Genesis 35:9-21

Jacob Is Named Israel

9 Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He 1blessed him.
10 2God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name." Thus He called him Israel.
11 God also said to him, "I am 3God Almighty; 4Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a 5company of nations shall come from you, And 6kings shall come forth from you.
12 "7The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your descendants after you."
13 Then 8God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him.
14 Jacob set up 9a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.
15 So Jacob named * the place where * God had spoken with him, 10Bethel.
16 Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance * to go to 11Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor.
17 When she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for now * 12you have another son."
18 It came about as her soul was departing (for she died ), that she named * him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin.
19 So 13Rachel died and was buried on the way to 14Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem ).
20 Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the 15pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.
21 Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond * the 16tower of Eder.

Genesis 35:9-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 35

This chapter gives an account of Jacob's going to Bethel, and building an altar there by the order and direction of God, Ge 35:1-7, where Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried, Ge 35:8, and where God appeared to Jacob, confirmed the new name of Israel he had given him, and renewed to him the promises of the multiplication of his seed, and of their inheriting the land of Canaan, Ge 35:9-13; all which is gratefully acknowledged by Jacob, who erected a pillar in the place, and called it Bethel, in memory of God's gracious appearance to him there, Ge 35:14,15; from hence he journeyed towards his father's house, and on the way Rachel his wife fell in travail, and bore him a son, and died, and was buried near Ephrath, Ge 35:16-21; near this place Reuben committed incest with Bilhah, Ge 35:22, and the names of the twelve sons of Jacob are given, Ge 35:23-26; and the chapter is closed with an account of Jacob's arrival at his father's house, of the death of Isaac, and of his burial at the direction of his two sons, Ge 35:27-29.

Cross References 16

  • 1. Genesis 32:29
  • 2. Genesis 17:5; Genesis 32:28
  • 3. Genesis 17:1; Genesis 28:3; Exodus 6:3
  • 4. Genesis 9:1, 7
  • 5. Genesis 48:4
  • 6. Genesis 17:6, 16; Genesis 36:31
  • 7. Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Genesis 26:3, 4; Genesis 28:13; Exodus 32:13
  • 8. Genesis 17:22; Genesis 18:33
  • 9. Genesis 28:18, 19; Genesis 31:45
  • 10. Genesis 28:19
  • 11. Genesis 35:19; Genesis 48:7; Ruth 4:11; Micah 5:2
  • 12. Genesis 30:24
  • 13. Genesis 48:7
  • 14. Ruth 1:2; Ruth 4:11; Micah 5:2
  • 15. 1 Samuel 10:2
  • 16. Micah 4:8

Footnotes 13

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