Genesis 28:18-20
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head, set it up as a sacred pillar,[a] and poured oil on top of it.(A) 19 He named that place Bethel,[b] whereas the former name of the town had been Luz.(B)
20 Jacob then made this vow:[c] “If God will be with me and protect me on this journey I am making and give me food to eat and clothes to wear,
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- 28:18 Sacred pillar: in Hebrew, masseba, a stone which might vary in shape and size, set upright and usually intended for some religious purpose. The custom of erecting such sacred pillars in Palestine went back to its pre-Israelite period; but since their polytheistic associations were often retained, later Israelite religion forbade their erection (Lv 26:1; Dt 16:22) and ordered the destruction of those that were associated with other religions (Ex 34:13; Dt 12:3).
- 28:19 Bethel: i.e., “house of God”; the reference is to the house of God in v. 17.
- 28:20 This vow: knowing well that Esau’s murderous wrath stands between him and the possession of the land promised him, Jacob makes his vow very precise. He vows to make the God who appeared to him his own if the God guides him safely to Paddan-aram and back to this land.
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