Genesis 35

1 Then God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] said to Jacob [the supplanter], “Arise [rise up, stand], go up [ascend] to Bethel [the house of God], and settle [dwell, remain] there. Build [make, construct] an altar [a place of sacrifice] there to the God [the Provider, El Shaddai] who appeared [was seen, revealed] to you when you fled [ran away, escaped] from your brother [relative, kin] Esau [hairy, rough].” word study 2 So Jacob told his household [all his family and servants] and all who were with him [in his company, together], “Get rid of the foreign [strange, pagan] gods that are among you [in your midst, within your group]. Purify [cleanse, make holy] yourselves [your hearts, your lives] and change [replace, put on new] your garments [clothing, apparel]. word study 3 Then let us arise [and get ready, to stand up] and go to Bethel [the house of God, a sacred place]. I will build [make, construct] an altar [a place of sacrifice] there to God [the Almighty, Elohim], who answered me [responded to my prayer, heard my cry] in my day of distress [time of trouble, period of hardship]. He has been with me [accompanied me, remained faithful] wherever I have gone [walked, traveled, journeyed].” word study 4 So they gave Jacob [the son of Isaac, a key figure in Israel’s history] all their foreign [strange, pagan] gods and all their earrings [rings, nose-rings], and Jacob buried [hid, concealed] them under the oak [a strong tree, like an elm] near [by, with] Shechem [a city in Palestine, a significant location]. word study 5 As they set out [on their journey, to depart], a terror [fear, dread] from God [Elohim, the supreme Being] fell over the surrounding [nearby, around] cities [towns, communities], so that they did not [were unable to, would not] pursue [chase, follow after] Jacob’s [the son of Isaac, a key figure] sons [descendants, children]. word study 6 So Jacob [the supplanter, deceiver] and everyone with [together, in company] him arrived in Luz [also known, previously] (that is, Bethel [house of God, sacred place]) in the land [territory, region] of Canaan [the promised land, Canaanite territory]. word study 7 There Jacob built [constructed, established] an altar [a place of sacrifice], and he called that place El-bethel [the house of God], because it was there [in that location, at that time] that God [Elohim, the supreme God] had revealed [uncovered, made known] Himself to Jacob as he fled [ran away quickly, escaped] from his brother [relative, sibling]. word study 8 Now Deborah [a prophetess and judge, Rebekah’s loyal servant], Rebekah’s nurse [one who suckles, gives milk, and cares for], died [to pass away, cease living] and was buried [interred, laid to rest] under [beneath, below] the oak [a strong tree] below [underneath, near] Bethel [house of God, a sacred place]. So Jacob named [called, designated] it Allon-bachuth. word study 9 After Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah, a key figure in God’s plan] had returned [come back, gone home] from Paddan-aram [a region in Syria, the place where Jacob’s wife Rachel was from], God [Elohim, the one supreme God] appeared [revealed Himself, came to] to him again [a second time, once more] and blessed [praised, honored, bestowed good things upon] him. word study 10 And God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] said to him, “Though your name [identity, character] is Jacob [supplanter, deceiver], you will no longer be called [known as, referred to] Jacob [supplanter, deceiver]. Instead [but rather], your name [identity, character] will be Israel [prince with God, having God’s nature]. ” So God [the Almighty, All-Powerful] named [called, appointed] him Israel [prince with God, having God’s nature]. word study 11 And God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] told him, “I [the personal pronoun emphasizing God’s identity] am God Almighty [Shadday, the all-powerful One]. Be fruitful [produce abundantly, like a tree bearing fruit] and multiply [increase, grow, and become numerous]. A nation [a large group of people, a Gentile]—even a company of nations [a multitude of peoples, a group of nations]—shall come from you, and kings [royal rulers, those in authority] shall descend [come out, originate] from you [from your loins, the seat of vigor and strength]. word study 12 The land [territory, region] that I gave [bestowed, granted] to Abraham [the father of faith] and Isaac [he laughs, son of promise] I will give [bequeath, assign] to you, and I will give [confer, impart] this land [earth, country] to your descendants [seed, offspring] after [following, succeeding] you.” word study 13 Then God [Elohim, the supreme Being] went up [ascended, departed] from the place [location, region] where He had spoken [communicated, talked] with him [in close relationship, near]. word study 14 So Jacob [the supplanter, son of Isaac] set up a pillar [a monumental stone, memorial] in the place [location, region] where God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] had spoken [communicated, conversed] with him—a stone marker [a rock, weight, or precious gem]—and he poured out a drink offering [a liquid sacrifice, ceremonial libation] on it and anointed [poured, consecrated] it with oil [olive oil, ointment]. word study 15 Jacob [the supplanter, son of Isaac] called [to designate, name] the place [location, region] where [in which, at the time] God [Elohim, the supreme God] had spoken [communicated, talked] with [to, near] him Bethel [house of God, sacred site]. word study 16 Later, they set out [journeyed, traveled] from Bethel [house of God], and while they were still [yet] some distance from Ephrath [place of fruitfulness, Bethlehem], Rachel [ewe, a wife of Jacob] began to give birth [beget, to bring forth a child], and her labor [travail, childbirth pains] was difficult [hard, severe, sharply pained]. word study 17 During her severe [hard] labor [childbirth, giving birth], the midwife [woman who helped her to give birth] said to her, “Do not be afraid [fear not, don’t give up], for [because, since] you are having [will have, about to give birth to] another [this, one more] son [child, male descendant].” word study 18 And with her last breath [as her soul was departing, for she died]—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni [son of my sorrow, son of pain]. But his father [Jacob, the patriarch] called him Benjamin [son of the right hand, son of my right hand]. word study 19 So Rachel [the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, a wife of Jacob] died [passed away, came to her end] and was buried [laid to rest, interred] on the way [road, path, journey] to Ephrath [a place of fruitfulness] (that is, Bethlehem [house of bread, a city in Judah]). word study 20 Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah] set up [erected, established] a pillar [monumental stone, memorial] on her grave [tomb, place of burial]; it marks [serves as a memorial to] Rachel’s [the mother of Joseph and Benjamin] tomb [grave, final resting place] to this day [until now, as far as this point in time]. word study 21 Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] again set out [journeyed, traveled] and pitched [spread, stretched out] his tent [nomad’s home, tabernacle] beyond [further, to a distance] the Tower of Eder [Migdal-Eder, tower of the flock, watchtower]. word study 22 While Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants] was living [dwelling, residing] in that region [land, country], Reuben [the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah] went in and slept [lay down, had sexual relations] with his father’s [Jacob’s] concubine [secondary wife, female servant] Bilhah [troubled, a woman who lives with a man but is not his wife], and Israel [Jacob, the father] heard about it [was informed, learned of]. Jacob [the father] had twelve [a full count] sons [male descendants, children]: word study 23 The sons [descendants, children] of Leah [Jacob’s first wife] were Reuben [Jacob’s oldest son] the firstborn [born first, holding a special status] of Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah], Simeon [Shimeon, the second son], Levi [a brother of Reuben and Judah], Judah [the ancestor of the tribe of Judah], Issachar [meaning’there is recompense’], and Zebulun [the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel]. word study 24 The sons [descendants, children] of Rachel [Jacob’s wife, mother of Joseph and Benjamin] were Joseph [Jehovah has added] and Benjamin [son of the right hand, youngest son of Jacob]. word study 25 The sons [descendants, male offspring] of Rachel’s [wife of Jacob, mother of Joseph and Benjamin] maidservant [female slave, personal attendant] Bilhah [troubled, concubine of Jacob] were Dan [judge, leader of a tribe] and Naphtali [wrestling, struggling]. word study 26 And the sons [descendants, offspring] of Leah’s maidservant [female slave, servant] Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These [specific ones] are the sons [children, descendants] of Jacob [the one who supplants], who were born [brought forth, begotten] to him in Paddan-aram [the plain of Aram, Mesopotamia]. word study 27 Jacob [the supplanter, son of Isaac] returned to his father Isaac [the one who laughs, son of Abraham] at Mamre [a place of strength, near Hebron], near Kiriath-arba [the city of Arba, also known as Hebron] (that is, Hebron), where Abraham [the father of many nations] and Isaac had stayed [sojourned, lived as foreigners]. word study 28 And Isaac [the son of Abraham and Sarah, meaning ‘he laughs’] lived [existed, came into being] 180 years [a period of time, a cycle of seasons]. word study 29 Then he breathed his last [gave up the ghost, expired] and died [passed away, came to his end] and was gathered [collected, brought together] to his people [his ancestors, nation], old [aged, elderly] and full of years [satisfied with days, having lived a long life]. And his sons [descendants, children] Esau [hairy, rough] and Jacob [supplanter, deceiver] buried [interred, laid to rest] him. word study