INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 28 In this chapter an account is given of the charge Isaac gave to Jacob not to marry a Canaanitess, but to go to Padanaram, and take a wife from his mother's family, and of his blessing him before he sent him away, Genesis 28:1; of the notice that Esau took of this blessing... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISAAC CALLED JACOB,.... Or therefore d, because of what Rebekah had said to him, related in the latter part of the preceding chapter, he sent for Jacob to come to him from his tent or apartment where he was, or from the field where he was keeping the flocks; thus paying a great regard to what hi... [ Continue Reading ]
ARISE, GO TO PADANARAM,.... Of this place, Genesis 25:20; either he is bid to go directly, in haste and alone; perhaps by this time Rebekah had given Isaac some hint of the ill design of Esau against him, which made Isaac the more urgent upon him to be gone, as well as it was high time he had took... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD ALMIGHTY BLESS THEE,.... This is not a new blessing, distinct from that in Genesis 28:1, but the same; there it is expressed in general, here the particulars of it are given; and by which it appears, that Isaac's blessing Jacob was a prayer, wishing a blessing from God upon him, and was the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GIVE THEE THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM, TO THEE, AND TO THY SEED WITH THEE,.... Which was promised to Abraham, and was entailed upon Isaac and his seed, and now upon Jacob and his seed, which follows: THAT THOU MAYEST INHERIT THE LAND WHEREIN THOU ART A STRANGER, WHICH GOD GAVE TO ABRAHAM; the land... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ISAAC SENT AWAY JACOB,.... From Beersheba; not in anger, or in a dishonourable way, but took his leave of him no doubt in an affectionate manner; as it is clear he went with his blessing, and had his good wishes for a prosperous journey: AND HE WENT TO PADANARAM; which from Beersheba, according... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN ESAU SAW THAT ISAAC HAD BLESSED JACOB,.... Had conferred the blessing before given, or had wished him a good journey; which perhaps may be all that Esau understood by it, and so was not so much offended with it: AND SENT HIM AWAY TO PADANARAM, TO TAKE HIM A WIFE FROM THENCE; which likewise... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THAT JACOB OBEYED HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER,.... As it became him, and as it becomes all children to be obedient to their parents in all things lawful they command them; and it would have been well if Esau had been obedient to them also in a like case, the case of his marriage: AND WAS GONE TO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ESAU SEEING THAT THE DAUGHTERS OF CANAAN PLEASED NOT ISAAC HIS FATHER. Who he perceived was displeased with the daughters of Canaan, or that they were "evil in [his] eyes" i, offensive to him, and disapproved of by him, because of their ill manners: Rebekah is not mentioned, whose displeasure he... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WENT ESAU UNTO ISHMAEL,.... Not to Ishmael in person, for he was now dead, Genesis 25:17, and had been dead as is reckoned about fourteen years before this, but to the house of Ishmael: AND TOOK UNTO THE WIVES WHICH HE HAD; the daughters of Heth, and who seem by this to be both alive at this t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JACOB WENT OUT FROM BEERSHEBA,.... Where Isaac and Rebekah now lived: from hence he went alone, without any servants to attend him, though perhaps not without letters of recommendation from his parents, testifying their affection to him, and that he came with their knowledge and consent, and was... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE LIGHTED UPON A CERTAIN PLACE,.... Without any design to take up there, but as it were casually to him, though very providentially, after he had travelled forty eight miles; for so far it seems it was from Beersheba to Luz or Bethel k, as this place was called: AND TARRIED THERE ALL NIGHT, BE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DREAMED,.... As he slept; not a common dream, but under divine direction and influence: AND, BEHOLD, A LADDER SET UPON THE EARTH, AND THE TOP OF IT REACHED TO HEAVEN: denoting either the providence of God, and the various steps of it, bringing about his own glory and the good of his people;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEHOLD, THE LORD STOOD ABOVE IT,.... Ordering, directing, and overruling all things in Providence, for the glory of his name and the good of his people; and may signify, as the ladder may be a figure of Christ, that Jehovah the Father, is above him, as man and Mediator, and makes himself known i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THY SEED SHALL BE AS THE DUST OF THE EARTH,.... Innumerable, see Genesis 13:16; AND THOU SHALT SPREAD ABROAD TO THE WEST; or "the sea", the Mediterranean sea, which was west of the land of Canaan: AND TO THE EAST, AND TO THE NORTH, AND TO THE SOUTH; not of the whole world, but of the land of C... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, BEHOLD, I [AM] WITH THEE,.... Though alone, at a distance from his father's house, no friend to keep him company, or servant to attend him; but the presence of God here promised is abundantly more than an equivalent for all this: AND WILL KEEP THEE IN ALL [PLACES], WHITHER THOU GOEST; from bea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JACOB AWAKED OUT OF HIS SLEEP,.... Which had been sweet unto him, and out of his dream, it being now over; and it having left such a weight upon his mind, and such an awe upon his spirits, it might tend the sooner to awaken him; what time it was is not said, perhaps it was in the middle of the n... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WAS AFRAID,.... Not with a servile but filial fear; not with a fear of the wrath and displeasure of God, but with a fear of his grace and goodness; not with a fear of distrust of it, of which he had just had such a comfortable assurance; but with an awe of the greatness and glory of God, bein... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JACOB ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING,.... In order to proceed on his journey, being comfortably refreshed both in body and mind: but first he TOOK THE STONE THAT HE HAD PUT [FOR] HIS PILLOWS, AND SET IT UP [FOR] A PILLAR; not for a statue or an idol to be worshipped, but for a memorial of the mer... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CALLED THE NAME OF THAT PLACE BETHEL,.... The house of God, which he took this place to be: BUT THE NAME OF THAT CITY [WAS CALLED] LUZ AT THE FIRST; which signifies an almond or hazel nut, Genesis 30:37; perhaps from the number of this sort of trees that grew there, under which Jacob might l... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JACOB VOWED A VOW,.... Which is the first vow we read of in Scripture: SAYING, IF GOD WILL BE WITH ME; the word if is not a sign of doubting, but is either an adverb of time, and may be rendered, "when God shall be with me" t; or as a supposition, expressive of an inference or conclusion drawn,... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT I COME AGAIN TO MY FATHER'S HOUSE IN PEACE,.... In safety from Esau, and all other enemies, as God promised him he should: THEN THE LORD SHALL BE MY GOD; not as if he should not be his God if he did not do all this for him; which would savour not only of a mercenary spirit, but of great imp... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS STONE, WHICH I HAVE SET FOR A PILLAR, SHALL BE GOD'S HOUSE,.... Building an altar of it with some others, and sacrificing to God on it; and wherever God is worshipped, that place is his house, be it what or where it will; and Jacob did as he promised to do, see Genesis 35:3: AND OF ALL TH... [ Continue Reading ]