35 1 Jacob at God’s commandment goeth up to Bethel built an altar. 2 He reformeth his household. 5 God maketh the enemies of Jacob afraid. 8 Deborah dieth. 12 The land of Canaan is promised him. 18 Rachel dieth in labor. 22 Reuben lieth with his father’s concubine.

Then [a]God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there, and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee, (A)when thou fleddest from Esau thy brother.

Then said Jacob unto his household and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and [b]cleanse yourselves, and change your garments:

For we will rise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there unto God, which heard me in the day of my tribulation, and was with me in the way which I went.

And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods, which were in their hands, and all their [c]earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under an oak, which was by Shechem.

Then they went on their journey, and the [d]fear of God was upon the cities that were round about them: so that they did not follow after the sons of Jacob.

¶ So came Jacob to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan: (the same is Bethel) he and all the people that were with him.

And he built there an altar, and (B)had called the place, The God of Bethel, because that God appeared unto him there, when he fled from his brother.

But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and he called the name of it [e]Allon Bachuth.

Again God appeared unto Jacob, after he came to Padan Aram, and blessed him.

10 Moreover God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall be no more called Jacob, but (C)Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

11 And God said unto him, I am God [f]all-sufficient: grow, and multiply: a nation and a multitude of nations shall spring of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.

12 Also I will give the land, which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, unto thee: and unto thy seed after thee will I give that land.

13 So God [g]ascended from him in the place where he had talked with him.

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, a pillar of stone, and poured drink offerings thereon: also he poured oil thereon.

15 And Jacob called the name of that place where God spake with him, Bethel.

16 ¶ Then they departed from Bethel, and when there was [h]about half a day’s journey of ground to come to Ephrath, Rachel travailed, and in travailing she was in peril.

17 And when she was in the pains of her labor, the midwife said unto her, Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also.

18 Then as she was about to yield up the ghost (for she died) she called his name Ben-Oni, but his father called him Benjamin.

19 Thus (D)died Rachel and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

20 And Jacob set a [i]pillar upon her grave: This is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.

21 ¶ Then Israel went forward, and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.

22 Now when Israel dwelt in that land, Reuben went and [j]lay (E)with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and it came to Israel’s ear. And Jacob had twelve sons.

23 The sons of Leah: Reuben Jacob’s eldest son, 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 maid: Dan and Naphtali:

26 And the sons of Zilpah Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, which were born him in Padan Aram.

27 ¶ Then Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre a city of Kirjath Arbah: that is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac were strangers.

28 And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

29 And Isaac gave up the ghost and died, and was (F)gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 35:1 God is ever at hand to succor his in their troubles.
  2. Genesis 35:2 That by this outward act they should show their inward repentance.
  3. Genesis 35:4 For therein was some sign of superstition, as in tablets and Agnus deis.
  4. Genesis 35:5 Thus, notwithstanding the inconvenience that came before, God delivered Jacob.
  5. Genesis 35:8 Or, oak of lamentations.
  6. Genesis 35:11 Or, almighty.
  7. Genesis 35:13 As God is said to descend when he showeth some sign of his presence: so he is said to ascend when vision is ended.
  8. Genesis 35:16 The Hebrew word signifieth as much ground as one may go from baite to baite, which is taken for half a day’s journey.
  9. Genesis 35:20 The ancient fathers used this ceremony to testify their hope of the resurrection to come, which was not generally revealed.
  10. Genesis 35:22 This teacheth that the fathers were not chosen for their merits, but by God’s only mercies, whose election by their faults was not changed.

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel(A) and settle there, and build an altar(B) there to God,(C) who appeared to you(D) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”(E)

So Jacob said to his household(F) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods(G) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.(H) Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,(I) who answered me in the day of my distress(J) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.(K) So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,(L) and Jacob buried them under the oak(M) at Shechem.(N) Then they set out, and the terror of God(O) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.(P)

Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz(Q) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.(R) There he built an altar,(S) and he called the place El Bethel,[a](T) because it was there that God revealed himself to him(U) when he was fleeing from his brother.(V)

Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,(W) died and was buried under the oak(X) outside Bethel.(Y) So it was named Allon Bakuth.[b]

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,[c](Z) God appeared to him again and blessed him.(AA) 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,[d] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.[e](AB) So he named him Israel.

11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty[f];(AC) be fruitful and increase in number.(AD) A nation(AE) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.(AF) 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.(AG)(AH) 13 Then God went up from him(AI) at the place where he had talked with him.

14 Jacob set up a stone pillar(AJ) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering(AK) on it; he also poured oil on it.(AL) 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.[g](AM)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac(AN)

16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,(AO) Rachel(AP) began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife(AQ) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”(AR) 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[h](AS) But his father named him Benjamin.[i](AT)

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath(AU) (that is, Bethlehem(AV)). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day(AW) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.(AX)

21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.(AY) 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine(AZ) Bilhah,(BA) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

23 The sons of Leah:(BB)

Reuben the firstborn(BC) of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah,(BD) Issachar and Zebulun.(BE)

24 The sons of Rachel:

Joseph(BF) and Benjamin.(BG)

25 The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:(BH)

Dan and Naphtali.(BI)

26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:(BJ)

Gad(BK) and Asher.(BL)

These were the sons of Jacob,(BM) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.(BN)

27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac(BO) in Mamre,(BP) near Kiriath Arba(BQ) (that is, Hebron),(BR) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.(BS) 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.(BT) 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,(BU) old and full of years.(BV) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.(BW)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 35:7 El Bethel means God of Bethel.
  2. Genesis 35:8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping.
  3. Genesis 35:9 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26
  4. Genesis 35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  5. Genesis 35:10 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  6. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  7. Genesis 35:15 Bethel means house of God.
  8. Genesis 35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
  9. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.