Old Testament · Genesis

Genesis 28

King James Version · Study Bible

Author

Moses

Written

~1446-1406 BC

Key Theme

Divine promise and covenant

Setting

Canaan - near Bethel

Key Verse

Genesis 28:14

Total Verses

22

Chapter Introduction

*When Jacob, weary from his journey, lay down beneath a solitary oak, the heavens opened and He placed His promise upon him. In that quiet night, God spoke of blessing, fruitfulness, and a presence that would never depart. Let us remember that the same God who steadied Jacob's heart is still there for us today, inviting us to trust His plans even when the road ahead seems uncertain. May this story kindle hope and faith in every believer's heart.*

Genesis — Chapter 28 — KJV
1

And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

Simply PutIsaac blessed Jacob, using the Hebrew word barak (H1286), which means to bestow divine favor. He also charged Jacob—binding him with a qavah (H6915)—to stay away from marrying Canaanite women.
2

Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.

Simply PutGod called Jacob to arise (qum, H7076) and go to Padanaram. There he was to take (laqach, H3312) a wife from the daughters of Laban, his mother's brother.
3

And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

Simply PutThe Almighty promised to bless (barak, H1286) Jacob and make him fruitful (rabbah, H6920), multiplying him to become a great multitude of people.
4

And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

Simply PutHe promised Jacob the blessing of Abraham, ensuring that Jacob and his seed would inherit the land where they were strangers—God’s promised inheritance (yashab, H3223).
5

And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

Simply PutIsaac sent Jacob away (shalach, H7956) to Laban in Haran, the son of Bethuel and brother of Rebekah.
6

When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;

Simply PutWhen Esau saw (ra'ah, H7205) that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Padanaram, he noted the charge to avoid Canaanite wives.
7

And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;

Simply PutJacob obeyed (shama, H8080) his father and mother and left for Padanaram.
8

And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;

Simply PutEsau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please (na'ah, H5110) his father Isaac.
9

Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

Simply PutEsau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath (or Bashemath), the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son.
10

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

Simply PutJacob left Beersheba and headed toward Haran.
11

And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

Simply PutHe stopped at a place, tarried all night, and used stones (mashkav, H4953) as his pillow.
12

And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

Simply PutHe dreamed a ladder (sulam, H8324) from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending.
13

And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

Simply PutThe LORD stood above it, declaring Himself the God of Abraham and Isaac, promising the land to Jacob and his seed.
14

And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

Simply PutHe said Jacob's seed would be as numerous as the dust, spreading (parash, H6573) to all directions, and that all families would be blessed through them.
15

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

Simply PutHe promised to keep (shamar, H8080) Jacob wherever he went and bring him back to the land, never leaving him until His promises were fulfilled.
16

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

Simply PutJacob awoke and said the LORD was in that place, though he didn't know it.
17

And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Simply PutHe feared (yareh, H3009) and declared the place dreadful, recognizing it as the house of God and a gate to heaven.
18

And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

Simply PutHe rose early, set up the stone as a pillar (amud, H555), and poured oil on its top.
19

And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

Simply PutHe named the place Bethel—meaning “house of God”—though it was originally called Luz.
20

And 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 raiment to put on,

Simply PutJacob vowed (neder, H5051) that if God stayed with him and provided for his needs...
21

So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

Simply Put...and he returned to his father's house in peace (shalom, H7965), the LORD would be his God.
22

And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Simply PutHe declared the stone a house of God and pledged to give a tenth (ma'aser, H4520) of all he received.
PreviousGenesis 27

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✦ Cross-References

Genesis 27:28This verse records Isaac's original blessing of Jacob, which Genesis 28:5-6 references as the reason for Jacob’s departure to Padan‑aram.
Genesis 12:1-3The promise God made to Abraham is echoed in Genesis 28:4, showing the continuity of divine blessing across generations.
Genesis 31:41Jacob’s covenant with Laban at Mizpah mirrors the oath he swore in Genesis 28:5-6, highlighting themes of fidelity and divine protection.
Genesis 35:11God’s reaffirmation of the covenant with Jacob at Bethel recalls the ladder vision and blessing in Genesis 28:13-15, underscoring God’s ongoing presence.

Reflect

When you encounter a life-changing crossroads—like starting a new job, moving to a new city, or beginning a family—where do you notice signs of guidance or support that feel like a “ladder” connecting your daily life to something larger?