Genesis 35:1

Then God said to Jacob, “Go back and live in Bethel. And pile up some stones to make an altar there so that you can burn animals to show me respect. Bethel is the place where I met you and showed you that stairway going up to heaven when you were running away from your brother Esau.”

Barkly (portions)

In The King James Version

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

In Context

2So Jacob said to everyone in his camp, “We are going to live in a place called Bethel. God met me there and helped me when I was really frightened. And from that time, he has always been with me and looked after me. So now there are two things that you have to do before we go to Bethel. The first thing is that you have to throw away any ceremony or magic things you took from your homeland. And if you picked up any magic thing here in Shekem you have to throw that away too. The second thing is, go and wash yourselves and then put on clean clothes. When we get to Bethel, I will pile up stones to make an altar and burn an animal to show respect to God.”

Read all of Genesis 35

Cross References

Genesis 12:8Later on, Abram left Shekem and went down south to the hill country that was on the east side of a town called Bethel. And he made his camp between Bethel and another town called Ai. Ai was on the east side and Bethel was on the west side of his camp. Right there Abram built another stone altar and prayed to God using God's name.

Genesis 16:8The angel said to her, “Hagar, I know that you belong to Sarai, so why are you sitting out here in the dry country. Where are you going?” Hagar answered, “I am running way from Sarai.”

Genesis 27:41Esau hated Jacob for tricking their father, and he made up his mind to kill Jacob after his father died. Esau said to himself, “Jacob has stolen my blessing, he has stolen the special words that my father should have said to me!”

Genesis 28:13In his dream, Jacob saw God standing near him. God said, “Jacob, I am the Lord. I am the God that your father Isaac and your grandfather Abraham worshipped and respected. Listen, just like I promised your grandfather Abraham and your father Isaac, I will give you all this country, this ground that you are sleeping on. And it will belong to you and to all the families that will come from you.

Genesis 29:1Jacob walked east until he got to his grandfather's country.

Genesis 31:13I am the God who spoke to you at Bethel, the place where you put up the stone and poured olive oil all over it. That was where you made a promise to me. Now I want you to leave this country and go back home to the country where you were born.’”

Matthew Henry on Genesis 35:1

In this chapter we have three communions and three funerals. I. Three communions between God and Jacob. 1. God ordered Jacob to Beth-el; and, in obedience to that order, he purged his house of idols, and prepared for that journey, ver. 1-5 . 2. Jacob built an altar at Beth-el, to the honour of God that had appeared to him, and in performance of his vow, ver. 6, 7 . 3. God appeared to him again, and confirmed the change of his name and covenant with him ( ver. 9-13 ), of which appearance Jacob made a grateful… Read the whole commentary →

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