Genesis 28:16-22

16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.”

17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.

19 He called that place Bethel,^[a] though the city used to be called Luz.

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear

21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the LORD^[b] will be my God

22 and^[c] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Genesis 28:16-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 28

In this chapter an account is given of the charge Isaac gave to Jacob not to marry a Canaanitess, but to go to Padanaram, and take a wife from his mother's family, and of his blessing him before he sent him away, Ge 28:1-5; of the notice that Esau took of this blessing and charge, which led him to take a wife of the family of Ishmael, Ge 28:6-9; of the dream of the ladder, which Jacob had in his way to Haran, Ge 28:10-12; of the blessing which God conferred upon him there, Ge 28:13-15; of the awfulness of the place upon his awaking, and of his erecting a pillar in it, and giving a name to it, Ge 28:16-19; and of the vow he made to God, should he be supplied with the necessaries of life, and be kept in safety by him, Ge 28:20-22.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Kings 3:15; Jeremiah 31:26
• 2. Exodus 3:5; Exodus 19:21; Joshua 5:15; Psalms 68:24,35
• 3. ver 22; Genesis 32:2; 1 Chronicles 22:1; 2 Chronicles 3:1
• 4. ver 11
• 5. ver 22; Ge 31:13,45,51; Genesis 35:14; Exodus 24:4; Joshua 24:26,27; Isaiah 19:19
• 6. Leviticus 8:11; Joshua 4:9
• 7. S Genesis 12:8
• 8. Genesis 35:6; Genesis 48:3; Joshua 16:2; Joshua 18:13; Judges 1:23,26
• 9. Genesis 31:13; Leviticus 7:16; Leviticus 22:18; Leviticus 23:38; Leviticus 27:2,9; Numbers 6:2; Numbers 15:3; Deuteronomy 12:6; Judges 11:30; 1 Samuel 1:21; 2 Samuel 15:8
• 10. S ver 15
• 11. 1 Timothy 6:8
• 12. Judges 11:31
• 13. S ver 15
• 14. Exodus 15:2; Deuteronomy 26:17; Joshua 24:18; Psalms 48:14; Psalms 118:28
• 15. S ver 18; 1 Samuel 7:12
• 16. S ver 17; Genesis 35:7,14
• 17. S Genesis 14:20; S Numbers 18:21; Luke 18:12; Leviticus 27:30

Footnotes

• [a] "Bethel" means "house of God."
• [b] Or "Since God … father’s household, the " Lord
• [c] Or "household, and the " Lord"will be my God, " 22"then"