Genesis28
New American Standard
1So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and commanded him, saying to him, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
2Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
3May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a multitude of peoples.
4May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, so that you may possess the land where you live as a stranger, which God gave to Abraham.”
5Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,”
7and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram.
8So Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac;
9and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.
10Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran.
11And he happened upon a particular place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and made it a support for his head, and lay down in that place.
12And he had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13Then behold, the Lord was standing above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants.
14Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “The Lord is certainly in this place, and I did not know it!”
17And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
18So Jacob got up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had placed as a support for his head, and set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on its top.
19Then he named that place Bethel; but previously the name of the city had been Luz.
20Jacob also made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and give me food to eat and garments to wear,
21and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God.
22And this stone, which I have set up as a memorial stone, will be God’s house, and of everything that You give me I will assuredly give a tenth to You.”
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.