Year of the Bible
Genesis 35
Access your family's weekly resource for the Year of the Bible HERE
Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Chapter 35:
When Jacob left home over twenty years earlier, God appeared to him at Bethel and promised to return him to that place (28:15). The time has come for that promise to be fulfilled, so Jacob and his household go to Bethel with God protecting them from anyone who might bring harm (see 34:30). God reminds Jacob of his new name, Israel, and repeats the promises He made to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham. The narrative of Jacob’s journey home draws toward its conclusion with the birth of his twelfth son, Benjamin, but unfortunately his favored wife, Rachel, dies in the process. We also learn that Reuben, the eldest son, sleeps with Jacob’s concubine. This can be seen as an attempt to gain power from his father, and while there are no immediate ramifications, Jacob, aka Israel, knows of the betrayal.
The Book of Genesis, Chapter 35
Jacob Returns to Bethel
1 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; and make there an altar to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments; 3 then let us arise and go up to Bethel, that I may make there an altar to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.
5 And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were round about them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6 And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, 7 and there he built an altar, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. 8 And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel; so the name of it was called Allon-bacuth.
9 God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddanaram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So his name was called Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you. 12 The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.
The Birth of Benjamin and the Death of Rachel
16 Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when she was in her hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Fear not; for now you will have another son.” 18 And as her soul was departing (for she died), she called his name Benoni; but his father called his name Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; it is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on, and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
22 While Israel dwelt 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. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddanaram.
The Death of Isaac
27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last; and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Lord, renew my sense of awe in your presence! What are the false idols that I've allowed into my life? Instead of asking what's wrong with these distractions, maybe I should be asking what good are they. God, give me the grace to truly detach from them.
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc, or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
Dios dijo a Jacob:
–Ponte en camino, sube a Betel
y establécete allí; allí construirás un altar al
Dios que se te manifestó cuando huías de tu
hermano Esaú.
2 Jacob ordenó a su familia y a todos
los que le acompañaban:
–Retirad los dioses extraños que hay
entre vosotros, purificaos y cambiaos de
ropa; 3 vamos a ponernos en camino y
a subir a Betel, donde construiré un altar
al Dios que me escuchó el día de mi
aflicción y ha estado conmigo en el viaje
que emprendí.
4 Entregaron a Jacob todos los dioses
extraños que tenían en su poder, y los
pendientes que llevaban en sus orejas, y
Jacob los enterró al pie de la encina que
hay junto a Siquem. 5 Iniciaron el viaje
y el terror de Dios invadió las ciudades
de su alrededor, de forma que no persiguieron
a los hijos de Jacob.
6 Jacob llegó a Luz, en tierra de Canaán,
es decir, a Betel, con toda la gente
que le acompañaba. 7 Allí construyó un
altar, y llamó a aquel lugar Dios de Betel,
porque allí se le había manifestado
Dios cuando huía de su hermano. 8 Murió
Débora, nodriza de Rebeca, y fue sepultada
cerca de Betel, al pie de la encina,
por lo que se le dio el nombre de
Alón–Bacut.
9 De nuevo se le manifestó Dios a
Jacob, a su vuelta de Padán–Aram y le
bendijo. 10 Le dijo Dios:
–Tu nombre es Jacob. Sin embargo
ya no te llamarás más Jacob, sino que tu
nombre será Israel.
Y le puso por nombre Israel. 11 Además
Dios le dijo:
–Yo soy El–Saday, sé fecundo y multiplícate;
de ti se formará un pueblo e
incluso una multitud de pueblos, y de
tus entrañas saldrán reyes. 12 La tierraque di a Abrahán e Isaac te la doy a ti; y
a tu descendencia futura daré esta misma
tierra.
13 Y Dios se elevó de su lado, del lugar
donde había hablado con él.
14 Jacob erigió una estela en el lugar
en el que Dios le había hablado. Era una
estela de piedra. Hizo sobre ella una libación
y derramó aceite sobre ella. 15 Jacob
llamó Betel a aquel lugar en el que
Dios le había hablado.
16 Partieron de Betel, y cuando todavía
quedaba bastante trecho para llegar
a Efrata, Raquel dio a luz, pero tuvo dificultades
en el parto. 17 En medio de los
dolores del parto, le dijo la comadrona:
–No temas, pues también esta vez
tienes un hijo.
18 Ella al exhalar su alma, a punto de
morir, le puso por nombre Benoní, pero
su padre le llamó Benjamín.
19 Raquel murió y fue sepultada junto
al camino de Efrata, es decir, de Belén.
20 Jacob erigió una estela sobre su
sepulcro; es la estela del sepulcro de Raquel
que existe hasta el día de hoy.
21 Israel continuó el viaje y plantó la
tienda más allá de Migdal–Éder. 22 Y sucedió
que, habitando Israel en aquella
tierra, fue Rubén y se unió a Bilhá, concubina
de su padre, e Israel se enteró.
Los hijos de Jacob fueron doce. 23 Hijos
de Lía: Rubén el primogénito de Jacob,
Simeón, Leví, Judá, Isacar y Zabulón;
24 hijos de Raquel: José y Benjamín;
25 hijos de Bilhá, esclava de Raquel: Dan
y Neftalí; 26 hijos de Zilpá, esclava de Lía:
Gad y Aser. Éstos son los hijos que le
nacieron a Jacob en Padán–Aram.
27 Jacob llegó a donde estaba su padre
Isaac, a Mambré, a Quiriat–Arbá,
esto es, Hebrón, donde habían habitado
Abrahán e Isaac.
28 Isaac vivió ciento ochenta años.
29 Luego Isaac expiró y murió, yendo a
reunirse con sus antepasados, anciano y
colmado de días. Sus hijos Esaú y Jacob
le dieron sepultura.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).