Genesis 28

Isaac sends for Jacob and chargeth him to travel into Mesopotamia and to take him a wife of the daughters of Laban wishing him good speed of his journey with the renewing and confirmation of the benediction which he had given him before without knowing him verse1 &c. Esau perceiving that his design was frustrated and that his Canaanitish wives were not acceptable to his father he goes and married another yet of Ishmaels family 6 Jacob undertakes the journey and by the way seeth that most remarkeable vision of a ladder in a dream receiving there most excellent promises of God 12 whereby being strengthened and encouraged he sets up a memorial there and engageth himself in a vow of thankfulness to God 16.

1. And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him [that is the benediction which he had been before given him unknowingly he now upon better light wittingly and willingly confirmed and ratified unto him wishing Jacob withal prosperous and happy journey as Joshua 22:7] and commanded him and said to him take no wife of the daughters of Canaan.

2. Get thee up go to Paddan Aram [see above chapter 25 on verse 20] to the house of Bethuel [see above chapter 25 on verse 22,23] my mothers father and take thee a wife thence of daughters of Laban thy mothers brother.

3. And God almighty bless thee [see above chapter 17 verse 1 and the annotate] and make thee fruitful and multiply thee that thou maist be a heap of people acervus or coetus populorum.

4. And he give unto thee the blessing of Abraham [that is promised to Abraham above chapter 12.3,7 and chapter 15.1,4,5,7, &chapter 17.5,6,7,8] and to thy seed with thee which that thou maist hereditarily possess the land of thy strangership or sojourning [see above chapter 17 on verse 8] which God gave unto Abraham.

5. So Isaac sent Jacob away that he went to Paddan Aram to Laban son of Bethuel the Syrian [Heb. Aramean or Aramite] the brother of Rebecca, Jacob and Esaus mother.

6. Now when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paden Aram to take him a wife from thence and when he blessed him had commanded him saying take no wife of the daughters of Canaan.

7. And that Jacob had been obedient to his father and his mother and was gone for Paddan Aram.

8. And that Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of Isaac his father [that is unacceptable displeasing to him see above chapter 21 verse 11.]

9. And Esau went to Ishmael [that is to Ishmaels house or family and offspring Ishmael being dead already by this time as some do gather from chapter 25.17] and took him a wife above his wives [that is over and above the wives he had before which were two above chapter 26.34 so that this was the third it should seem that Esau did this as a thinking to please his father by matching into his kindred]Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael the son of Abraham the sister of Nehajoth [Ishmael first born see above chapter 25.13.]

10. Jacob then went forth from Beersheba [see above chapter 21 on verse 31] and journeyed to Haran.

11. And he lighted a place whereby he overnighted [see below verse 19] for the son was gone and he took the stones of that place [that is one of the stones as is to begat hereby verse 18] and made his head pillow and laid himself to sleep at the same place.

12. And he dreamt [to wit a dream which God sent him extraordinarily for to reveal thereby some hidden and holy matters of mysteries unto him see of the like divine revelation above chapter 20 on verse 3] and lo a ladder was set upon the earth and whose top or uppermost [Heb. Head] did reach to heaven and behold the angels of God [that is the good and blessed ones] and ascending and descending thereon.

13. And behold the Lord stood upon the same and said I am the Lord [see above verse 3 and 4] the God of thy father [that is grand-sire or grand father] Abraham and the God of Isaac this land whereon thou list asleep will give I to thee and to thy seed.

14. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth [see above chapter 13 verse 16] and thou salt break forth in the multitude [that is spread and multiply exceedingly in a short time so likewise below chapter 30 verse 30 Isaiah 54:3] west-wards [Heb. Sea-wards or to the sea see above chapter 12.8] and eastward and northwards and southwards an din thee and in thy seed shall all generations of the earth be blessed [see above chapter 12.3 and 22.18.]

15. And behold I am with thee [see above chapter 21 on verse 22 and chapter 26 on verse 4] and I will keep thee everywhere wither thou shalt go and I will bring thee back into the same country for I will not forsake thee until I shall have done that which I have spoken unto thee [that is never according t the usual purport of this phrase2 Samuel 6.23 Matthew 1:25 and 18.34.]

16. Now when Jacob awaked out of his sleep he said assuredly the Lord is in this place [viz. in a peculiar manner in regard of the precedence apparition otherwise God is everywhere] and I knew it not [that is I did not think of or imagine that ucha divine revelation should happen to me.]

17. And he was afraid as said how dreadful this place is? [in regard of the glorious majesty of God which was manifested here to Jacob in a very extraordinary manner to declare and reveal himself unto men by speaking to them and to be spoken unto by men praying and worshipping of him whereby they may from whence as by a gate ascend up into heaven to converse wit him.]

18. And Jacob raised up early in the morning and he took that stone which he had laid for his head pillow and set it up for a monument and poured forth oil [which he had taken along with him for provision by the way to use with his meat and anointing according to the custom of whose countries oil was likewise used in offerings and consecrations of things to God see exodus chapter 29] upon the top [Heb. Head] of it [this Jacob did in token that the consecrated or hallowed this stone thee both to testify his thankfulness to God at present and to leave a memorial behind for time to come for that God had there appeared to him.]

19. And he named the name of that place Bethel [a house of God sees above chapter12 verse 8 and chapter 13 verses 3] whereas the name that city formerly was Luz. [See below chapter 35 verse 6 and chapter 48 verses 3.]

20. And Jacob vowed a vow [as desiring some special mercies of God for the which he engaged himself to be thankful] saying when God shall have been with me and shall have kept me upon this way wherein I go and shall have given, me bread to eat [see above chapter 3 on verse 19] and apparel to put on.

21. And I shall be returned to the house of my father in peace [compare above chapter 26 the annotations on verse 29] then the LORD shall be God to me [that is I shall evermore profess and acknowledge him the true God and only savoir and accordingly set up his public worship as followeth.]

22. And this stone which I have set up for a monument shall be an house of God [that is a place which I shall hallow and consecrate for me and mine to serve and worship god there compare above verse 17 and see the performance thereof below chapter 35 verse 1, 3, 7] and whatsoever thou shalt give me thereof will I surely give thee the tenth [Heb. I will tithing tithe thee decimando decimabo tibi that is pay the tenth therefore assuredly viz. For the entertainment and maintenance of God and for the practice and exercise of all manner of pious and charitable uses compare below chapter 35 verses 3, 7.]