Genesis 35:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel.

NIV: God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.' So he named him Israel.

NASB: God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.' So He called him Israel.

CSB: God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; you will no longer be named Jacob, but your name will be Israel." So he named him Israel.

NLT: saying, 'Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.' So God renamed him Israel.

KJV: And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

NKJV: And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel.

After Jacob fulfills his vow to make Bethel God's house, and to make the Lord his God, God appears to bless him once more (Genesis 35:1–9).

The Lord begins by restating and confirming that Jacob's new name is Israel. This was first noted after Jacob wrestled with the God at the Yabbok river, the night before he met Esau (Genesis 32:28). It was explained that his new name would mean he had striven with God and with men and had prevailed. While Scripture sometimes still refers to him as Jacob, it is this new name which will define his descendants. Each will become the patriarch of a tribe of the nation, Israel, which still bears that name today.

It is possible to read the Hebrew of God's first words as a question: "is your name Jacob?" Read this way, God is reminding Jacob of the promise which had been given earlier, and the changed name which came with it.

Genesis 35:1–15 describes the fulfillment of Jacob's vows made to the Lord some twenty years earlier. Then, Jacob encountered God after fleeing from Esau (Genesis 27:42). Now that Jacob has returned safely to Canaan and resolved the conflict with Esau, God commands him to build an altar at the place of their earlier meeting. Jacob rids his family of all of their false idols and builds the altar. God appears to him, confirming the covenant promises once more. Jacob responds to God's appearance and blessing by building a stone pillar and pouring a drink offering and oil over it. This location is named Bethel, meaning "House of God."

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 1:33:31 PM