Genesis 35

God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”

Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.

Let’s arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went.”

They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob.

So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.

He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.

God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him.

God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel.” He named him Israel.

God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body.

The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your offspring after you I will give the land.”

God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him.

Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.

Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him “Bethel”.

They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.

When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.”

As her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin.

Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).

Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.

Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

The sons of Bilhah (Rachel’s servant): Dan and Naphtali.

The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners.

The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years.

Isaac gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter recounts Jacob’s return to Bethel at God’s command, where he renews his covenant relationship with the Lord through repentance, altar-building, and a divine revelation that confirms his new name, Israel. The narrative also records significant family events: Rachel’s death in childbirth, Reuben’s sin, and Isaac’s peaceful death, marking the transition between patriarchs and the continuation of the promised line.

Flow.

God calls Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar; Jacob leads his household in purifying themselves and discarding foreign gods.
At Bethel, God appears to Jacob, reaffirms the covenant with him, changes his name to Israel, and promises descendants, kings, and land.
The journey continues; Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin, and Jacob sets up a pillar at her grave.
Reuben’s moral failure is noted, the twelve sons are listed, and the chapter closes with Isaac’s death and burial by his sons.

Connections.
Following chapter 34, which ends with the violent aftermath of Dinah’s defilement and the moral compromise at Shechem, chapter 35 calls for purification and a decisive break from idolatry, redirecting the family toward covenant faithfulness. The move to Bethel—a place of divine encounter (cf. ch. 28)—reestablishes worship and divine blessing. This spiritual renewal prepares for the increasing focus on Judah and Joseph in chapters 37–50, where the promises of nationhood and kingship begin to unfold. The death of Isaac in this chapter also marks a generational shift, which chapter 36 takes up by tracing Esau’s descendants, setting the stage for Jacob’s lineage to become the central thread.

What it teaches.
This chapter emphasizes the necessity of separation from idolatry and wholehearted devotion to God, demonstrated in Jacob’s call to purify his household (WCF 22.1). God’s reaffirmation of the covenant—naming Jacob “Israel” and renewing the promises of fruitfulness, land, and kingship—reflects the immutability of divine election and the continuity of the covenant across generations (WCF 7.3; HC LD 9). The naming of Bethel as the place of God’s revelation (v. 15) highlights God’s presence with His people, a pledge of His faithfulness even amid human failure. The listing of the twelve sons establishes the tribal foundation of Israel, while the record of sin and death underscores the need for the coming Redeemer (HC LD 1).

Apply.
Set aside anything that competes for your devotion to God and return afresh to the place of His revealed presence.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.