Genesis 35:11-21

11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, a nation and a company of nations (Gentiles) shall come out of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

12 and the land which I have given to Abraham and to Isaac, to thee will I give it and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering upon it, and he poured oil upon it.

15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.

16 And they journeyed from Bethel, and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath when Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

17 And it came to pass when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

18 And it came to pass as her soul was departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni, but his father called him Benjamin.

19 Thus Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.

21 And Israel journeyed and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

Genesis 35:11-21 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.