Genesis 28 - Introduction

1 Isaac blesseth Iacob, and sendeth him to Padan Aram.

6 Esau marrieth Mahalal the daughter of Ishmael.

10 The Vision of Iacobs ladder.

18 The stone of Bethel.

20 Iacobs vow.

1 And Isaac called Iacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and saide vnto him, Thou shalt not take a wife, of the daughters of Canaan.

2 [Note: Hosea 12:12.] Arise, goe to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mothers father, and take thee a wife from thence, of the daughters of Laban thy mothers brother.

3 And God Almighty blesse thee, and make thee fruitfull, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be [Note: Hebrew: an assembly of people.] a multitude of people:

4 And giue thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee and to thy seede with thee, that thou mayest inherit the lande [Note: Hebrew: of thy soiournings.] wherein thou art a stranger, which God gaue vnto Abraham.

[Iacobs dreame.]

5 And Isaac sent away Iacob, and hee went to Padan-Aram vnto Laban, sonne of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Iacobs and Esaus mother.

6 When Esau sawe that Isaac had blessed Iacob, and sent him away to Padan-Aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him, he gaue him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;

7 And that Iacob obeyed his father, and his mother, and was gone to Padan-Aram;

8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan [Note: Hebrew: were euill in the eyes, etc.] pleased not Isaac his father.

9 Then went Esau vnto Ishmael, and tooke vnto the wiues which hee had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abrahams sonne, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.

10 And Iacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward [Note: Called Acts 7:2 Charran.] Haran.

11 And hee lighted vpon a certaine place, and taried there all night, because the sunne was set: and hee tooke of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillowes, and lay downe in that place to sleepe.

12 And he dreamed, and beholde, a ladder set vp on the earth, and the top of it reached to heauen: and beholde the Angels of God ascending and descending on it.

13 [Note: Genesis 35:1; Genesis 48:3.] And behold, the LORD stood aboue 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 giue it, and to thy seede.

14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt [Note: Hebrew: break forth.] spread abroad [Note: Deuteronomy 12:3.] to the West, and to the East, and to the North, and to the South: and in thee, and [Note: Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4.] in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

15 And behold, I am with thee, and will keepe thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee againe into this land: for I will not leaue thee, vntill I haue done that which I haue spoken to thee of.

16 And Iacob awaked out of his sleepe, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place, and I knew it not.

17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place? this is none other,

[He meeteth with Rachel, and marieth her.]

but the house of God, and this is the gate of heauen.

18 And Iacob rose vp earely in the morning, and tooke the stone that hee had put for his pillowes, and set it vp for a pillar, and powred oile vpon the top of it.

19 And hee called the name of that place [Note: That is, the house of God.] Beth-el: but the name of that citie was called Luz, at the first.

20 And Iacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keepe me in this way that I goe, and will giue me bread to eate, and raiment to put on,

21 So that I come againe to my fathers house in peace: then shall the LORD be my God.

22 And this stone which I haue set for a pillar, shall be Gods house: and of all that thou shalt giue me, I will surely giue the tenth vnto thee.