So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau. So Isaac sent Jacob awayThis phrase marks a pivotal moment in the life of Jacob, as Isaac, his father, takes decisive action to send him on a journey. The Hebrew root for "sent" is שָׁלַח (shalach), which often implies a purposeful dispatching. This is not merely a physical sending away but a spiritual and covenantal journey. Isaac's decision is rooted in the divine promise and the need to preserve the Abrahamic lineage through a suitable marriage, as Jacob is sent to find a wife among his mother's kin. and he went to Paddan-aram
"Paddan-aram" refers to the region in Mesopotamia, known for its fertile plains. The name itself, derived from the Hebrew פַּדַּן אֲרָם (Paddan Aram), suggests a place of broad fields, indicating prosperity and provision. This journey to Paddan-aram is not just geographical but also spiritual, as Jacob is stepping into the broader narrative of God's covenantal promises. Historically, this area is significant as it connects to the ancestral roots of the patriarchs, emphasizing the continuity of God's plan. to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean
Laban, whose name in Hebrew לָבָן (Lavan) means "white," is a key figure in Jacob's story. He is the son of Bethuel, and his designation as "the Aramean" highlights his cultural and ethnic background, rooted in the Aramean people. This connection underscores the familial ties and the importance of maintaining the purity of the covenantal line through marriage within the extended family. The historical context here is rich, as it reflects the ancient Near Eastern customs of kinship and marriage alliances. the brother of Rebekah
Rebekah, רִבְקָה (Rivkah) in Hebrew, is a central matriarch in the Genesis narrative. Her brother Laban's mention here reinforces the familial bonds and the importance of her lineage. Rebekah's role as the mother of Jacob and Esau is crucial, as she is instrumental in the unfolding of God's plan. This phrase also serves to remind the reader of the interconnectedness of the family and the divine orchestration at work in their lives. the mother of Jacob and Esau
This phrase emphasizes Rebekah's dual role as the mother of both Jacob and Esau, highlighting the tension and the divine election that plays out between the two brothers. The Hebrew word for "mother," אֵם (em), signifies not just biological motherhood but also the nurturing and guiding role she plays in the narrative. Rebekah's influence is profound, as she helps shape the destiny of her sons, particularly Jacob, who is chosen to carry forward the covenantal promise. This maternal reference serves as a reminder of the pivotal role women play in the biblical narrative and God's redemptive history. Persons / Places / Events 1. IsaacThe son of Abraham and father of Jacob and Esau. He plays a crucial role in the continuation of God's covenant with Abraham. 2. JacobThe younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, who is sent away to find a wife from his mother's family. He is a key patriarch in the lineage of Israel. 3. Paddan-aramA region in Mesopotamia where Laban, Rebekah's brother, lives. It is significant as the place where Jacob will find his wives and start his family. 4. LabanThe son of Bethuel and brother of Rebekah. He becomes Jacob's father-in-law and plays a significant role in Jacob's life. 5. RebekahThe wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau. Her actions and decisions significantly influence the direction of Jacob's life. Teaching Points Obedience to Parental GuidanceJacob's departure to Paddan-aram illustrates the importance of honoring and obeying parental guidance, especially when it aligns with God's will. God's Sovereignty in Family DynamicsThe interactions between Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau demonstrate God's sovereignty and purpose in family relationships, even amidst human flaws. Trusting God's PlanJacob's journey is a reminder to trust in God's plan, even when it requires leaving familiar surroundings and stepping into the unknown. The Importance of Heritage and LineageThe emphasis on family connections underscores the importance of heritage and the continuation of God's covenant promises through generations. Seeking God's Will in MarriageJacob's journey to find a wife from his mother's family highlights the significance of seeking God's will in marriage and family decisions. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Jacob's obedience to Isaac's instructions reflect the biblical principle of honoring one's parents, and how can we apply this in our own lives? 2. In what ways does the account of Jacob's journey to Paddan-aram demonstrate God's sovereignty, and how can this encourage us in our personal journeys? 3. How do the family dynamics between Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau illustrate the complexities of human relationships, and what can we learn from them? 4. What role does heritage play in the unfolding of God's promises in Genesis 28:5, and how can we value our spiritual heritage today? 5. How can we seek God's guidance in our own decisions about marriage and family, drawing from Jacob's example in this passage? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 24This chapter details how Rebekah was chosen as Isaac's wife, connecting the family lineage and God's providence in guiding the patriarchs. Genesis 27The preceding chapter where Jacob deceives Isaac to receive Esau's blessing, setting the stage for his departure to Paddan-aram. Genesis 29The continuation of Jacob's journey and his experiences with Laban, including his marriages to Leah and Rachel. Hosea 12:12This verse references Jacob's journey to Aram, highlighting the historical and spiritual significance of his time there. People Aram, Bethuel, Esau, Haran, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Laban, Mahalath, Nebaioth, Nebajoth, RebekahPlaces Beersheba, Bethel, Haran, Luz, Paddan-aramTopics Aram, Aramaean, Aramean, Bethuel, Bethu'el, Brother, Esau, Esau's, Isaac, Jacob, Jacob's, Laban, Padanaram, Padan-aram, Paddan, Paddan-aram, Rebecca, Rebekah, Rebekah's, Syrian, ThusDictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 28:1-5 5095 Jacob, life Library The Heavenly Pathway and the Earthly Heart
'And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. 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. 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. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureFebruary the Fifth Everywhere the Gate of Heaven
"Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not." --GENESIS xxviii. 10-22. That is the first time for many a day that Jacob had named the name of God. In all the dark story of his wicked intrigue the name of God is never mentioned. Jacob wanted to forget God! God would be a disturbing presence! But here he encounters Him in a dream, and in the most unlikely place. "And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place!" Jacob had yet to learn that there is everywhere "a ladder set up on …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year The Presence of God.
"And Jacob awakened out of his sleep and said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not."--GENESIS xxviii. 16. These words indicate the beginning of a new life in the patriarch Jacob. They tell us of the moment when, as it would appear, his soul awoke in him. And they surprise us in some degree, as such awakenings of spiritual capacity often do; for Jacob's recorded antecedents were not exactly such as to lead us to expect the dream and the vision, and the awakening which are described …
John Percival—Sermons at Rugby Jacob's Waking Exclamation
I would address you this morning upon a topic which may perhaps be as useful to us as to Jacob, if God the Holy Ghost shall but enable me to preach, and you to hear. Oh thou that art everywhere, be speedily now; be thou in this place, and may we know it, and tremble in thy presence. I shall speak on three points; first, the omnipresence of God--the doctrine of it; secondly, a recognition of that omnipresence, or the spirit which is necessary in order to discover the presence of God; and thirdly, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 7: 1861 Notes on the First Century:
Page 1. Line 1. An empty book is like an infant's soul.' Here Traherne may possibly have had in his mind a passage in Bishop Earle's "Microcosmography." In delineating the character of a child, Earle says: "His soul is yet a white paper unscribbled with observations of the world, wherewith at length it becomes a blurred note-book," Page 14. Line 25. The entrance of his words. This sentence is from Psalm cxix. 130. Page 15. Last line of Med. 21. "Insatiableness." This word in Traherne's time was often …
Thomas Traherne—Centuries of Meditations Never! Never! Never! Never! Never!
Hence, let us learn, my brethren, the extreme value of searching the Scriptures. There may be a promise in the Word which would exactly fit your case, but you may not know of it, and therefore miss its comfort. You are like prisoners in a dungeon, and there may be one key in the bunch which would unlock the door, and you might be free; but if you will not look for it you may remain a prisoner still, though liberty is near at hand. There may be a potent medicine in the great pharmacopia of Scripture, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 8: 1863 The Life of Faith.
The fruit of these trials. The conduct of the submissive soul. It results from all that has just been described that, in the path of pure faith, all that takes place spiritually, physically, and temporarily, has the aspect of death. This is not to be wondered at. What else could be expected? It is natural to this state. God has His plans for souls, and under this disguise He carries them out very successfully. Under the name of "disguise" I include ill-success, corporal infirmities, and spiritual …
Jean-Pierre de Caussade—Abandonment to Divine Providence The Plan for the Coming of Jesus.
God's Darling, Psalms 8:5-8.--the plan for the new man--the Hebrew picture by itself--difference between God's plan and actual events--one purpose through breaking plans--the original plan--a starting point--getting inside. Fastening a Tether inside: the longest way around--the pedigree--the start. First Touches on the Canvas: the first touch, Genesis 3:15.--three groups of prediction--first group: to Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3; to Isaac, Genesis 26:1-5; to Jacob, Genesis 28:10-15; through Jacob, …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus The Prophecy of Obadiah.
We need not enter into details regarding the question as to the time when the prophet wrote. By a thorough argumentation, Caspari has proved, that he occupies his right position in the Canon, and hence belongs to the earliest age of written prophecy, i.e., to the time of Jeroboam II. and Uzziah. As bearing conclusively against those who would assign to him a far later date, viz., the time of the exile, there is not only the indirect testimony borne by the place which this prophecy occupies in …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Letter xxviii (Circa A. D. 1130) to the Abbots Assembled at Soissons
To the Abbots Assembled at Soissons [45] Bernard urges the abbots zealously to perform the duty for which they had met. He recommends to them a great desire of spiritual progress, and begs them not to be delayed in their work if lukewarm and lax persons should perhaps murmur. To the Reverend Abbots met in the name of the Lord in Chapter at Soissons, brother Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, the servant of their Holiness, health and prayer that they may see, establish, and observe the things which are …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux That the Ruler Should be a Near Neighbour to Every one in Compassion, and Exalted Above all in Contemplation.
The ruler should be a near neighbour to every one in sympathy, and exalted above all in contemplation, so that through the bowels of loving-kindness he may transfer the infirmities of others to himself, and by loftiness of speculation transcend even himself in his aspiration after the invisible; lest either in seeking high things he despise the weak things of his neighbours, or in suiting himself to the weak things of his neighbours he relinquish his aspiration after high things. For hence it is …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Covenanting Performed in Former Ages with Approbation from Above.
That the Lord gave special token of his approbation of the exercise of Covenanting, it belongs to this place to show. His approval of the duty was seen when he unfolded the promises of the Everlasting Covenant to his people, while they endeavoured to perform it; and his approval thereof is continually seen in his fulfilment to them of these promises. The special manifestations of his regard, made to them while attending to the service before him, belonged to one or other, or both, of those exhibitions …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Tithing
There are few subjects on which the Lord's own people are more astray than on the subject of giving. They profess to take the Bible as their own rule of faith and practice, and yet in the matter of Christian finance, the vast majority have utterly ignored its plain teachings and have tried every substitute the carnal mind could devise; therefore it is no wonder that the majority of Christian enterprises in the world today are handicapped and crippled through the lack of funds. Is our giving to be …
Arthur W. Pink—Tithing Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Shaking of the Heavens and the Earth
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Yet this once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land: and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. G od shook the earth when He proclaimed His law to Israel from Sinai. The description, though very simple, presents to our thoughts a scene unspeakably majestic, grand and awful. The mountain was in flames at the top, and …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting Christ the Mediator of the Covenant
'Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant,' &c. Heb 12:24. Jesus Christ is the sum and quintessence of the gospel; the wonder of angels; the joy and triumph of saints. The name of Christ is sweet, it is as music in the ear, honey in the mouth, and a cordial at the heart. I shall waive the context, and only speak of that which concerns our present purpose. Having discoursed of the covenant of grace, I shall speak now of the Mediator of the covenant, and the restorer of lapsed sinners, Jesus the Mediator …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity The First Commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Exod 20: 3. Why is the commandment in the second person singular, Thou? Why does not God say, You shall have no other gods? Because the commandment concerns every one, and God would have each one take it as spoken to him by name. Though we are forward to take privileges to ourselves, yet we are apt to shift off duties from ourselves to others; therefore the commandment is in the second person, Thou and Thou, that every one may know that it is spoken to him, …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments The Strait Gate;
OR, GREAT DIFFICULTY OF GOING TO HEAVEN: PLAINLY PROVING, BY THE SCRIPTURES, THAT NOT ONLY THE RUDE AND PROFANE, BUT MANY GREAT PROFESSORS, WILL COME SHORT OF THAT KINGDOM. "Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."--Matthew 7:13, 14 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. If any uninspired writer has been …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Genesis 28:5 NIVGenesis 28:5 NLTGenesis 28:5 ESVGenesis 28:5 NASBGenesis 28:5 KJV
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