1 God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother." 2 Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments. 3 Let us arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went." 4 They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. 5 They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn't pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 7 He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 8 Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth. 9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him. 10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel." He named him Israel. 11 God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body. 12 The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your seed after you will I give the land." 13 God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him. 14 Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. 15 Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him "Bethel." 16 They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor. 17 When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for now you will have another son." 18 It happened, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin. 19 Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem). 20 Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel's grave to this day. 21 Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder. 22 It happened, while Israel lived in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah (Rachel's handmaid): Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah (Leah's handmaid): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram. 27 Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners. 28 The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years. 29 Isaac gave up the spirit, and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.
Jacob is commanded of God to go to Beth-el, and to build an altar there, Genesis 35:1. His exhortation to his family to put away all strange gods, etc., Genesis 35:2, Genesis 35:3. They deliver them all up, and Jacob hides them in the earth, Genesis 35:4. They commence their journey, Genesis 35:5; come to Luz, Genesis 35:6; build there the altar El-beth-el, Genesis 35:7. Burial place of Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, Genesis 35:8. God appears again unto Jacob, Genesis 35:9. Blesses him and renews the promises, Genesis 35:10-13. To commemorate this manifestation of God, Jacob sets up a pillar, and calls the place Beth-el, Genesis 35:14, Genesis 35:15. They journey to Ephrath, where Rachel, after hard labor, is delivered of Benjamin, and dies, Genesis 35:16-19. Jacob sets up a pillar on her grave, Genesis 35:20. They journey to Edar, Genesis 35:21. While at this place, Reuben defiles his father's bed, Genesis 35:22. Account of the children of Jacob, according to the mothers, Genesis 35:23-26. Jacob comes to Mamre to his father Isaac, who was probably then in the one hundred and fifty-eighth year of his age, Genesis 35:27. Isaac dies, and is buried by his sons Esau and Jacob, Genesis 35:29.
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 35
This chapter gives an account of Jacob's going to Bethel, and building an altar there by the order and direction of God, Genesis 35:1, where Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried, Genesis 35:8, and where God appeared to Jacob, confirmed the new name of Israel he had given him, and renewed to him the promises of the multiplication of his seed, and of their inheriting the land of Canaan, Genesis 35:9; all which is gratefully acknowledged by Jacob, who erected a pillar in the place, and called it Bethel, in memory of God's gracious appearance to him there, Genesis 35:14; from hence he journeyed towards his father's house, and on the way Rachel his wife fell in travail, and bore him a son, and died, and was buried near Ephrath, Genesis 35:16; near this place Reuben committed incest with Bilhah, Genesis 35:22, and the names of the twelve sons of Jacob are given, Genesis 35:23; and the chapter is closed with an account of Jacob's arrival at his father's house, of the death of Isaac, and of his burial at the direction of his two sons, Genesis 35:27.
(Genesis 35:1-5) God commands Jacob to go to Beth-el, He puts away idols from his family.
(Genesis 35:6-15) Jacob builds an altar, Death of Deborah, God blesses Jacob.
(Genesis 35:16-20) Death of Rachel.
(Genesis 35:21-29) Reuben's crime, The death of Isaac.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.