The Bible — World English Bible

Genesis 28

In brief

Genesis 28 tells of Jacob's departure. Isaac blesses him and sends him to Laban to find a wife, while Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael. On the way, one night at Luz, Jacob dreams of a ladder that joins earth to heaven. God renews to him the promise made to Abraham and Isaac: a land, descendants and a faithful presence. Jacob names the place Bethel, sets up a stone and makes a vow. The chapter shows God coming to meet a fugitive.

The chapter in 4 parts

  1. v. 1-9Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him to Paddan Aram
  2. v. 10-15The dream of the ladder and God's promise
  3. v. 16-19Jacob wakes up: Bethel, the house of God
  4. v. 20-22Jacob's vow

1Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

2Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

3May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,

4and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham.”

5Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a command, saying, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;”

7and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram.

8Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan didn’t please Isaac, his father.

9Esau went to Ishmael, and took, in addition to the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.

10Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

11He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.

12He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

13Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your offspring.

14Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed.

15Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.”

16Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”

17He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”

18Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top.

19He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

20Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on,

21so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Yahweh will be my God,

22then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”

Key verses

Verse 12
He dreamed and saw a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

A ladder set on the earth, its top reaching to heaven, with angels going up and down. The image says that God establishes the link between heaven and earth, without Jacob having done anything to deserve it.

Verse 13-14
Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, “I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. I will give the land you lie on to you and to your offspring. Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring, all the families of the earth will be blessed.

God presents himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac and renews the promise: a land, many descendants and the blessing of all the families of the earth.

Verse 15
Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you.”

I am with you, I will keep you wherever you go and I will not leave you. This is the heart of the chapter: God's faithfulness to a man on the run, with no condition attached to his departure.

Verse 16-17
Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.” He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Jacob wakes up and recognizes that the Lord was there without his knowing it. The place is called the house of God and the gate of heaven.

Verse 20-22
Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Yahweh will be my God, then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”

Jacob promises that, if God is with him, the Lord will be his God and he will give him a tenth. The vow is set out in the text, and it is read in different ways depending on the tradition.

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Frequently asked questions about Genesis 28

What does Jacob's ladder mean?

The ladder set up between earth and heaven, with angels going up and down, says that God takes the initiative to join heaven and earth. Jacob does not build it, he receives it in a dream. In John 1:51, Jesus takes up this image and applies it to himself, which leads many Christians to see him as the true link between God and humanity.

What promise does God make to Jacob at Bethel?

God renews the promise made to Abraham and Isaac: the land where Jacob is lying, descendants as numerous as the dust, and blessing for all the families of the earth. He adds a personal promise: he will be with him everywhere, keep him and bring him back to the land.

What does Bethel mean?

Bethel means house of God. Jacob gives this name to the place, formerly called Luz, after realizing that God was present there, without his knowing it. He sets up the stone he had slept on as a monument and pours oil on it, before making his vow.

Articles quoting Genesis 28

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World English Bible translation — public domain.