Genesis 28:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God 's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you."

NIV: and 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."

NASB: And this stone, which I have set up as a memorial stone, will be God’s house, and of everything that You give me I will assuredly give a tenth to You.'

CSB: This stone that I have set up as a marker will be God’s house, and I will give to you a tenth of all that you give me."

NLT: And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.'

KJV: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

NKJV: And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

Jacob concludes his vow before the Lord. In the previous verses, he has declared that if God does all He has said He would do for Jacob, then Jacob would make the Lord his God (Genesis 28:20–21). In addition, he now says that the stone he has set up for a commemorative pillar will become God's house. This stone was the very same one on which Jacob rested his head while sleeping in the wilderness (Genesis 28:16–18). In other words, Jacob would return to this place to worship the Lord.

In a previous verse, Jacob renamed the place "Bethel," meaning "house of God." Bethel would continue to be a significant meeting place with God for Israel far into the future.

Jacob completes his vow with a promise to give to God a tenth of all God gives to him. Previously, Jacob's grandfather Abraham gave to God's priest Melchizedek such a tithe (Genesis 14:20). Jacob volunteers to worship the Lord in this financial way as well. Giving to God specific tithes and offerings was one of the ways Israel would later demonstrate their obedience to and dependence on the Lord.

Genesis 28:10–22 describes the Lord's appearance in a dream, given to Jacob while on the road to Haran in Mesopotamia, the region where Rebekah's brother Laban lives. Forced by nightfall to sleep on the ground with a rock for a pillow, Jacob dreams of a ladder, connecting earth to heaven, and full of angels going in both directions. Atop the ladder, the Lord stands and gives to Jacob the very promises He gave to Abraham. He also promises to be with Jacob on his journey from and back to the land of promise. Jacob wakes up and worships the Lord, vowing to make the Lord his God.

Isaac sends Jacob away from his household to find a wife in Mesopotamia, in Paddan-aram, where Rebekah's brother lives. First, though, he gives to Jacob the full blessing of the promises of Abraham. Esau marries one of the daughters of Ishmael to try to please Isaac. The Lord appears to Jacob in a dream, giving to him the promises of Abraham personally, along with the assurance that He will be with Jacob to Mesopotamia and back again. Jacob vows that if the Lord does this, he will make the Lord his God and will worship Him and tithe to Him.

The previous chapter concluded with Rebekah urging Jacob to run for his life to her brother's household in Mesopotamia to escape the wrath of Esau. Now Isaac, too, sends Jacob to Laban, except to find a non-Canaanite wife. Hearing this, Esau marries one of the daughters of Ishmael. On the road to Mesopotamia, the Lord appears to Jacob in a dream. God personally delivers the covenant promises of Abraham and assurances to be with Jacob. In awe and fear, Jacob renames the place Bethel, ''house of God,'' and vows to worship the Lord as his God. In the next chapter, Jacob will get a taste of his own deceptive medicine, as he seeks a wife.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 11/21/2024 2:34:19 PM