Genesis 28:17

So Jacob got frightened. He said, “This place frightens me. I know for sure that God lives here. This place joins up with heaven.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

In Context

16Then Jacob woke up, and he said, “Now I know that God is in this place. I didn’t know that before, but now I do.”

18Early the next morning, Jacob picked up the stone that was at his head, and he stood it up and poured olive oil on top of it. Jacob did those things to show that God was in that place, and that place was special.

Read all of Genesis 28

Cross References

Genesis 35:7Then Jacob piled up stones to make a table with a flat top, so that he could burn animals to show respect to God. And Jacob gave that place a new name. He called it El Bethel. That name means God is in Bethel. A long time before this, when Jacob ran away from his brother Esau, God came and talked to Jacob in that place. That’s the reason why Jacob gave it that name.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 28:17-22

Jacob's Vow. ( b. c. 1760.) 16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Beth-el: but the name of that city was called Luz at the… Read the whole commentary →

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Study Genesis 28:17