Genesis 35
Jacob Leaves Shechem
Then God told Jacob,
“Pack your things and go to Bethel [which means “God’s house”]. Live there and make an altar to me—the God who presented Himself to you when you were running from Esau.”
So Jacob told his household,
“Throw away your foreign gods! Purify yourselves and put on new clothes! We’re packing up and going to Bethel where I’ll make an altar to God—the one who answered me in my time of trouble and has stayed with me ever since.”
So everyone gave Jacob all their foreign gods and earrings, and he buried them under a big tree near Shechem.
As they set out on their journey, a supernatural terror filled the surrounding cities, and no one attacked Jacob’s family. So Jacob and his crew arrived in Luz, Canaan safely. (Luz was also known as Bethel.) When they got there Jacob built an altar and named it El-bethel (which means “The God of God’s house”), because that’s where God revealed himself to Jacob when he was running from Esau. While they were there, Rebekah’s nurse, Deborah, ended up passing away, so they buried her under a big oak tree there named “the oak of weeping.”
God Gives Jacob Abraham’s Blessing
Then God presented himself to Jacob again when he arrived from Paddan-aram [Syria] and blessed him, saying,
“Your name is Jacob [which means “Usurper”], but you won’t be called that any more. From now on your name will be Israel [which means “God prevails”].”
So then God addressed him as Israel and continued,
“I am the most powerful God. Branch out and become numerous. An entire nation will come from you and so will a number of other nations. Kings will arise from you. I now give you the same land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, and I’ll give it to your descendants after you too.”
Then God wooshed upward and disappeared. Jacob set up a stone monument there and poured a drink offering on it as well as some oil. So Jacob named that place Bethel [which means “God’s house”] since God had spoken to him there.
Rachel Dies Giving Birth to Benjamin
After that, they left Bethel and went toward Ephrath [Bethlehem]. On their way, Rachel started having contractions and went into severe labor, but her midwife told her,
“Don’t be scared, because you’re having another son!”
Rachel didn’t survive his birth, but just as her soul was departing this world, she named him Ben-noi [which meas “son of my sorrow”]. But the boy’s father called him Benjamin [which means “right-hand son”]. So Rachel passed away and was buried on the way to Bethlehem. Jacob set up a monument over her grave that’s still there to this day.
After her burial, Israel resumed his journey and set up his tent just past Bethlehem’s watchtower. The most memorable thing that took place during the time that they lived there was that Reuben ended up sleeping with his dad’s mistress, and Israel found out about it.
But now that Benjamin had been born, Jacob had 12 sons who were all born in Paddan-aram (Syria).
Leah’s:
Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn)
Simeon
Levi
Judah
Issachar
Zebulun
Rachel’s:
Joseph
Benjamin
Bilhah’s (Rachel’s maid):
Dan
Naphtali
Zilpah (Leah’s maid):
Gad
Asher
Jacob Returns Home; Isaac Dies
After that, Jacob finally returned to his father Isaac at Mamre in the city of Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron), which is where Abraham and Isaac had lived.
Isaac lived to be 180 years old when he gave up his spirit and passed away to join his family. He had lived to be a ripe, old age, and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.