Genesis 35
35
Return to Bethel
1God said to Jacob, “Get up! Go to Bethel and settle there.#Gn 28:19 Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”#Gn 27:43
2So Jacob said to his family and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you.#Gn 31:19; Jos 24:23; 1Sm 7:3 Purify yourselves and change your clothes.#Ex 19:10 3We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress.#1Sm 7:9; 2Sm 24:25; Jb 12:4; Ps 20:1; 34:4 He has been with me everywhere I have gone.”#Gn 28:10–22
4Then they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and their earrings, and Jacob hid them under the oak near Shechem. 5When they set out, a terror from God came over the cities around them, and they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.#Ex 23:27 6So Jacob and all who were with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel#Gn 28:19; 48:3) in the land of Canaan. 7Jacob built an altar there and called the place El-bethel#35:7 = God of Bethel because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
8Deborah, the one who had nursed and raised Rebekah,#35:8 Lit Deborah, Rebekah’s wet nurse; Gn 24:59#Gn 24:59 died and was buried under the oak south of Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bacuth.#35:8 = Oak of Weeping
9God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan-aram, and he blessed him. 10God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; you will no longer be named Jacob, but your name will be Israel.”#Gn 17:5; 32:28 So he named him Israel. 11God also said to him, “I am God Almighty.#Gn 17:1; 28:3; Ex 6:3 Be fruitful and multiply.#Gn 9:1,7 A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will come from you,#Gn 48:4 and kings will descend from you.#35:11 Lit will come from your loins#Gn 17:6,16; 36:31 12I will give to you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac.#Gn 12:7; 13:15; 26:3–4; 28:13; Ex 32:13 And I will give the land to your future descendants.” 13Then God withdrew#35:13 Lit went up#Gn 17:22; 18:33 from him at the place where he had spoken to him.
14Jacob set up a marker at the place where he had spoken to him — a stone marker. He poured a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.#Gn 28:18–19; 31:45 15Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.
Rachel’s Death
16They set out from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. 17During her difficult labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have another son.”#Gn 30:24 18With her last breath — for she was dying — she named him Ben-oni,#35:18 = Son of My Sorrow but his father called him Benjamin.#35:18 = Son of the Right Hand 19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem#Mc 5:2; Mt 2:18). 20Jacob set up a marker on her grave; it is the marker at Rachel’s grave still today.
Israel’s Sons
21Israel set out again and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder.#35:21 Or beyond Migdal-eder 22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.#Gn 49:3–4
Jacob had twelve sons:#1Ch 2:1–2
23Leah’s sons were Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn),
Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Issachar, and Zebulun.
24Rachel’s sons were
Joseph and Benjamin.
25The sons of Rachel’s slave Bilhah
were Dan and Naphtali.
26The sons of Leah’s slave Zilpah
were Gad and Asher.
These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
Isaac’s Death
27Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre#Gn 13:18; 18:1; 23:19 in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron#Jos 14:15), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28Isaac lived 180 years. 29He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people,#Gn 25:8,17; 49:33; Nm 20:24,26; Dt 32:50 old and full of days. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Genesis 35
35
Rededication at Beth-El
1Then God said to Jacob, “Get up! Go up to Beth-El and stay there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”
2So Jacob said to his household and to everyone who was with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Cleanse yourselves and change your clothes.
3Now let’s get up and go up to Beth-El so that I can make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me in the way that I have gone.”
4So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods in their hand and the rings in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak tree near Shechem.
5Then they journeyed, and the terror of God was on the cities that were around them, so they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.
6Then Jacob arrived at Luz in the land of Canaan (that is Beth-El), he and all the people who were with him.
7He built an altar there and called the place El-Beth-El because God had revealed Himself to him there when he fled from the presence of his brother.
8Then Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died, and was buried below Beth-El, under the oak—so it was named Oak of Weeping.
9God appeared to Jacob again, after he returned from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him.
10God said to him: “Your name was Jacob. No longer will your name be Jacob, for your name will be Israel.” So He named him Israel.
11God also said to him: “I am El Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and an assembly of nations will come from you. From your loins will come forth kings.
12The land that I gave to Abraham and to Isaac— I give it to you, and to your seed after you I will give the land.”
13Then God went up from him at the place where He had spoken with him.
14Jacob set up a memorial stone in the place where He had spoken with him—a stone pillar—and he poured a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.
15Jacob named the place where God spoke with him Beth-El.
Rachel’s Death in Childbirth
16Then they traveled from Beth-El, and while they were still a distance from entering Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, but her labor was difficult.
17While she was struggling to give birth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for this is also a son for you.”
18Now as her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Ben-Oni, but his father named him Benjamin.
19Then Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
20Jacob set up a memorial stone over her grave. (It is the memorial stone over Rachel’s grave to this day.)
Israel Returns to Isaac
21Then Israel journeyed on and set up his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
22While Israel was living in that land, Reuben went and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob had twelve sons.
23Leah’s sons were Jacob’s firstborn Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.
24Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin.
25The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s female servant, were Dan and Naphtali,
26and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s female servant, were Gad and Asher. These are Jacob’s sons, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
27Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre of Kiriat-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.
28Now Isaac’s days were 180 years.
29Then Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his peoples, old and full of days. So his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society