Genesis 35:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him,

NIV: Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.

NASB: So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.

CSB: So Jacob and all who were with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.

NLT: Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan.

KJV: So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

NKJV: So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.

In obedience to God's command, and to fulfill the vow he made the Lord more than 20 years earlier, Jacob and his whole company now arrive in Bethel (Genesis 35:1–3). This place was formerly known as Luz. Jacob stopped there while fleeing from his brother (Genesis 27:42). During the night, he was visited by God and given special blessings (Genesis 28:10–22).

Jacob's family has completed the trip from Shechem, just to the north. They left this area after Simeon and Levi, two of Jacob's sons, slaughtered an entire town in retaliation for the rape of their sister (Genesis 34:25–27). God worked to change any impulse for further revenge in the local cities into fear (Genesis 35:5), allowing the relocation to happen without further incident.

Prior to leaving, Jacob buried the family's idols and religious trinkets. This physically symbolized their future dependence on God, and God alone (Genesis 35:4).

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 5/4/2024 4:00:19 AM