1 Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, "You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples, 4 and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your seed with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham." 5 Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, Rebekah's brother, Jacob's and Esau's mother. 6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a command, saying, "You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan," 7 and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram. 8 Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan didn't please Isaac, his father. 9 Esau went to Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife. 10 Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13 Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, "I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed. 14 Your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you." 16 Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, "Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn't know it." 17 He was afraid, and said, "How dreadful is this place! This is none other than God's house, and this is the gate of heaven." 18 Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20 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 clothing to put on, 21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, and Yahweh will be my God, 22 then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God's house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give the tenth to you."
Isaac directs Jacob to take a wife from the family of Laban, Genesis 28:1, Genesis 28:2; blesses and sends him away, Genesis 28:3, Genesis 28:4. Jacob begins his journey, Genesis 28:5. Esau, perceiving that the daughters of Canaan were not pleasing to his parents, and that Jacob obeyed them in going to get a wife of his own kindred, Genesis 28:6-8, went and took to wife Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael his father's brother, Genesis 28:9. Jacob, in his journey towards Haran, came to a certain place, (Luz, Genesis 28:19), where he lodged all night, Genesis 28:10, Genesis 28:11. He sees in a dream a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, on which he beholds the angels of God ascending and descending, Genesis 28:12. God appears above this ladder, and renews those promises which he had made to Abraham and to Isaac, Genesis 28:13, Genesis 28:14; promises Jacob personal protection and a safe return to his own country, Genesis 28:15. Jacob awakes, and makes reflections upon his dream, Genesis 28:16, Genesis 28:17. Sets up one of the stones he had for his pillow, and pours oil on it, and calls the place Beth-el, Genesis 28:18, Genesis 28:19. Makes a vow that if God will preserve him in his journey, and bring him back in safety, the stone should be God's house, and that he would give him the tenths of all that he should have, Genesis 28:20-22.
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 28
In this chapter an account is given of the charge Isaac gave to Jacob not to marry a Canaanitess, but to go to Padanaram, and take a wife from his mother's family, and of his blessing him before he sent him away, Genesis 28:1; of the notice that Esau took of this blessing and charge, which led him to take a wife of the family of Ishmael, Genesis 28:6; of the dream of the ladder, which Jacob had in his way to Haran, Genesis 28:10; of the blessing which God conferred upon him there, Genesis 28:13; of the awfulness of the place upon his awaking, and of his erecting a pillar in it, and giving a name to it, Genesis 28:16; and of the vow he made to God, should he be supplied with the necessaries of life, and be kept in safety by him, Genesis 28:20.
(Genesis 28:1-5) Isaac sends Jacob to Padan-aram.
(Genesis 28:6-9) Esau marries the daughter of Ishmael.
(Genesis 28:10-15) Jacob's vision.
(Genesis 28:16-19) The stone of Beth-el.
(Genesis 28:20-22) Jacob's vow.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.