Genesis 35
35
Bethel Revisited. 1#Jacob returns to Bethel and founds the sanctuary, an event that forms a “bookend” to the first visit to Bethel in 28:10–22. To enter the Lord’s sanctuary, one must purify oneself and get rid of all signs of allegiance to other gods (Jos 24:23; Jgs 10:16). Jacob also seems to initiate the custom of making a pilgrimage to Bethel (see Ps 122:1 and Is 2:3, 5). God said to Jacob: Go up now to Bethel. Settle there and build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.#Gn 28:12–13. 2So Jacob told his household and all who were with him: “Get rid of the foreign gods#Foreign gods: divine images, including those of household deities (see note on 31:19), that Jacob’s people brought with them from Paddan-aram. among you; then purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3Let us now go up to Bethel so that I might build an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4They gave Jacob all the foreign gods in their possession and also the rings they had in their ears#Rings…their ears: the earrings may have belonged to the gods because earrings were often placed on statues. and Jacob buried them under the oak that is near Shechem. 5Then, as they set out, a great terror fell upon the surrounding towns, so that no one pursued the sons of Jacob.
6Thus Jacob and all the people who were with him arrived in Luz (now Bethel) in the land of Canaan.#Gn 28:19; Jos 18:13; Jgs 1:22–23. 7There he built an altar and called the place El-Bethel,#El-Bethel: probably to be translated “the god of Bethel.” This is one of several titles of God in Genesis that begin with El (= God), e.g., El Olam (21:33), El Elyon (14:18), El the God of Israel (33:20), El Roi (16:13), and El Shaddai. Most of these (except El Shaddai) are tied to specific Israelite shrines. for it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.#Gn 28:12–13.
8Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died. She was buried under the oak below Bethel, and so it was named Allon-bacuth.#Allon-bacuth: the Hebrew name means “oak of weeping.”
9On Jacob’s arrival from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10God said to him:
Your name is Jacob.
You will no longer be named Jacob,
but Israel will be your name.#1 Kgs 18:31; 2 Kgs 17:34.
So he was named Israel. 11Then God said to him: I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will stem from you, and kings will issue from your loins. 12The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you; and to your descendants after you I will give the land.#Ex 32:13; Heb 11:9.
13Then God departed from him. 14In the place where God had spoken with him, Jacob set up a sacred pillar, a stone pillar, and upon it he made a libation and poured out oil.#Gn 28:18; 31:45. 15Jacob named the place where God spoke to him Bethel.
Jacob’s Family. 16Then they departed from Bethel; but while they still had some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel went into labor and suffered great distress. 17When her labor was most intense, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now you have another son.” 18With her last breath—for she was at the point of death—she named him Ben-oni;#Ben-oni: means either “son of my vigor” or, more likely in the context, “son of affliction.” Benjamin: “son of the right hand,” meaning a son who is his father’s help and support. but his father named him Benjamin. 19Thus Rachel died; and she was buried on the road to Ephrath (now Bethlehem).#Bethlehem: the gloss comes from a later tradition that identified the site with Bethlehem, also called Ephrath or Ephratha (Jos 15:59; Ru 4:11; Mi 5:1). But Rachel’s grave was actually near Ramah (Jer 31:15), a few miles north of Jerusalem, in the territory of Benjamin (1 Sm 10:2). #Gn 48:7; 1 Sm 10:2; Mi 5:1. 20Jacob set up a sacred pillar on her grave, and the same pillar marks Rachel’s grave to this day.
21Israel moved on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal-eder. 22While Israel was encamped in that region, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. When Israel heard of it, he was greatly offended.#The genealogy in vv. 23–29 is prefaced by a notice about Reuben’s sleeping with Bilhah, his father’s concubine. Such an act is a serious challenge to the authority of the father (cf. 2 Sm 3:7 and 16:21). In his final testament in chap. 49, Jacob cites this act of Reuben as the reason for Reuben’s loss of the authority he had as firstborn son (49:4). Reuben’s act is one more instance of strife in the family and of discord between father and son. #Gn 49:4; 1 Chr 5:1.
The sons of Jacob were now twelve. 23The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24#Benjamin is here said to have been born in Paddan-aram, apparently because all twelve sons of Jacob are considered as a unit. the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 25the sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali; 26the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
27Jacob went home to his father Isaac at Mamre, in Kiriath-arba (now Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had resided. 28The length of Isaac’s life was one hundred and eighty years; 29then he breathed his last. He died as an old man and was gathered to his people. After a full life, his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Genesis 35
35
1And God-EL [The Powerful Living Word] said unto Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of), Arise, go up to Beit-El (The House of the Powerful One), and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God-El [The Powerful Living Word], that appeared unto youi when youi fled from the face of ‘Esav (hairy) youri brother.
2Then Ya’akov 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 youri garments:
3And let us arise, and go up to Beit-El (House of EL the Powerful God); and I will make there an altar unto God-EL [The Powerful Living Word], who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
4And they gave unto Ya’akov all the strange gods which [were] in their hand, and [all their] earrings which [were] in their ears; and Ya’akov hid them under the oak which [was] by Sh’khem [back or shoulder, portion].
5And they journeyed: and the terror of God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] was upon the cities that [were] round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Ya’akov.
6So Ya’akov came to Luz [Almond Tree], which [is] in the land of Kena’an (merchant; trader); or that [is], Beit-El (House of EL the Powerful God), he and all the people that [were] with him.
7And he built there an altar, and called the place El-bet-el (The Powerful House of the Powerful One): because there God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
8But D’vorah [spirited or fiery woman, bee], Rivkah’s (Tied Up; Secured) nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beit-El (House of EL the Powerful God) under an oak: and the name of it was called Alon-Bakhut [oak of weeping].
9And God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] appeared unto Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) again, when he came out of Paddan-aram (a place of height; field; plain), and Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) him.
10And God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] said unto him, youri name [is] Ya’akov: youri name shall not be called any more Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of), but Isra’el (he who holds onto God [EL], Prince with the Powerful God) shall be youri name: and he called his name Isra’el (he who holds onto God [EL], Prince with the Powerful God).
11And God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] said unto him, I am God-El Shaddai [God Almighty, The Powerful Living Word]: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of youi, and kings shall come out of youri waist;
12And the land which I gave Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] and Yitz’chak [Laughter], to youi I will give it, and to youri seed after youi will I give the land.
13And God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
14And Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) 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.
15And Ya’akov called the name of the place where God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] spoke with him, Beit-El (House of EL the Powerful God).
16And they journeyed from Beit-El (House of EL the Powerful God); and there was but a little way to come to Efrat (ash-heap: place of fruitfulness): and Rachel (ewe) travailed, and she had hard labour.
17And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; youi shall have this son also.
18And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni (This Son Is My Progeny, some: grief): but his father called him Binyamin (This Son Is Strength).
19And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Efrat, which is Beit-Lechem (House of Bread, emphasizing: House of Battle).
20And Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) set a pillar upon her grave: that [is] the pillar of Rachel’s [ewe] (ewe) grave unto this day.
21And Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Migdal-’Edar (tower of the flock).
22And it came to pass, when Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) dwelt in that land, that Re’uven (behold a son) went and lay with Bilhah (troubled; timid) his father’s concubine: and Isra’el (he who holds onto God-The Creator) heard [it]. Now the sons of Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) were twelve:
23The sons of Le’ah (weary; grieved); Re’uven (behold a son), Ya’akov’s (he who holds onto the heel of), firstborn, and Shim’on (heard; he who hears; man of hearing), and Levi (Levite) [Joined to] (joined), and Y’hudah (Let the Powerful One be Praised [Yah]), and Yissakhar (there is recompense), and Z’vulun (exalted; Glorious Dwelling Place):
24The sons of Rachel (ewe); Yosef (Increaser; May God the Powerful One add [Yah]), and Binyamin (This Son Is Strength):
25And the sons of Bilhah (troubled; timid), Rachel’s [ewe] (ewe), Rachel’s [ewe] female servant; Dan (Judge), and Naftali (My Wrestling):
26And the sons of Zilpah (a tickling; a sprinkle), Le’ah’s (weary; grieved), female servant; Gad (troop; good fortune with much effort), and Asher (happy): these [are] the sons of Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of), which were born to him in Paddan-aram (a place of height; field; plain).
27And Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) came unto Yitz’chak [Laughter] his father unto Mamre (firmness; fatling (fat cattle) offering), unto the city of Kiryat-Kiryat-Arba [City of Arba (fourth)] (Town of the Four Giants), which is Hevron (Place/Town Of Alliance), where Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] and Yitz’chak [Laughter] detained (held).
28And the days of Yitz’chak [Laughter] were an hundred and eighty years.
29And Yitz’chak [Laughter] gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, [being] old and full of days: and his sons ‘Esav (hairy) and Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) buried him.
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