Genesis 31:13

13 'I am 1the God of Bethel, where * you 2anointed a pillar, where * you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and 3return to the land of your birth.' "

Genesis 31:13 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:13

I [am] the God of Bethel
The same Angel that appeared to Jacob in a dream, at the beginning of his six years' servitude, now appeared to him at the close of it, declaring himself to be the God of Bethel; or that God that manifested himself to him at Bethel, as Onkelos and Jonathan paraphrase the words; for this is a distinct vision from that in the preceding verses, concerning the rams of different colours, and are both put together for the sake of brevity, and because they belong to the same affair: where thou anointedst the pillar, [and] where thou vowedst a vow unto
me: (See Gill on Genesis 28:19), (See Gill on 28:20); hereby signifying the divine approbation of the name Jacob gave to that place, and of what he did in it, and to put him in mind of his promise there made: now arise, get thee out from this land:
of Mesopotamia, or Syria, and out of Haran, a city there, where Jacob now was, and Laban lived: and return unto the land of thy kindred:
to the land of Canaan, the place of his nativity, and where his relations dwelt: this shows, that this appearance of God to him, as the God of Bethel, was at the close of his six years' service.

Genesis 31:13 In-Context

11 "Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'
12 "He said, 'Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.
13 'I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.' "
14 Rachel and Leah said to him, "Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father's house?
15 "Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price.

Cross References 3

  • 1. Genesis 28:13, 19
  • 2. Genesis 28:18, 20
  • 3. Genesis 28:15; Genesis 32:9

Footnotes 1

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