Genesis 28:16-22

16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said, The Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How fearful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up in the morning, and took the stone he laid there by his head, and he set it up a pillar, and poured oil on the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place, the House of God; and the name of the city before was Ulam-luz.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If the Lord God will be with me, and guard me throughout on this journey, on which I am going, and give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 and bring me back in safety to the house of my father, then shall the Lord be for a God to me.
22 And this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be to me a house of God; and of all whatsoever thou shalt give me, I will tithe a tenth for thee.

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.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Lit. put under. See 1 Tim 3.15.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.