Return to Bethel
Return to Bethel
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Purification
God told Jacob, “Go to Bethel and stay there for a while. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from Esau, your brother.”
So Jacob told his household and everyone with him, “Discard the foreign gods you have. Then purify yourselves, and change your clothes. Let’s go to Bethel, where I’ll build an altar to the God who responded to me when I was in trouble and who has been with me everywhere I went.” Then they handed over to Jacob all the foreign gods they possessed, as well as their earrings. Jacob buried them under the terebinth tree near Shechem.
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After Simeon and Levi massacred the men of Shechem, Jacob found himself in a precarious position.1 He needed to leave the area, and the wisest course of action would have him return to his father, who lived in Hebron.2 But many towns lay between Jacob and Isaac, and the Canaanites now considered Jacob an enemy.
Once again, God came to rescue his people from a situation they themselves created. Jacob had neglected to fulfill his vow to worship Yahweh at Bethel.3 But God commanded him to wait no longer. God had protected Jacob from Esau, and he could protect him still. But Jacob had to keep his vow.
To his credit, Jacob recognized his household required purification before undertaking a holy pilgrimage. They had defiled themselves both by bloodshed and by the presence of idols in the camp. Jacob’s servants may have brought some of these from Harran, as Rachel secretly had.4 Certainly many came from the plunder of Shechem. Either way, they had to go. The covenant community would rededicate themselves to Yahweh. And it had to start with purification.
El Bethel
As [Jacob’s household] set out, God made the cities around them terrified so no one would pursue Jacob’s sons. Jacob and all those with him arrived at Luz (now called Bethel) in the land of Canaan. He built an altar there and called the area El Bethel because that was where the heavenly beings were revealed to him when he fled from his brother. Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried below Bethel, under the oak tree. That’s why it’s called Allon Bacuth.
Jacob’s pilgrimage to Bethel marked his official return to the promised land. Though Shechem was also “in the land of Canaan,” at Bethel Yahweh and Jacob swore oaths to each other as Jacob fled from Esau.5 Not until Jacob returned to Bethel had both fulfilled their oaths. Jacob’s life had come full circle.
As Jacob’s purified household traveled, God protected them by causing the cities they passed to feel a supernatural terror. This mirrors the fear felt by the Canaanites when Jacob’s descendants returned to the promised land under Joshua.6 In building an altar, Jacob also mirrors Abraham when he first entered Canaan. Both built altars first at Shechem, then near Bethel.7 Jacob named the area around his second altar El Bethel (“God of Bethel”) because there he had seen Yahweh and his angels in a dream.8
While the family stayed at Bethel, Rebekah’s nurse, Deborah, died. They buried her under an oak tree. Strangely, Scripture records Deborah’s death but not Rebekah’s. At some point Deborah joined Jacob’s household and fittingly ended her life serving Rebekah’s favorite son. The name of the tree they buried her under shows she was beloved. Allon Bacuth means “oak of weeping.”
Restoration
When Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again. God blessed him, “Your name is Jacob. But you’ll no longer be called Jacob because your name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel. Then he continued, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and increase! From you will come a nation, even a fellowship of nations. Kings will come forth from you. I give to you the land I gave to Abraham and Isaac, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”
Then God left Jacob in the place where he spoke to him. Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God spoke to him and poured a drink offering and some olive oil on it. He named the place where God spoke to him Bethel.
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The fulfillment of Jacob’s vow served as the occasion for the renewal of the covenant blessings. God had previously renewed the covenant after Abraham proved his great faith.9 Now God renewed it with Abraham’s grandson. Yet Jacob’s return to Bethel did not represent a spiritual high point. He and his household had proven unfaithful, and the horrors of Shechem overshadowed them.10 But Yahweh is always faithful. When his people return to him, he stands ready to cleanse and restore.
God began restoring Jacob by reaffirming the change of his name to Israel. This would have reminded Jacob of his wrestling match with God and his reunion with Esau.11 God then reminded his people that he is God Almighty, the God who does the impossible.12 They had no need to fear the Canaanites. The renewed blessing echoes the blessings not only on Abraham and Isaac but also on Adam and Eve, repeating the themes of fruitfulness, authority, and land.13
When God left, Jacob set up a sacred pillar to mark the spot where God spoke. Nearby another pillar marked the spot where he had his dream.14 He again anointed the stone with oil, and this time he also poured out a drink offering. As God reaffirmed the new name he had given Jacob, Jacob reaffirmed the new name he had given the area around the pillars. Jacob and his descendants would forever call the town of Luz by the name Bethel, “God’s house.”
Benjamin
When [Jacob’s household] set out from Bethel but had not yet arrived in Ephrathah, Rachel went into labor. But she struggled to give birth. When she was struggling the most, the midwife told her, “Don’t be afraid! You’re having another son!” With her dying breath, she named him Benoni. But his father called him Benjamin. Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrathah (now called Bethlehem). Jacob set up a pillar over her grave, and the pillar marks Rachel’s grave to this day.
After leaving Bethel, Jacob continued south. The family had not traveled far before Rachel went into labor. She endured a painful and difficult labor, especially right before the birth. At this point, the midwife tried to encourage her with the news that she was having a son. After Joseph’s birth, Rachel had prayed for a second son.15 God answered her prayer, but at the cost of her life.
As Rachel died, she named her son Benoni (ben-ʾoni), which means “son of my strength.” But it can also be understood as a wordplay on ben-ʿonyi (“son of my misery”). Both fit the circumstances.16 Jacob removed the ambiguity by renaming him Benjamin (binyamin), which means “son of the right hand.” In Hebrew thought, the right hand represented both strength and honor.17 Jacob had lost his beloved Rachel, but her second son would grow strong and hold a place of honor in the family.
The Fall of Reuben
Then Israel set out again and set up his camp past Migdal Eder. While he lived in that area, Reuben slept with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel found out.
Now Jacob had twelve sons. Leah’s sons were Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin. Bilhah was Rachel’s servant, and her sons were Dan and Naphtali. Zilpah was Leah’s servant, and her sons were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
Benjamin’s birth completed the number of Jacob’s sons. The twelve brothers would soon take center stage in the narrative of Genesis. So the narrator recaps the complete list—six sons through Leah, two through Rachel, two through Bilhah, and two through Zilpah. With the obvious exception of Benjamin, Jacob’s sons were born in Paddan Aram while he stayed with his uncle Laban.
Sandwiched between Benjamin’s birth and the list of Jacob’s sons comes a brief but disturbing account concerning Jacob’s firstborn. While the family camped near Jerusalem, Reuben slept with Bilhah, his father’s concubine and the mother of Dan and Naphtali.18 This constituted both adultery and incest.19 Many scholars believe Reuben’s reason for this involved more than mere lust.20 He may have intentionally tried to challenge his father’s authority, as Absalom did to David.21 Or, given how soon this occurred after Rachel’s death, he may have wanted to prevent Rachel’s servant from replacing her as Jacob’s favorite.
Whatever Reuben’s reason, his reprehensible behavior disqualified him as Jacob’s heir.22 Once again, the firstborn would not continue the chosen line. Isaac had replaced Ishmael, and Jacob had replaced Esau. Who would replace Reuben? Simeon and Levi, the next two in line, had already disqualified themselves.23 The rest of the story of Genesis revolves around the two most likely candidates: Leah’s fourth son, Judah, and Rachel’s firstborn, Joseph.
Isaac’s Death
Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, at Mamre near Kiriath Arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived as foreigners. Isaac lived 180 years. Then he died and was gathered to his people. He was an old man who had lived a full life. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
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Jacob eventually made his way back to Isaac’s camp near Hebron. He lived there as part of his father’s household until Isaac died at 180. Then Esau and Jacob reunited once again to bury their father in the cave in Machpelah.24
The record of Isaac’s death, like Abraham’s, occurs in thematic order, not chronological order.25 He actually lived for a number of years after Joseph was sold into slavery.26 Isaac’s death concludes the ninth of the twelve sections of Genesis, the story of the descendants of Isaac.27 After a brief interlude about Esau’s descendants, the story will shift to focus on Jacob’s descendants. Jacob lives until the end of Genesis, but he also no longer plays a central role in the story. The time had come for the covenant to pass to a new generation.
Esau in Canaan
These are the descendants of Esau, also called Edom:
Esau married Canaanite women, Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite. He also married Basemath daughter of Ishmael, Nebaioth’s sister.
Adah gave birth to Eliphaz for Esau, and Basemath gave birth to Reuel. Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were Esau’s sons, who were born in the land of Canaan.
Esau left with his wives, his sons, his daughters, and his entire household, as well as his livestock, all his animals, and everything he acquired in Canaan. He moved away from Jacob, his brother, because their possessions had grown too numerous for them to live together. The land where they lived as foreigners couldn’t support them with their livestock. Then Esau, also called Edom, lived in the hill country of Seir.
The tenth section of Genesis records the descendants of Esau while he still lived in Canaan. The names of his three wives given here don’t match the names of his wives in Genesis 26:34 and 28:9. In many cultures, people commonly go by more than one name. The names Esau and Edom refer to the same person, and the names Jacob and Israel refer to the same person. Esau also could have had more than three wives.
Unlike Jacob’s sons, Esau’s sons were all born in Canaan. But after Jacob returned, they discovered the area lacked sufficient pasture to feed their combined flocks. This doesn’t mean the entire land of Canaan couldn’t support them, just the area around Hebron, where Isaac had settled. So Esau decided to move his family to Seir, where he already grazed his flocks for part of the summer.28 In this way, Esau ceded the promised land to Jacob. The brothers separated again, but this time peacefully.
Esau in Seir
These are the descendants of Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir:
These were the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel, son of Esau’s wife Basemath.
The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who gave birth to Amalek. These were the grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.
The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
Esau’s wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
These were the clans descended from Esau: Eliphaz, his firstborn, was the ancestor of the clans of Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, Gatam, and Amalek. These were the clans of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, the descendants of Adah.
Esau’s son Reuel was the ancestor of the clans of Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the clans of Reuel in the land of Edom, the descendants of Esau’s wife Basemath.
Esau’s wife Oholibamah was the ancestor of the clans of Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the clans of Esau’s wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah. These were the sons of Esau, also called Edom, and these were their clans.
These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who lived in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the Horite clans, the descendants of Seir in the land of Edom.
The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Lotan’s sister was Timna. The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah, who found the springs in the wilderness while pasturing his father’s donkeys. The children of Anah were Dishon and Oholibamah, Anah’s daughter. The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran. The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.
These were the Horite clans: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the Horite clans according to the list of their clans in the land of Seir.
These were the kings who reigned over the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites: Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom. His city was named Dinhabah. When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah succeeded him. When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him. When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moab, succeeded him. His city was named Avith. When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him. When Samlah died, Saul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him. When Saul died, Baal-Hanan son of Achbor succeeded him. When Baal-Hanan son of Achbor died, Hadad succeeded him. His city was named Pau, and his wife was named Mehetabel daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Mezahab.
These were the names of the clans of Esau according to their families and their locations: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar Magdiel, and Iram. These were the clans of Edom according to their settlements in the land they possessed.
Esau was the ancestor of the Edomites. But Jacob lived in the land where his father lived as a foreigner, in the land of Canaan.
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The eleventh section of Genesis records the descendants of Esau after he moved his family to Seir. Esau’s family flourished, and his children and grandchildren intermarried with the native population, the descendants of Seir the Horite.29 As their population grew, they formed clans named after their ancestors, and eventually kings emerged to rule over them long before the monarchy began in Israel. But the Edomite throne didn’t pass from father to son.
The text repeatedly emphasizes that the Edomites of Seir descended from Esau. Of all Israel’s neighbors, the Edomites were their closest relatives. As God promised Rebekah, the twins in her womb became two separate nations. They didn’t always have a brotherly relationship.30 But in the future messianic kingdom, a remnant of Esau’s descendants will be counted among the nations called by Yahweh’s name.31
This section ends with a reminder that while Esau moved to Seir and integrated with the local population, Jacob continued to live as a foreigner in Canaan.
- Genesis 34:30.
- Genesis 35:27.
- Genesis 28:20–22.
- Genesis 31:19.
- Genesis 28:10–22.
- Joshua 2:8–11.
- Genesis 12:6–8; see Succoth and Shechem.
- Though the Hebrew word ʾelohim most often refers to God, the verb for “they were revealed” is plural. This is one of a few places where Scripture refers to angels as ʾelohim. See Michael S. Heiser, “Who Are the Elohim? The Answer Might Rattle Your Theology,” July 20, 2021, https://logos.com/grow/who-are-elohim/.
- See The Promise Expanded.
- See Vengeance.
- See Israel.
- See God Almighty.
- Genesis 1:28; 17:3–8; 26:2–5.
- Genesis 28:18–19.
- Genesis 30:22–24.
- See Double Entendre.
- Genesis 48:14–20; Exodus 15:6; Judges 5:26; Psalms 78:54–55; 110:1; Matthew 25:34; Hebrews 1:3–4.
- The exact location of Migdal Eder (“tower of the flock”) is unknown, but Micah 4:8 associates it with Jerusalem.
- Leviticus 20:11.
- Hamilton, Book of Genesis: Chapters 18–50, 387; Walton, “Genesis,” 120; Wenham, Genesis 16–50, 327.
- 2 Samuel 16:20–22.
- Genesis 49:3–4.
- Genesis 34:25; 49:5–7.
- Genesis 49:29–31.
- See Abraham’s Burial.
- Jacob was 120 when his father died and 130 when he led his family to Egypt. Joseph lived in Egypt at least twenty-two years before his family joined him. See Genesis 25:26; 37:2; 41:46; 45:6; 47:9.
- See Genesis 25:19.
- See Esau’s Invitation.
- In verse 2, Seir’s son Zibeon is called a Hivite. The two terms may overlap, or Horite may mean “cave dweller” instead of referring to a nationality.
- Numbers 20:14–21; 1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:13–14; 2 Kings 8:20–22; Psalm 137:7.
- Amos 9:11–12.