Genesis 28

KJ3 Literal Translation — Chapter 28 of 50

1 And Isaac called Jacob. And he blessed him and commanded him, and said to him, You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.

2 Go up, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father. And take a wife for yourself from there, from the daughters of Laban the brother of your mother.

3 And may God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful, and add to you; and may you become an assembly of nations.

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Chapter Summary

1 Isaac blesses Jacob, and sends him to Padan-aram. 6 Esau marries Ishmael's daughter 10 The vision of Jacob's ladder. 20 Jacob's VOW.

Key Hebrew Words

בָּרַךְ bless H1288 · TWOT 285
סֻלָּם ladder H5551 · TWOT 1506c
חָלַם dream H2492 · TWOT 663
נֶ֫דֶר vow H5088 · TWOT 1308a
מַצֵּבָה pillar H4676 · TWOT 1398g
זֶ֫רַע seed, offspring H2233 · TWOT 582a

People & Context

Jacob

Son of Isaac; sent to Padan-aram, dreams of the ladder, and vows to Jehovah at Beth-el.

Isaac

Jacob's father; blesses him with Abraham's blessing and sends him to take a wife from Laban's house.

Esau

Jacob's brother; seeing the daughters of Canaan displease Isaac, marries Ishmael's daughter Mahalath.

Jehovah

Stands above the ladder, identifies as God of Abraham and Isaac, and promises Jacob the land and seed.

Ishmael

Abraham's son; Esau goes to him and takes his daughter as an additional wife.

Mahalath

Daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebajoth, whom Esau takes as a wife.

Timeline

Isaac Blesses Jacob and Sends Him to Padan-aram

Isaac calls Jacob, blesses him, and commands him not to take a wife from Canaanite daughters, but to go to Laban's house in Padan-aram to take a wife from his daughters. He blesses Jacob with fruitfulness, a multitude of nations, and the blessing of Abraham, including possession of the promised land.

Genesis 28:1-5
Esau Marries Ishmael's Daughter

Esau, seeing that Canaanite women are displeasing to Isaac and that Jacob obeyed by going to Padan-aram, goes to Ishmael and takes Mahalath (Ishmael's daughter and Nebajoth's sister) as an additional wife.

Genesis 28:6-9
Jacob's Dream at Beth-el

Jacob departs from Beer-sheba towards Haran. He stops for the night, takes stones for his head, and sleeps. He dreams of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. Jehovah stands above it, reaffirms the promises made to Abraham and Isaac (land, countless seed, blessing to all families through his seed), and promises to be with Jacob and bring him back to the land.

Genesis 28:10-15

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