Genesis 35

Ch. 35 (E, J, P.) 1–8 (E). Jacob at Bethel. 9–15 (14 J) (P). The appearance of God to Jacob. His name changed to Israel. 16–22a. Birth of Benjamin, death of Rachel (J). 22b–29. The names of Jacob’s sons and the death of Isaac (P).

Genesis 35:1

1. go up to Beth-el] From Shechem to Bethel is an ascent of 1000 feet. Bethel Isaiah 2890 feet above the sea. LXX εἰςτὸντόπονΒαιθήλ = “unto the place Bethel,” cf. Genesis 12:6-8, Genesis 13:4, Genesis 28:11. an altar] Jacob is commanded to worship at Bethel in fulfilment of his vow, Genesis 28:22.

Genesis 35:2

2. strange gods] The images of the gods of foreigners, i.e. of another family, tribe, or nation. Rachel had carried away, from Haran, the household gods of her father’s family. Cf. Genesis 31:19; Genesis 31:30; Genesis 31:32-35. The presence of the gods of the foreigner was displeasing in the sight of the God of Israel. Cf. Joshua 24:23, “Now therefore put away the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord, the God of Israel”; words which were also spoken at Shechem. purify yourselves] Cf. Exodus 19:10; Leviticus 15:5. Purification was effected by ceremonial washings.

Genesis 35:3

3. who answered me] Jacob here refers to his flight from Esau (chap. 28), not, as some have supposed, to his flight from Laban (chap. 31). in the day of my distress] Cf. Psalms 20:1, “The Lord answer thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high.” was with me] Cf. Genesis 28:20, Genesis 31:3.

Genesis 35:4

4. in their hand] i.e. in their possession. the rings … ears] The rings mentioned were probably not simple earrings as in Genesis 24:22, but rings worn as charms, and amulets, having symbols of heathen deities. Cf. Hosea 2:13. the oak] R.V. marg. terebinth. It is noteworthy that Joshua, under the same “oak” of Shechem (Joshua 24:26), testified against the primitive worship of strange gods; cf. Joshua 24:2; Joshua 24:14; Joshua 24:23. For the “terebinth,” cf. Genesis 12:6. The same sacred tree is possibly mentioned in Judges 9:6.

Genesis 35:5

5. a great terror] Heb. a terror of God. The inhabitants were under the influence of a mysterious dread or panic, inspired by God. Cf. Exodus 15:16; Exodus 23:27; Deuteronomy 2:25; Joshua 2:9; 2 Chronicles 14:14. did not pursue] These words which imply that “the sons of Jacob” had by their violence given just cause of provocation, presuppose ch. 34.

Genesis 35:6

6. Luz] See Genesis 28:19, Genesis 48:3.

Genesis 35:7

7. the place] See notes on Genesis 12:6, Genesis 28:11. El-beth-el] That is, the God of Beth-el. Here, as in Genesis 33:20, the altar receives the name of the deity. was revealed] Referring to Genesis 28:12-13. In the Heb. “was revealed” is in the plural: see note on Genesis 20:13, cf. Joshua 24:19. Dillmann (Theologie d. A.T., p. 211) explains this by saying that “Elohim” here is “God with the angels.” The Divine Presence is regarded as hidden or covered, and needing to be “revealed”; cf. Numbers 24:4; Numbers 24:16.

Genesis 35:8

8. Deborah] The mention of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, is surprising. She is mentioned, though not by name, in Genesis 24:59. Probably her name was well known in other Israelite traditions which have not survived. If we relied on the chronology of P, we should have to call attention to the fact that, according to its statements (Genesis 25:20, Genesis 35:28), Deborah had left Haran with Rebekah 140 years before. below Beth-el] On lower ground, probably to the south; cf. 1 Samuel 7:11, “under Beth-car”; 1 Kings 4:12, “beneath Jezreel.” Allon-bacuth] That is, the oak of weeping. It is a coincidence, but nothing more, that Deborah, the prophetess, dwelt between Ramah and Bethel, under a palm tree, Judges 4:5. Is this the “oak of Tabor” (1 Samuel 10:3)? 9–15 (P). This passage contains the account of (1) an appearance of God to Jacob, (2) the change of his name to Israel, and (3) the renewal of the Divine promises granted at Bethel. All this is parallel to the narrative in Genesis 28:10-22; it presents P’s explanation of the names Israel and Bethel, both of which have already been accounted for in J and E.

Genesis 35:9

9. when he came … Paddan-aram] As in Genesis 33:18, P ignores the whole J and E narrative since the departure from Haran; which country appears in P as Paddan-aram.

Genesis 35:10

10. Israel shall be thy name] This change of name has been mentioned by J in Genesis 32:28. For the change, cf. Genesis 17:5; Genesis 17:15, where Abraham and Sarah receive a change of name associated with a special promise.

Genesis 35:11

11. God Almighty] Heb. El Shaddai. See note on Genesis 17:1. The phrases in this verse, “God Almighty,” “be fruitful and multiply,” “company of nations,” are characteristic of P’s style. a nation, &c.] Cf. the promises in Genesis 17:5-6; Genesis 17:16. Here the mention of “kings” renews the promise to Sarah in Genesis 17:16 (P).

Genesis 35:13

13. And God went up] An expression descriptive of the manifestation in some external form, in which God appeared to Jacob. Cf. Genesis 18:33, “And the Lord went his way.”

Genesis 35:14

14. And Jacob, &c.] This verse, probably from J, contains a parallel account to that of E in Genesis 28:18. Jacob erects a pillar, or upright stone (maṣ ?ṣ ?êbah): and this he consecrates with a libation of oil and a drink offering. Whether this is the account of another pillar at Bethel, or is a parallel version of the account in ch. 28, is uncertain.

Genesis 35:16-22

16–22a (J). Birth of Benjamin and Death of Rachel “The meaning of the statement that Rachel died when Benjamin was born is that the formation of the new tribe Benjamin broke up the old tribe Rachel” (Bennett). But it would be a mistake to attempt to distinguish too closely the personal and tribal elements in the narrative. Events in personal life may be recorded for their symbolical significance. The story of Jacob, as distinct from that of Joseph, closes with Rachel’s death.

Genesis 35:17

17. another son] Lit. “for this also is a son for thee.” Perhaps the reference is to Rachel’s prayer (Genesis 30:24), “the Lord add to me another son,” when Joseph was born.

Genesis 35:18

18. her soul] The nephesh, or “soul,” the vital principle: cf. 1 Kings 17:21, “let this child’s soul come unto him again.” Ben-oni] i.e. the son of my sorrow. Rachel, as she dies, names her son; but the father cannot acquiesce in a name of such sad memories. Benjamin] i.e. the son of the right hand. Jacob refuses to give his child an ill-omened name. The right hand was regarded as the auspicious side. Cf. Genesis 48:13; Genesis 48:17-19; 1 Kings 2:19; Psalms 45:9; Psalms 89:13. The tribe of Benjamin occupied the southernmost territory of the sons of Rachel, viz. on the right of Ephraim, facing eastwards. According to Sayce (E.H.H., p. 79) this is the explanation of the name, which then might be rendered “southerner”; and the present story would imply the formation of the tribe after the occupation of Canaan. The words of Rachel, as she dies, should be compared with the allusion in Jeremiah 31:15. The condensed account in this passage makes no reference to the grief of Jacob; but this is expressed in Genesis 48:7 by a pathetic sentence.

Genesis 35:19

19. Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem)] The words, “the same is Beth-lehem,” create a difficulty; they occur also in Genesis 48:7, and seem to be confirmed by Rth 4:11; Micah 5:2, “Bethlehem Ephrathah,” where the reference is to Bethlehem, S. of Jerusalem. But (1) judging from the present passage we should suppose that Rachel’s tomb was a little south of Bethel: (2) from Jeremiah 31:15 it would appear that Rachel’s death and burial were connected with Ramah, a place 5 miles north of Jerusalem: (3) from 1 Samuel 10:2 we learn that Rachel’s sepulchre is in the border of Benjamin, i.e. north of Jerusalem. There is clearly, therefore, a discrepancy. Perhaps two traditions were current respecting the sepulchre; one placing it near Ramah, on the borders of Benjamin, south of Bethel; the other placing it near Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. The words, “the same is Beth-lehem,” look like a gloss, erroneously inserted into the text. “Ephrath,” by itself, was not an uncommon name. In all probability, if the words are an erroneous gloss, they are responsible for the Biblical discrepancy, and are accountable for the Christian tradition of Rachel’s tomb N. of Bethlehem.

Genesis 35:21

21. Israel] Observe the employment of the new name as an alternative for Jacob, with especial frequency in the J narrative. the tower of Eder] i.e. “the tower of the flock.” It is uncertain whether “Eder” is a proper name or not. For a similar uncertainty, cf. Genesis 33:18. The place is evidently situated between Ephrath (Genesis 35:19) and Hebron (Genesis 37:14). The identification of Eder with Jerusalem on the strength of Mic 4:8 (“O tower of the flock [or, “Eder”], the hill of the daughter of Sion”) is improbable. 22a. Reuben] The incest of Reuben is alluded to in Genesis 49:3-4. The Compiler abbreviates what must have been a repulsive tradition. But, as in ch. 34, the tradition may possibly contain, in figurative language, some reminiscence of early tribal relations. Very little is known of the tribe of Reuben; but in Numbers 16 the tribe of Reuben endeavours to displace Moses on the strength of its primogeniture: and in Joshua 15:6, “the stone of Bohan son of Reuben,” in the heart of Canaan, may contain the reminiscence of some early unrecorded tribal encroachment. Israel heard of it] As in Genesis 34:30-31, the tradition breaks off abruptly.

Genesis 35:22-29

22b–29 (P). Jacob’s Sons, and the Death of Isaac 22b. the sons of Jacob] The names of Jacob’s sons are enumerated after the mention of Benjamin’s birth. But the enumeration is that of P, which assumes that all the sons of Jacob, including Benjamin, were born to him in Paddan-aram (Genesis 35:26), in direct contradiction to Genesis 35:16-18 (J). twelve] A sacred number, found also in the sons of Nahor and Ishmael (Genesis 17:20, Genesis 22:20-24, Genesis 25:16).

Genesis 35:27

27. Isaac] The mention of Isaac, after so long an interval, is surprising. But the P narrative carefully records the death and age of each patriarch. According to J, Isaac was living at Beer-sheba, when Jacob left his home (Genesis 28:10). According to P, Isaac died 80 years later at Mamre in close proximity to the burial-place of his father. Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20); 60 years old at the birth of Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:26); at least 100 years old when Jacob went to Haran (Genesis 27:46, cf. Genesis 26:34), and, therefore, over 120 when Jacob returned from Haran. Mamre] Cf. Genesis 13:18, Genesis 23:19. Kiriath-arba] Cf. Genesis 23:2.

Genesis 35:28

28. the days of Isaac] Isaac is here credited with a longer life by 5 years than Abraham. Cf. Genesis 25:7. Comparing this verse with Genesis 25:20, Genesis 26:34, Jacob, according to P, was 120 years old at his father’s death; he had left his father at the age of 40; and had resided in Canaan for nearly 60 years. There is no mention of his having visited Isaac again.

Genesis 35:29

29. gave up the ghost, &c.] Cf. the same phrase in Genesis 25:8, Genesis 49:33. Esau and Jacob] According to P, Esau and Jacob meet at the burial of Isaac, just as Ishmael and Isaac met to bury Abraham, Genesis 25:9. The Book of Jubilees (chs. 37, 38) relates that, after Isaac’s death, Esau was stirred up by his sons to attack Jacob with an army; and that Esau said: “If the boar can change its skin, and make its bristles as soft as wool … then will I observe the tie of brotherhood with thee, &c.” Whereupon Jacob, listening to the advice of Judah his son, “bent his bow and sent forth the arrow and struck Esau his brother on the right breast and slew him.”