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
And God H430 said H559 unto Jacob, H3290 Arise, H6965 go up H5927 to Bethel, H1008 and dwell H3427 there: and make H6213 there an altar H4196 unto God, H410 that appeared H7200 unto thee when thou fleddest H1272 from the face H6440 of Esau H6215 thy brother. H251 Then Jacob H3290 said H559 unto his household, H1004 and to all that were with him, Put away H5493 the strange H5236 gods H430 that are among you, H8432 and be clean, H2891 and change H2498 your garments: H8071 And let us arise, H6965 and go up H5927 to Bethel; H1008 and I will make H6213 there an altar H4196 unto God, H410 who answered H6030 me in the day H3117 of my distress, H6869 and was with me in the way H1870 which I went. H1980 And they gave H5414 unto Jacob H3290 all the strange H5236 gods H430 which were in their hand, H3027 and all their earrings H5141 which were in their ears; H241 and Jacob H3290 hid H2934 them under the oak H424 which was by Shechem. H7927 And they journeyed: H5265 and the terror H2847 of God H430 was upon the cities H5892 that were round about H5439 them, and they did not pursue H7291 after H310 the sons H1121 of Jacob. H3290 So Jacob H3290 came H935 to Luz, H3870 which is in the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 that is, Bethel, H1008 he and all the people H5971 that were with him. And he built H1129 there an altar, H4196 and called H7121 the place H4725 Elbethel: H416 because there God H430 appeared H1540 unto him, when he fled H1272 from the face H6440 of his brother. H251 But Deborah H1683 Rebekah's H7259 nurse H3243 died, H4191 and she was buried H6912 beneath Bethel H1008 under an oak: H437 and the name H8034 of it was called H7121 Allonbachuth. H439 And God H430 appeared H7200 unto Jacob H3290 again, when he came H935 out of Padanaram, H6307 and blessed H1288 him. And God H430 said H559 unto him, Thy name H8034 is Jacob: H3290 thy name H8034 shall not be called H7121 any more Jacob, H3290 but Israel H3478 shall be thy name: H8034 and he called H7121 his name H8034 Israel. H3478 And God H430 said H559 unto him, I am God H410 Almighty: H7706 be fruitful H6509 and multiply; H7235 a nation H1471 and a company H6951 of nations H1471 shall be of thee, and kings H4428 shall come H3318 out of thy loins; H2504 And the land H776 which I gave H5414 Abraham H85 and Isaac, H3327 to thee I will give it, H5414 and to thy seed H2233 after thee H310 will I give H5414 the land. H776 And God H430 went up H5927 from him in the place H4725 where he talked H1696 with him.
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.