Genesis 35

And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth–el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

And let us arise, and go up to Beth–el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Beth–el, he and all the people that were with him.

And he built there an altar, and called the place El–beth–el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beth–el under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon–bachuth.

And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan–aram, and blessed him.

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.

And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Beth–el.

And they journeyed from Beth–el; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Ben–oni: but his father called him Benjamin.

And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Beth–lehem.

And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.

And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:

The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:

And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:

And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padan–aram.

And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

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.

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Genesis 35:11

“And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;”

Study Summary

And God said to him: I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. El Shaddai — the name given to Abraham in Genesis 17:1 and invoked over Jacob's departure in Genesis 28:3 — is now spoken directly to Jacob. The covenant promises — fruitfulness, nations, kings — are the Abrahamic covenant given to Israel by name. The application: the covenant promises confirmed at Bethel are the same promises given to Abraham — now given to the man who has become Israel.

Community Reflections

Omar Hassan (Test User)14h ago

Wisdom for daily life — Genesis 35

God is faithful in every circumstance.. This connects directly to the promise made to Abraham. God is faithful in every circumstance.. Now I understand why — it's a daily declaration of dependence on God.. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The contrast between human weakness and divine strength is so vivid in this passage. The early church would have heard this very differently than we do today. The early church would have heard this very differently than we do today. God is faithful in every circumstance.. The early church would have heard this very differently than we do today. I love how this passage doesn't shy away from the difficulty of obedience. Following God is costly, but the reward is eternal.. My grandmother used to quote this verse every morning. God is faithful in every circumstance.. We bring nothing; He provides everything.. Faith isn't the absence of doubt — it's…

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