Genesis 35:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

NIV: Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

NASB: Then Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, an old man of ripe age; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

CSB: He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

NLT: Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

KJV: And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

NKJV: So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Isaac dies at 180 years of age, "old and full of days." Something similar was said of his father Abraham when he died at 175 (Genesis 25:7). Isaac is buried in the family burial tomb at Mamre (Genesis 23:2–4; 35:27), by his twin sons Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:23–28). This may be the first time Jacob and Esau have reunited since the resolution of their conflict when Jacob first re-entered the land of Canaan (Genesis 33:1–4). A similar reunion took place in the previous generation when Isaac and his half-brother Ishmael joined to bury Abraham in the same cave (Genesis 25:9).

The death and burial of Isaac closes out this section of the book of Genesis. This portion is known as the "generations of Isaac" (Genesis 25:19). Previous sections were also named by the family patriarch involved (Genesis 6:9; 11:27). The following chapter will briefly explain the lineage of Esau (Genesis 36:1), much as an earlier passage did for Ishmael (Genesis 25:12), as they were not the ones to carry the line of God's chosen people. After this will come the final portion of Genesis, which explains the fate of Jacob's line (Genesis 37:2). A large part of this story will revolve around Jacob's favorite son (Genesis 37:3), Joseph (Genesis 30:22–24).

Genesis 35:16–29 describes Jacob's painful losses following God's great blessing at Bethel. His beloved wife Rachel dies giving birth to his twelfth son, Benjamin. Jacob buries her and builds a stone pillar to mark her tomb. Next, his firstborn son, Reuben, defiles the family by sleeping with one of Jacob's servant-wives. Though Jacob seems to do nothing, at first, Reuben will lose his birthright as a result. Finally, Jacob's father Isaac dies at 180 years old. Jacob and Esau reunite to lay their father to rest at the family burial cave at Mamre. The rest of Genesis will explain how the people of Israel came to live in Egypt.

God commands Jacob to build an altar to Him at Bethel. This will fulfill vows Jacob made after encountering the Lord for the first time, as he was fleeing for his life from Esau. Jacob rids his family of all their false idols and travels to Bethel. God appears to him again, reaffirming all the covenant promises. As they travel away, Rachel dies giving birth to Jacob's twelfth son. His first son, Reuben, sleeps with Jacob's servant-wife Bilhah, losing his birthright as a result. Finally, Jacob's father Isaac dies at 180 years old.

Recent events have left Jacob fearful of the people of the land. His sons slaughtered an entire town to avenge their sister's rape. However, God apparently uses this bloodshed to inspire fear. Nobody attacks Jacob's family as they travel to Bethel, setting up an altar and renewing their covenant with God. Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin. Jacob's eldest son sleeps with one of his servant-wives, losing his birthright. Isaac dies, and Jacob and Esau bury him in the family burial cave in Mamre. The story then focuses on Jacob's sons, primarily Joseph, as the family finds themselves drawn into Egypt.

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.