Genesis28
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
2Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.
3And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a company of peoples;
4and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham.
5And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;
7and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan-aram:
8and Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;
9and Esau went unto Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
10And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran.
11And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12And he dreamed; and, behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and, behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13And, behold, Jehovah stood above it, and said, I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
16And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely Jehovah is in this place; and I knew it not.
17And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19And he called the name of that place Beth-el: but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
20And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Jehovah will be my God,
22then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Genesis 28.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Isaac sends Jacob to Padan-aram. (1–5). Esau marries the daughter of Ishmael. (6–9). Jacob's vision. (10–15). The stone of Beth-el. (16–19). Jacob's vow. (20–22).
vv1-5
Jacob had blessings promised both as to this world and that which is to come; yet goes out to a hard service. This corrected him for the fraud on his father. The blessing shall be conferred on him, yet he shall smart for the indirect course taken to obtain it. Jacob is dismissed by his father with a solemn charge. He must not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan: those who profess religion, should not marry with those that care not for religion. Also with a solemn blessing. Isaac had before blessed him unwittingly; now he does it designedly. This blessing is more full than the former; it is a gospel blessing. This promise looks as high as heaven, of which Canaan was a type. That was the better country which Jacob and the other patriarchs had in view.
vv6-9
Good examples impress even the profane and malicious. But Esau thought, by pleasing his parents in one thing, to atone for other wrong doings. Carnal hearts are apt to think themselves as good as they should be, because in some one matter they are not so bad as they have been.
vv10-15
Jacob's conduct hitherto, as recorded, was not that of one who simply feared and trusted in God. But now in trouble, obliged to flee, he looked only to God to make him to dwell in safety, and he could lie down and sleep in the open air with his head upon a stone. Any true believer would be willing to take up with Jacob's pillow, provided he might have Jacob's vision. God's time to visit his people with his comforts, is, when they are most destitute of other comforts, and other comforters. Jacob saw a ladder which reached from earth to heaven, the angels going up and coming down, and God himself at the head of it. This represents, 1. The providence of God, by which there is a constant intercourse kept up between heaven and earth. This let Jacob know that he had both a good guide and a good guard. 2. The mediation of Christ. He is this ladder; the foot on earth in his human nature, the top in heaven in his Divine nature. Christ is the Way; all God's favours come to us, and all our services go to him, by Christ, Joh 1:51. By this way, sinners draw near to the throne of grace with acceptance. By faith we perceive this way, and in prayer we approach by it. In answer to prayer we receive all needful blessings of providence and grace. We have no way of getting to heaven but by Christ. And when the soul, by faith, can see these things, then every place will become pleasant, and every prospect joyful. He will never leave us, until his last promise is accomplished in our everlasting happiness. God now spake comfortably to Jacob. He spake from the head of the ladder. All the glad tidings we receive from heaven come through Jesus Christ. The Messiah should come from Jacob. Christ is the great blessing of the world. All that are blessed, are blessed in him, and none of any family are shut out from blessedness in him, but those that shut out themselves. Jacob had to fear danger from his brother Esau; but God promises to keep him. He had a long journey before him; to an unknown country; but, Behold, I am with thee, and God promises to bring him back again to this land. He seemed to be forsaken of all his friends; but God gives him this assurance, I will not leave thee. Whom God loves, he never leaves.
Key Words
יִצְחָק: Jitschak (or Isaac), son of Abraham
קָרָא: to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
יַעֲקֹב: Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarch
בָרַךְ: to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason)
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
אִשָּׁה: a woman
כְּנַעַן: Kenaan, a son a Ham; also the country inhabited by him
בַּת: a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
קוּם: to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
יָלַךְ: to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)
Cross References
Genesis 28Jesus applies the ladder imagery directly to Himself as the mediator between heaven and earth.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Jacob fulfills his vow by building an altar at Bethel, naming it El-bethel.
Supported by Matthew Henry
God identifies Himself to Jacob specifically as the God of Beth-el where he anointed the pillar.
Supported by John Calvin
Direct reiteration of the Abrahamic covenant blessing to all the families of the earth.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
God commands Jacob to return to Bethel and perform the vow he made here.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Abraham's giving of tithes to Melchizedek is the precedent for Jacob's vow of a tenth.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Matches Abraham's prior strict prohibition against marrying Canaanite women.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin, JFB
New Testament echo of God's promise never to leave nor forsake His people.
Supported by Matthew Henry
God commands Jacob to return to Beth-el to build an altar where He appeared to him.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
Hosea recalls Jacob's encounter, weeping, and supplication with the Angel at Beth-el.
Supported by JFB
Jacob's vow echoes God's promise to keep him and bring him back in peace.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The formal Mosaic law regarding the tithing of all possessions, echoing Jacob's early practice.
Supported by Matthew Henry
NT theological summary of Isaac blessing Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
Supported by John Calvin
The initial revelation of God Almighty (El Shaddai) promising multiplication to Abraham.
Supported by John Calvin
Identifies Mahalath, Ishmael's daughter (called Bashemath here), whom Esau married to please his parents.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Prophetic summary of Jacob fleeing to the country of Syria to serve for a wife.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Jacob later sets up and consecrates another pillar of stone at Beth-el upon his return.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Jacob's vow directly responds to and rests on God's preceding promise in verse 15.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Israel's formal covenant declaration that 'the Lord shall be thy God,' mirroring Jacob's vow.
Supported by Matthew Henry
New Testament discussion of Abraham's tenth, illuminating the patriarchal practice of tithing.
Supported by Matthew Henry
NT exposition showing the 'seed' of Abraham and Jacob points ultimately to Christ.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels Jacob's modest request for only necessary food and raiment.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Jacob returns with all his goods to go to Isaac his father in Canaan.