And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

2Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

3And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

4And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

5And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

6So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

7And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

8But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.

9And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.

10And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

11And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

12And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

13And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

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

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

16And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

17And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

18And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

19And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which isBethlehem.

20And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.

21And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

22And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

23The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:

24The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:

25And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:

26And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these arethe sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.

27And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

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

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

And God said vnto Iacob, Arise, goe vp to Bethel, and dwel there: and make there an Altar vnto God, that appeared vnto thee, when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

2Then Iacob said vnto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and bee cleane, and change your garments,

3And let vs arise, and goe vp to Bethel, and I will make there an Altar vnto God, who answered me in the day of my distresse, and was with me in the way which I went.

4And they gaue vnto Iacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their eare-rings which were in their eares, and Iacob hid them vnder the oke which was by Shechem.

5And they iourneyed: and the terrour of God was vpon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sonnes of Iacob.

6 So Iacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (that is Bethel) hee and all the people that were with him.

7And hee built there an Altar, and called the place El-Bethel, because there God appeared vnto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

8But Deborah Rebekahs nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel vnder an oke: and the name of it was called Allon Bachuth.

9 And God appeared vnto Iacob againe, when he came out of Padan Aram, and blessed him.

10And God said vnto him, Thy name is Iacob: thy name shall not bee called any more Iacob, but Israel shall bee thy name; and hee called his name Israel.

11And God saide vnto him, I am God Almightie: be fruitfull and multiply: a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and Kings shall come out of thy loynes.

12And the land which I gaue Abraham, and Isaac, to thee I will giue it, and to thy seed after thee will I giue the land.

13And God went vp from him, in the place where he talked with him.

14And Iacob set vp a pillar in the place where he talked with him, euen a pillar of stone: and hee powred a drinke offering thereon, and he powred oile thereon.

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

16 And they iourneyed from Bethel: and there was but a litle way to come to Ephrath; and Rachel traueiled, and she had hard labour.

17And it came to passe when shee was in hard labour, that the midwife said vnto her, Feare not: thou shalt haue this sonne also.

18And it came to passe as her soule was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Beniamin.

19And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

20And Iacob set a pillar vpon her graue: that is the pillar of Rachels graue vnto this day.

21 And Israel iourneyed and spread his tent beyond the towre of Edar.

22And it came to passe when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went & lay with Bilhah his fathers concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sonnes of Iacob were twelue.

23The sonnes of Leah: Reuben Iacobs first borne, and Simeon, and Leui, and Iudah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.

24The sonnes of Rachel: Ioseph, and Beniamin.

25And the sonnes of Bilhah, Rachels handmaid: Dan and Naphtali.

26And the sonnes of Zilpah, Leahs handmaid: Gad, and Asher. These are the sonnes of Iacob, which were borne to him in Padan Aram.

27 And Iacob came vnto Isaac his father vnto Mamre, vnto the citie of Arbah (which is Hebron) where Abraham and Isaac soiourned.

28And the dayes of Isaac were an hundred and fourescore yeeres.

29And Isaac gaue vp the ghost and died, and was gathered vnto his people, being old and full of dayes: and his sonnes Esau and Iacob buried him.

I == Gen 27:43 ; 28:13 , 19

 

 

II == Gen 18:19 ; 31:19 , 34 ; Ex 19:10 ; Josh 24:2 , 15 , 23 ; 1st Sam 7:3

 

III Gen 28:20 ; 31:3 , 42 ; 32:7 , 24 ; Ps 107:6

 

 

Iv == Josh 24:26 ; Judg 9:6 ; Hos 2:13

 

 

V == Ex 15:16 23:27;34:24 ; Deut 11:25 ; Josh 2:9 ; 5:1 ; 1st Sam 14:15 ; 2nd Chr 14:14

VI == Gen 28:19 , 22

 

VII == Gen 28:13 ; Eccl 5:4

 

 

VIII == gen 24:59

 

 

IX == Hos 12:4

 

X == gEn 17:5 ; 32:28

 

 

XI == Gen 17:1 , 5-6 , 16 ; 28:3 ; 48:3-4 ; Ex 6:3

 

 

XII == Gen 12:7 ; 13:15 ; 26:3-4 ; 28:13

XIII == Gen 17:22

 

XIV == Gen 28:18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVII == Gen 30:24 ; 1st Sam 4:20

 

XIX == Gen 48:7 ; Ruth 1:2 ; 4:11 ; Mic 5:2 ; Matt 2:6

XX == 1st Sam 10:2 ; 2nd Sam 18:18

XXI == Mic 4:8

 

XXII == Gen 49:4 ; 2nd Sam 16:22 ; 20:3 ; 1st Chr 5:1 ; 1st Cor 5:1

XXIII == Gen 46:8 ; Ex 1:2

 

XXVII == Gen 13:18

 

 

 

1 God said to Jacob: "Go up now to Bethel. Settle there and build an altar there to the God who appeared to you while you were fleeing from your brother Esau."

2 So Jacob told his family and all the others who were with him: "Get rid of the foreign gods that you have among you; then purify yourselves and put on fresh clothes.

3 We are now to go up to Bethel, and I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my hour of distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone."

4 They therefore handed over to Jacob all the foreign gods in their possession and also the rings they had in their ears.

5 Then, as they set out, a terror from God fell upon the towns round about, so that no one pursued the sons of Jacob.

6 Thus Jacob and all the people who were with him arrived in Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.

7 There he built an altar and named the place Bethel, for it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

8 Death came to Rebekah's nurse Deborah; she was buried under the oak below Bethel, and so it was called Allonbacuth.

9 On Jacob's arrival from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him.

10 God said to him: "You whose name is Jacob shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." Thus he was named Israel.

11 God also said to him: "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, shall stem from you, and kings shall issue from your loins.

12 The land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac I now give to you; And to your descendants after you will I give this land."

13 Then God departed from him.

14 On the site where God had spoken with him, Jacob set up a memorial stone, and upon it he made a libation and poured out oil.

15 Jacob named the site Bethel, because God had spoken with him there.

16 Then they departed from Bethel; but while they still had some distance to go on the way to Ephrath, Rachel began to be in labor and to suffer great distress.

17 When her pangs were most severe, her midwife said to her, "Have no fear! This time, too, you have a son."

18 With her last breath - for she was at the point of death-she called him Ben-oni; his father, however, named him Benjamin.

19 Thus Rachel died; and she was buried on the road to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

20 Jacob set up a memorial stone on her grave, and the same monument marks Rachel's grave to this day.

21 Israel moved on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal-eder.

22 While Israel was encamped in that region, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine. When Israel heard of it, he was greatly offended. The sons of Jacob were now twelve.

23 The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's first-born, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun;

24 the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin;

25 the sons of Rachel's maid Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali;

26 the sons of Leah's maid Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27 Jacob went home to his father Isaac at Mamre, in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.

28 The lifetime of Isaac was one hundred and eighty years;

29 then he breathed his last. After a full life, he died as an old man and was taken to his kinsmen. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

v2,3. We are to appear before God with clean hands and a pure heart. Ps. 24:3,4. Jacob was aware of Rachel’s father’s gods as well as gods their captives no doubt had along. He even ordered purification and fresh garments. He recognizes God’s presence at Bethel and every place since. He extends his personal religion to family, maybe thinking of how he had not trained them, and led Dinah to a place of tempting. He finally takes over spiritual leadership in his family, but as many families have found out, multiple heartaches arose because they didn’t start early with their first child. 

v 4. Both men and women gave up their gods and the earrings with insscriptions or worn as charms. He hid them where no one else could find them and again be involved with them.

v 5. They were vulnerable because of their ruthless deed at Shechem, but now that they are following God, He brought fear on their enemies.

v 6, 7. At Bethel where he had fled 25-30 years before, he was obedient and built an altar, calling it El Bethel, “The God of the house of God”.

v 8. Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse was buried under “The oak of weeping”. She had left Haran with Rebekah, but we can only suppose when she teamed up with Jacob’s family. Perhaps he went for her or they sent her there after Rebekah’s death. Some think she left with him to go to Haran, but that does not fit his hasty flight. At least she was old, possibly 180 years, and a very beloved servant.

v 9,10. Again God appeared to Jacob and reminded him his name was Israel, “a prince with God” or “contender with God”, and a name to be lived up to.

ISRAEL: The name signifieth one that prevaileth with God.

v 11-13. God renewed the promises he had previously made to Abraham.

v 14, 15. Jacob had privately called this place Bethel. Now he sets up a pillar. anoints it with oil and publicly calls it Bethel, the house of God.

v 16. Leaving Bethel was not disobedience, but a slow, grazing journey to visit his father. Nearing Bethlehem, his beloved Rachel died in child birth.

v 17,18. She lived long enough to know she had a son and named him Benoni, “son of my sorrow”. Jacob called him Benjamin, “son of my right hand”.

v 19,20. She was buried along the highway and her supposed grave is still seen.

v 21,22. Jacob’s lack of spiritual leadership while his children were young is seen again. Reuben lay with his father’s concubine, for which he later lost his birthright. Edar means “tower of the flock”, which was a shepherd’s watch tower. Tradition has this as the place where angels announced Christ’s birth to shepherds.

THE CONCUBINE: As a lawful wife; but, according to the style of the Hebrews, is called concubine, because of her servile extraction.

v 23-26. Jacob’s twelve sons are listed with their mother’s. By age they are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad , Asshur, Issachar, Zebulun, (Leah’s daughter, Dinah) Joseph, Benjamin.

v 27-29. This does not mean that Isaac died right at that time. However, he becomes unimportant to the message from now on. As Isaac and Ishmael laid aside their differences to bury Abraham, Jacob and Esau bury Isaac. Isaac was 180 when he died, v 28. This would mean he was probably totally blind and still living to know of the loss of Joseph. He was 100 when Esau took his third wife, but I have not been able to account for all the years from then till his death.