Genesis 37:1

1 Ya`akov lived in the land of his father's travels, in the land of Kana`an.

Genesis 37:1 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 37:1

And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger,
&c.] And this stands opposed unto, and is distinguished from the case and circumstances of Esau and his posterity, expressed in the preceding chapter, who dwelt in the land of their possession, not as strangers and sojourners, as Jacob and his seed, but as lords and proprietors; and so these words may be introduced and read in connection with the former history; "but Jacob dwelt" ^F1; and this verse would better conclude the preceding chapter than begin a new one. The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the words, "and Jacob dwelt quietly"; or peaceably, in tranquillity and safety; his brother Esau being gone from him into another country, he remained where his father lived and died, and in the country that by his blessing belonged to him:

in the land of Canaan,
and particularly in Hebron, where Isaac and Abraham before him had dwelt.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (bvyw) "at habitavit", Schmidt.

Genesis 37:1 In-Context

1 Ya`akov lived in the land of his father's travels, in the land of Kana`an.

2 This is the history of the generations of Ya`akov. Yosef, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Yosef brought an evil report of them to their father.

3 Now Yisra'el loved Yosef more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a coat of many colors.

4 His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, and they hated him, and couldn't speak peaceably to him.

5 Yosef dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him all the more.