ESV Reformation Study Bible – Gen 28:13
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Gen 28:13

28:13 the Lord stood above it. Or, “the Lord stood beside him.” If this second reading is preferred (note Jacob’s response in v. 16: “Surely the Lord is in this place”), then God came down the stairway. He did not stand above the stairway, but over a sleeping Jacob.

I am the Lord. See note 27:20.

land on which you lie. God’s promise was adapted to the immediate situation.

offspring. The Hebrew term here may be translated “seed” or “descendants” (12:7 note). The language of vv. 13–15 vividly recalls God’s promises to Abraham (cf. 12:3; 13:14–16).