God, and put a drink offering on it, and oil.
15 And he gave to the place where God had been talking with him, the name of Beth-el.
16 So they went on from Beth-el; and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, the pains of birth came on Rachel and she had a hard time.
17 And when her pain was very great, the woman who was helping her said, Have no fear; for now you will have another son.
18 And in the hour when her life went from her (for death came to her), she gave the child the name Ben-oni: but his father gave him the name of Benjamin.
19 So Rachel came to her end and was put to rest on the road to Ephrath (which is Beth-lehem).
20 And Jacob put up a pillar on her resting-place; which is named, The Pillar of the resting-place of Rachel, to this day.
21 And Israel went journeying on and put up his tents on the other side of the tower of the flock.
22 Now while they were living in that country, Reuben had connection with Bilhah, his father's servant-woman: and Israel had news of it.
23 Now Jacob had twelve sons: the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's first son, and Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun;
24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin;
25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali;
26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher; these are the sons whom Jacob had in Paddan-aram.
27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, at Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had been living.
28 And Isaac was a hundred and eighty years old.
29 Then Isaac came to his end and was put to rest with his father's people, an old man after a long life: and Jacob and Esau, his sons, put him in his last resting-place.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 35
Commentary on Genesis 35 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 35
Ge 35:1-15. Removal to Bethel.
1. God said unto Jacob, Arise, &c.—This command was given seasonably in point of time and tenderly in respect of language. The disgraceful and perilous events that had recently taken place in the patriarch's family must have produced in him a strong desire to remove without delay from the vicinity of Shechem. Borne down by an overwhelming sense of the criminality of his two sons—of the offense they had given to God and the dishonor they had brought on the true faith; distracted, too, with anxiety about the probable consequences which their outrage might bring upon himself and family, should the Canaanite people combine to extirpate such a band of robbers and murderers; he must have felt this call as affording a great relief to his afflicted feelings. At the same time it conveyed a tender rebuke.
go up to Beth-el—Beth-el was about thirty miles south of Shechem and was an ascent from a low to a highland country. There, he would not only be released from the painful associations of the latter place but be established on a spot that would revive the most delightful and sublime recollections. The pleasure of revisiting it, however, was not altogether unalloyed.
make there an altar unto God, that appeared—It too frequently happens that early impressions are effaced through lapse of time, that promises made in seasons of distress, are forgotten; or, if remembered on the return of health and prosperity, there is not the same alacrity and sense of obligation felt to fulfil them. Jacob was lying under that charge. He had fallen into spiritual indolence. It was now eight or ten years since his return to Canaan. He had effected a comfortable settlement and had acknowledged the divine mercies, by which that return and settlement had been signally distinguished (compare Ge 33:19). But for some unrecorded reason, his early vow at Beth-el [Ge 28:20-22], in a great crisis of his life, remained unperformed. The Lord appeared now to remind him of his neglected duty, in terms, however, so mild, as awakened less the memory of his fault, than of the kindness of his heavenly Guardian; and how much Jacob felt the touching nature of the appeal to that memorable scene at Beth-el, appears in the immediate preparations he made to arise and go up thither (Ps 66:13).
2. Then Jacob said unto his household … Put away the strange gods that are among you—Hebrew, "gods of the stranger," of foreign nations. Jacob had brought, in his service, a number of Mesopotamian retainers, who were addicted to superstitious practices; and there is some reason to fear that the same high testimony as to the religious superintendence of his household could not have been borne of him as was done of Abraham (Ge 18:19). He might have been too negligent hitherto in winking at these evils in his servants; or, perhaps, it was not till his arrival in Canaan, that he had learnt, for the first time, that one nearer and dearer to him was secretly infected with the same corruption (Ge 31:34). Be that as it may, he resolved on an immediate and thorough reformation of his household; and in commanding them to put away the strange gods, he added,
be clean, and change your garments—as if some defilement, from contact with idolatry, should still remain about them. In the law of Moses, many ceremonial purifications were ordained and observed by persons who had contracted certain defilements, and without the observance of which, they were reckoned unclean and unfit to join in the social worship of God. These bodily purifications were purely figurative; and as sacrifices were offered before the law, so also were external purifications, as appears from the words of Jacob; hence it would seem that types and symbols were used from the fall of man, representing and teaching the two great doctrines of revealed truth—namely, the atonement of Christ and the sanctification of our nature.
4. they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods … and earrings—Strange gods, the "seraphim" (compare Ge 31:30), as well, perhaps, as other idols acquired among the Shechemite spoil—earrings of various forms, sizes, and materials, which are universally worn in the East, and, then as now, connected with incantation and idolatry (compare Ho 2:13). The decided tone which Jacob now assumed was the probable cause of the alacrity with which those favorite objects of superstition were surrendered.
Jacob hid them under the oak—or terebinth—a towering tree, which, like all others of the kind, was a striking object in the scenery of Palestine; and beneath which, at Shechem, the patriarch had pitched his tent. He hid the images and amulets, delivered to him by his Mesopotamian dependents, at the root of this tree. The oak being deemed a consecrated tree, to bury them at its root was to deposit them in a place where no bold hand would venture to disturb the ground; and hence it was called from this circumstance—"the plain of Meonenim"—that is, "the oak of enchantments" (Jud 9:37); and from the great stone which Joshua set up—"the oak of the pillar" (Jud 9:6).
5. the terror of God was upon the cities—There was every reason to apprehend that a storm of indignation would burst from all quarters upon Jacob's family, and that the Canaanite tribes would have formed one united plan of revenge. But a supernatural panic seized them; and thus, for the sake of the "heir of the promise," the protecting shield of Providence was specially held over his family.
6. So Jacob came to Luz … that is, Beth-el—It is probable that this place was unoccupied ground when Jacob first went to it; and that after that period [Calvin], the Canaanites built a town, to which they gave the name of Luz [Ge 28:19], from the profusion of almond trees that grew around. The name of Beth-el, which would, of course, be confined to Jacob and his family, did not supersede the original one, till long after. It is now identified with the modern Beitin and lies on the western slope of the mountain on which Abraham built his altar (Ge 12:8).
7. El-Beth-el—that is, "the God of Beth-el."
8. Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died—This event seems to have taken place before the solemnities were commenced. Deborah (Hebrew, a "bee"), supposing her to have been fifty years on coming to Canaan, had attained the great age of a hundred eighty. When she was removed from Isaac's household to Jacob's, is unknown. But it probably was on his return from Mesopotamia; and she would have been of invaluable service to his young family. Old nurses, like her, were not only honored, but loved as mothers; and, accordingly, her death was the occasion of great lamentation. She was buried under the oak—hence called "the terebinth of tears" (compare 1Ki 13:14). God was pleased to make a new appearance to him after the solemn rites of devotion were over. By this manifestation of His presence, God testified His acceptance of Jacob's sacrifice and renewed the promise of the blessings guaranteed to Abraham and Isaac [Ge 35:11, 12]; and the patriarch observed the ceremony with which he had formerly consecrated the place, comprising a sacramental cup, along with the oil that he poured on the pillar, and reimposing the memorable name [Ge 35:14]. The whole scene was in accordance with the character of the patriarchal dispensation, in which the great truths of religion were exhibited to the senses, and "the world's grey fathers" taught in a manner suited to the weakness of an infantile condition.
13. God went up from him—The presence of God was indicated in some visible form and His acceptance of the sacrifice shown by the miraculous descent of fire from heaven, consuming it on the altar.
Ge 35:16-27. Birth of Benjamin—Death of Rachel, &c.
16. And they journeyed from Beth-el—There can be no doubt that much enjoyment was experienced at Beth-el, and that in the religious observances solemnized, as well as in the vivid recollections of the glorious vision seen there, the affections of the patriarch were powerfully animated and that he left the place a better and more devoted servant of God. When the solemnities were over, Jacob, with his family, pursued a route directly southward, and they reached Ephrath, when they were plunged into mourning by the death of Rachel, who sank in childbirth, leaving a posthumous son [Ge 35:18]. A very affecting death, considering how ardently the mind of Rachel had been set on offspring (compare Ge 30:1).
18. She called his name Ben-oni—The dying mother gave this name to her child, significant of her circumstances; but Jacob changed his name into Benjamin. This is thought by some to have been originally Benjamin, "a son of days," that is, of old age. But with its present ending it means "son of the right hand," that is, particularly dear and precious.
19. Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem—The one, the old name; the other, the later name, signifying "house of bread."
20. and Jacob set a pillar on her grave … unto this day—The spot still marked out as the grave of Rachel exactly agrees with the Scriptural record, being about a mile from Beth-lehem. Anciently it was surmounted by a pyramid of stones, but the present tomb is a Mohammedan erection.
26. Sons of Jacob … born to him in Padan-aram—It is a common practice of the sacred historian to say of a company or body of men that which, though true of the majority, may not be applicable to every individual. (See Mt 19:28; Joh 20:24; Heb 11:13). Here is an example, for Benjamin was born in Canaan [Ge 35:16-18].
Ge 35:28, 29. Death of Isaac.
29. Isaac gave up the ghost—The death of this venerable patriarch is here recorded by anticipation for it did not take place till fifteen years after Joseph's disappearance. Feeble and blind though he was, he lived to a very advanced age; and it is a pleasing evidence of the permanent reconciliation between Esau and Jacob that they met at Mamre to perform the funeral rites of their common father.