1 And Isaac H3327 called H7121 Jacob, H3290 and blessed H1288 him, and charged H6680 him, and said H559 unto him, Thou shalt not take H3947 a wife H802 of the daughters H1323 of Canaan. H3667
2 Arise, H6965 go H3212 to Padanaram, H6307 to the house H1004 of Bethuel H1328 thy mother's H517 father; H1 and take H3947 thee a wife H802 from thence of the daughters H1323 of Laban H3837 thy mother's H517 brother. H251
3 And God H410 Almighty H7706 bless H1288 thee, and make thee fruitful, H6509 and multiply H7235 thee, that thou mayest be a multitude H6951 of people; H5971
4 And give H5414 thee the blessing H1293 of Abraham, H85 to thee, and to thy seed H2233 with thee; that thou mayest inherit H3423 the land H776 wherein thou art a stranger, H4033 which God H430 gave H5414 unto Abraham. H85
5 And Isaac H3327 sent away H7971 Jacob: H3290 and he went H3212 to Padanaram H6307 unto Laban, H3837 son H1121 of Bethuel H1328 the Syrian, H761 the brother H251 of Rebekah, H7259 Jacob's H3290 and Esau's H6215 mother. H517
6 When Esau H6215 saw H7200 that Isaac H3327 had blessed H1288 Jacob, H3290 and sent him away H7971 to Padanaram, H6307 to take H3947 him a wife H802 from thence; and that as he blessed H1288 him he gave him a charge, H6680 saying, H559 Thou shalt not take H3947 a wife H802 of the daughters H1323 of Canaan; H3667
7 And that Jacob H3290 obeyed H8085 his father H1 and his mother, H517 and was gone H3212 to Padanaram; H6307
8 And Esau H6215 seeing H7200 that the daughters H1323 of Canaan H3667 pleased H5869 not H7451 Isaac H3327 his father; H1
9 Then went H3212 Esau H6215 unto Ishmael, H3458 and took H3947 unto the wives H802 which he had Mahalath H4258 the daughter H1323 of Ishmael H3458 Abraham's H85 son, H1121 the sister H269 of Nebajoth, H5032 to be his wife. H802
10 And Jacob H3290 went out H3318 from Beersheba, H884 and went H3212 toward Haran. H2771
11 And he lighted H6293 upon a certain place, H4725 and tarried there all night, H3885 because the sun H8121 was set; H935 and he took H3947 of the stones H68 of that place, H4725 and put H7760 them for his pillows, H4763 and lay down H7901 in that place H4725 to sleep. H7901
12 And he dreamed, H2492 and behold a ladder H5551 set up H5324 on the earth, H776 and the top of it H7218 reached H5060 to heaven: H8064 and behold the angels H4397 of God H430 ascending H5927 and descending H3381 on it.
13 And, behold, the LORD H3068 stood H5324 above it, and said, H559 I am the LORD H3068 God H430 of Abraham H85 thy father, H1 and the God H430 of Isaac: H3327 the land H776 whereon thou liest, H7901 to thee will I give it, H5414 and to thy seed; H2233
14 And thy seed H2233 shall be as the dust H6083 of the earth, H776 and thou shalt spread abroad H6555 to the west, H3220 and to the east, H6924 and to the north, H6828 and to the south: H5045 and in thee and in thy seed H2233 shall all the families H4940 of the earth H127 be blessed. H1288
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep H8104 thee in all places whither H834 thou goest, H3212 and will bring thee again H7725 into this land; H127 for I will not leave H5800 thee, until H834 I have done H6213 that which I have spoken H1696 to thee of.
16 And Jacob H3290 awaked H3364 out of his sleep, H8142 and he said, H559 Surely H403 the LORD H3068 is H3426 in this place; H4725 and I knew H3045 it not.
17 And he was afraid, H3372 and said, H559 How dreadful H3372 is this place! H4725 this is none other but the house H1004 of God, H430 and this is the gate H8179 of heaven. H8064
18 And Jacob H3290 rose up early H7925 in the morning, H1242 and took H3947 the stone H68 that he had put H7760 for his pillows, H4763 and set it up H7760 for a pillar, H4676 and poured H3332 oil H8081 upon the top of it. H7218
19 And he called H7121 the name H8034 of that place H4725 Bethel: H1008 but H199 the name H8034 of that city H5892 was called Luz H3870 at the first. H7223
20 And Jacob H3290 vowed H5087 a vow, H5088 saying, H559 If God H430 will be with me, and will keep me H8104 in this way H1870 that I go, H1980 and will give H5414 me bread H3899 to eat, H398 and raiment H899 to put on, H3847
21 So that I come again H7725 to my father's H1 house H1004 in peace; H7965 then shall the LORD H3068 be my God: H430
22 And this stone, H68 which I have set H7760 for a pillar, H4676 shall be God's H430 house: H1004 and of all that thou shalt give H5414 me I will surely H6237 give the tenth H6237 unto thee.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 28
Commentary on Genesis 28 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 28
Ge 28:1-19. Jacob's Departure.
1. Isaac called Jacob and blessed him—He entered fully into Rebekah's feelings, and the burden of his parting counsel to his son was to avoid a marriage alliance with any but the Mesopotamian branch of the family. At the same time he gave him a solemn blessing—pronounced before unwittingly, now designedly, and with a cordial spirit. It is more explicitly and fully given, and Jacob was thus acknowledged "the heir of the promise."
6-9. when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, &c.—Desirous to humor his parents and, if possible, get the last will revoked, he became wise when too late (see Mt 25:10), and hoped by gratifying his parents in one thing to atone for all his former delinquencies. But he only made bad worse, and though he did not marry a "wife of the daughters of Canaan," he married into a family which God had rejected. It showed a partial reformation, but no repentance, for he gave no proofs of abating his vindictive purposes against his brother, nor cherishing that pious spirit that would have gratified his father—he was like Micah (see Jud 17:13).
10. Jacob went out, &c.—His departure from his father's house was an ignominious flight; and for fear of being pursued or waylaid by his vindictive brother, he did not take the common road, but went by lonely and unfrequented paths, which increased the length and dangers of the journey.
11. he lighted upon a certain place—By a forced march he had reached Beth-el, about forty-eight miles from Beer-sheba, and had to spend the night in the open field.
he took of the stones, etc.—"The nature of the soil is an existing comment on the record of the stony territory where Jacob lay" [Clarke's Travels].
12. he dreamed … and behold a ladder—Some writers are of opinion that it was not a literal ladder that is meant, as it is impossible to conceive any imagery stranger and more unnatural than that of a ladder, whose base was on earth, while its top reached heaven, without having any thing on which to rest its upper extremity. They suppose that the little heap of stones, on which his head reclined for a pillow, being the miniature model of the object that appeared to his imagination, the latter was a gigantic mountain pile, whose sides, indented in the rock, gave it the appearance of a scaling ladder. There can be no doubt that this use of the original term was common among the early Hebrews; as Josephus, describing the town of Ptolemais (Acre), says it was bounded by a mountain, which, from its projecting sides, was called "the ladder," and the stairs that led down to the city are, in the original, termed a ladder (Ne 3:15) though they were only a flight of steps cut in the side of the rock. But whether the image presented to the mental eye of Jacob were a common ladder, or such a mountain pile as has been described, the design of this vision was to afford comfort, encouragement, and confidence to the lonely fugitive, both in his present circumstances and as to his future prospects. His thoughts during the day must have been painful—he would be his own self-accuser that he had brought exile and privation upon himself—and above all, that though he had obtained the forgiveness of his father, he had much reason to fear lest God might have forsaken him. Solitude affords time for reflection; and it was now that God began to bring Jacob under a course of religious instruction and training. To dispel his fears and allay the inward tumult of his mind, nothing was better fitted than the vision of the gigantic ladder, which reached from himself to heaven, and on which the angels were continually ascending and descending from God Himself on their benevolent errands (Joh 1:51).
13. The Lord stood above it, and said—That Jacob might be at no loss to know the purport of the vision, he heard the divine voice; and the announcement of His name, together with a renewal of the covenant, and an assurance of personal protection, produced at once the most solemnizing and inspiriting effect on his mind.
16. Jacob awaked out of his sleep—His language and his conduct were alike that of a man whose mind was pervaded by sentiments of solemn awe, of fervent piety, and lively gratitude (Jer 31:36).
18, 19. Jacob set up a stone, etc.—The mere setting up of the stone might have been as a future memorial to mark the spot; and this practice is still common in the East, in memory of a religious vow or engagement. But the pouring oil upon it was a consecration. Accordingly he gave it a new name, Beth-el, "the house of God" (Ho 12:4); and it will not appear a thing forced or unnatural to call a stone a house, when one considers the common practice in warm countries of sitting in the open air by or on a stone, as are those of this place, "broad sheets of bare rock, some of them standing like the cromlechs of Druidical monuments" [Stanley].
Ge 28:20-22. Jacob's Vow.
20. Jacob vowed a vow—His words are not to be considered as implying a doubt, far less as stating the condition or terms on which he would dedicate himself to God. Let "if" be changed into "since," and the language will appear a proper expression of Jacob's faith—an evidence of his having truly embraced the promise. How edifying often to meditate on Jacob at Beth-el.