Genesis 28:16-19

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.

Genesis 28:16-19 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

Footnotes

• [a] "Bethel" means "house of God."