Genesis 31 "in the beginning" 31
Jacob Runs Away
1 Jacob heard the things Laban's sons were saying. They said, "Jacob has robbed everything our father had, and by this, he has become rich."
2 Then Jacob noticed that Laban was not as friendly to him as he had been before.
3 The LORD (Jesus) said to Jacob: Go back to the land where your fathers lived, and I will be with you.
4 So Jacob told Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where he kept his flocks.
5 He said to them, "I have seen that your father isn't as friendly to me as he was before, but the GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of my father has been with me.
6 You both know that I have worked as hard as I could for your father,
7 but he cheated me and changed my pay time and again. But GOD (Elohim-The God Family) has not allowed your father to hurt me.
8 When Laban said, 'You can have all the speckled animals as your pay,' all the animals gave birth to speckled young ones. But when he said, 'You can have all the streaked animals as your pay,' all the flocks gave birth to streaked babies.
9 So GOD (Elohim-The God Family) has taken the animals away from your father and has given them to me.
10 "I had a dream during the season when the flocks were mating. I saw that the only male goats who were mating were streaked, speckled, or spotted.
So we see here several points. It was God that told Jacob what to do. God caused the selective breeding to occur, and the pseudoscientific means employed really had nothing to do what God did. Also notice the power that women have in the scriptures. Jacob sees the need to convince his wives that they are to leave. They are more than happy because they see how bad their father was to Jacob, and especially to them. Neither sister was found of their own father, who basically was a crook and robbed from his own children and grandchildren.
11 In my dream the angel of GOD (Elohim-The God Family) spoke to me and said 'Jacob!'
and I answered, 'Yes!'
12 The angel said, 'Look! Only the streaked, speckled, or spotted male goats are mating. I have seen all the wrong things Laban has been doing to you.
13 I [AM] the God (El) who appeared to you at Bethel, where you poured olive oil on the stone you set up on end and where you made a promise to me. Now I want you to leave here and go back to the land where you were born.' "
14 Rachel and Leah answered Jacob, "Our father has nothing to give us when he dies.
15 He has treated us like outsiders. He sold us to you, and then he spent all of the money you paid for us.
16 GOD (Elohim-The God Family) taken the wealth from our father, and now it belongs to us and our children. So do whatever GOD (Elohim-The God Family) has told you to do."
17 So Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,
18 and they began their journey back to Isaac, his father, in the land of Canaan. All the flocks of animals that Jacob owned walked ahead of them. He carried everything with him that he had gotten while he lived in Paddan-Aram.
19 While Laban was gone to cut the wool from his sheep, Rachel stole the idols that belonged to him.
These are idols, abhorrent to God and Jacob. Why Rachel steals them, we do not know. Did she just do it for spite because she hated her father, or did she still have some pagan tendencies herself and believed in these idols? The Hebrew word is teraphim: They are usually very small female goddesses. Rachel was not so honest as her husband; she stole her father's images, and carried them away. The Hebrew calls them Teraphim. Some think they were only little representations of the ancestors of the family in statue or picture, which Rachel had a particular fondness for, and was desirous to have with her now she was going into another country. It should rather seem they were images for a religious use, penates, household gods, either worshipped, or consulted as oracles; and we are willing to hope, that she took them away, not out of covetousness much less for her own use, or out of any superstitious fear lest Laban, by consulting his teraphim, might know which way they were gone; (Jacob no doubt dwelt with his wives as a man of knowledge, and they were better taught than so) but with a design to convince her father of the folly of his regard to those as gods which could not secure themselves. (John Wesley)
20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was leaving.
21 Jacob and his family left quickly, crossed the Euphrates River, and traveled toward the mountains of Gilead.
22 Three days later Laban learned that Jacob had run away,
23 so he gathered his relatives and began to chase him. After seven days Laban found him in the mountains of Gilead.
24 That night GOD (Elohim-The God Family) came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and said: Be careful! Do not say anything to Jacob, good or bad.
25 So Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had made his camp in the mountains, so Laban and his relatives set up their camp in the mountains of Gilead.
26 Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You cheated me and took my daughters as if you had captured them in a war.
27 Why did you run away secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you inform me? Then I could have sent you away with joy and singing and with the music of tambourines and harps.
28 You did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-bye. It was a foolish thing for you to do!
29 I have the power to do you harm, but last night the God (El) of your father spoke to me and warned me not to say anything to you, good or bad.
El is the singular form of Elohim.
30 I know you want to go back to your home, but why did you steal my idols?"
31 Jacob said to Laban, "I left without telling you, because I was afraid you would take your daughters away from me.
32 If you find anyone here who has taken your idols, that person will be killed! Your relatives will be my witnesses. You may look for anything that belongs to you and take anything that is yours." Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen Laban's idols.
33 So Laban looked in Jacob's tent, in Leah's tent, and in the tent where the two slave women stayed, but he did not find his idols. When he left Leah's tent, he went into Rachel's tent.
34 Rachel had hidden the idols inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Although Laban looked through the whole tent, he did not find them.
35 Rachel said to her father, "Father, don't be angry with me. I am not able to stand up before you because I am having my monthly period." So Laban looked through the camp, but he did not find his idols.
It would have made Laban unclean to touch her during her period, thus demonstrating that he knew about the law of a woman's blood is unclean.
36 Then Jacob became very angry and said, "What wrong have I done? What law have I broken to cause you to chase me?
37 You have looked through everything I own, but you have found nothing that belongs to you. If you have found anything, show it to everyone. Put it in front of your relatives and my relatives, and let them decide between us.
38 These twenty years, I have worked for you and during that time not one of the lambs and kids died during birth, and I have not eaten any of the male sheep from your flocks.
39 Any time an animal was killed by wild beasts, I did not bring it to you, but made up for the loss myself. You made me pay for any animal that was stolen during the day or night.
40 In the daytime the sun took away my strength, and at night I was cold and could not sleep.
41 I worked like a slave for you these twenty years— the first fourteen to get your two daughters and the last six to earn your flocks. During that time you changed my pay countless times.
42 But the GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of my father, the GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of Abraham and the GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of Isaac, was with me. Otherwise, you would have sent me away with nothing. But he saw the trouble I had and the hard work I did, and last night he corrected you."
Mizpah
43 Then Laban said to Jacob, "These girls are my daughters. Their children belong to me, and these flocks are mine. Everything you see here belongs to me, but I can do nothing to keep my daughters and their children.
This is a strange notion, of an evil man that he thinks he owns everything, after he was paid in full!
44 Let us make an agreement, and let us set up a pile of stones to remind us of it."
45 So Jacob took a large stone and set it up on its end.
46 He told his relatives to gather rocks, so they took the rocks and piled them up; then they ate beside the pile.
47 Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
48 Laban said to Jacob, "This pile of rocks will remind us of the agreement between us." That is why the place was called Jegarsahadutha (A Pile of rocks) to Remind Us.
49 It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, "Let the LORD (Jesus) watch over us while we are separated from each other.
Mizpah This name sounds like the Hebrew word for "to watch over" or even watchtower.
50 Remember that GOD (Elohim-The God Family) is our witness even if no one else is around us. He will know if you harm my daughters or marry other women.
51 Here is the pile of rocks that I have put between us and here is the rock I set up on end.
52 This pile of rocks and this rock set on end will remind us of our agreement. I will never go past this pile to hurt you, and you must never come to my side of them to hurt me.
53 Let the GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of Abraham, who is the GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of Nahor and the GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of their ancestors, punish either of us if we break this agreement. So Jacob took an oath before the fearsome GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of his father.
54 Then Jacob killed an animal and offered it as a sacrifice on the mountain, and he invited his relatives to share in the meal. After they finished eating, they spent the night on the mountain.
55 Laban got up early the next morning, and he kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.
Genesis 32 "in the beginning" 32
Jacob and Esau again...
1 When Jacob left, the angels of GOD (Elohim-The God Family) met him.
These are angels, and not Jesus.
2 When he saw them, he said, "This is the camp of GOD (Elohim-The God Family)!" So he named that place Mahanaim, meaning “two camps.”
3 Jacob's brother Esau was living in the area called Seir in the country of Edom. Jacob sent messengers to Esau,
4 and he instructed them, "This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now.
5 I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I send this message to you and ask you to accept us in your eyes."
6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, "We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.
7 Then Jacob was very afraid and worried. He divided the people who were with him and all the flocks, herds, and camels into two camps.
He had reason to be afraid for he knew what his brother had promised to do to him and he had no idea if his father was alive or dead.
8 Jacob thought, "Esau might come and destroy one camp, but the other camp can run away and be saved."
9 Then Jacob said, "GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of my father Abraham! GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of my father Isaac! LORD (Jesus), you told me to return to my country and my family. You said that I would prosper.
10 I am not worthy of the kindness and continual goodness you have shown me. The first time I traveled across the Jordan River, I had only my walking stick, but now I own enough to have two camps.
11 Save me, I pray to you, from my brother Esau. I am afraid he will come and kill all of us, even the mothers and children.
12 You said to me, 'I will treat you well and will make your children as numerous as the sand of the seashore, which cannot be counted."
13 Jacob stayed there for the night and prepared a gift for Esau from what he had with him:
14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred female sheep and twenty male sheep,
15 thirty female camels and their young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys.
16 Jacob gave each separate flock of animals to one of his servants and said to them, "Go ahead of me and keep some space between each herd."
17 He instructed the one in the lead, "My brother Esau will come to you and ask, 'Whose servant are you? Where are you going and whose animals are these?'
18 Then you will answer, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. He sent them as a gift to you, my master Esau, and he also is coming behind us.' "
19 Jacob also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds, "Say the same thing to Esau when you meet him."
20 Say, 'Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.' " Jacob thought, "If I send these gifts ahead of me, maybe Esau will forgive me. Then when I see him, perhaps he will accept me."
21 So Jacob sent the gifts to Esau, but he himself stayed that night in the camp.
Jacob Wrestles with God
22 During the night Jacob got up and crossed the Jabbok River at the crossing, taking with him his two wives, his two concubines, and his eleven sons.
23 He sent his family and everything he had across the river.
Jacob renamed Israel:
24 So Jacob was alone, and a man came and wrestled with him until the sun came up.
This mysterious person is called an angel ( Hosea 12:4 ) and God ( Genesis 32:28 Genesis 32:30 , Hosea 12:5 ); and the opinion that is most supported is that he was "the angel of the covenant," – He is Jesus Christ!
25 When the man saw he could not defeat Jacob, he struck Jacob's hip and put it out of joint.
26 Then he said to Jacob: Let me go. The sun is coming up.
But Jacob said, "I will let you go if you will bless me."
27 The "man" said to him: What is your name?
And he answered, "Jacob."
28 Then the "man" said: Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel, because you have struggled with GOD (Elohim-The God Family) and with men, and you have won.
Israel This name means "he wrestles with GOD (Elohim-The God Family)." The "angel" he wrestles with is none other the LORD (Jesus) himself. How do we know the angel was not just an ordinary angel? Because after the experience, Jacob called the name of the place Peniel. He said, "For I have seen God face to face." (verse 30).Of course Jesus allowed him to win, to make a point and to rename Jacob. From now on, Israel is the personal name of Jacob, just like Bill or Sam. We will see later that he gives his name Israel, not to all 12 sons, but only to the two sons of his son Joseph. After that point, the name "Israel" belongs to the tribe of Joseph alone and not to any other tribe! The Jews have no right to the name of Israel. That is why in the Old Testament, when the nation broke into two, the northern tribes (headed by the tribe of Joseph) are called Israel, while the southern kingdom of the Jews is called Judah! Where the tribe of Joseph is, is where Israel is. All prophecies concerning Israel and not Judah are not for the Jews at all! If one does not understand this, they will not be able to understand Biblical prophecy.
29 Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name."
But the "man" said: "Why do you ask my name? Then he blessed Jacob there.
This is an important point. Jacob asks for God's name, and Jesus asks him why? He never gives it!
30 So Jacob named that place Peniel, saying, "I have seen GOD (Elohim-The God Family) face to face, but my life was saved."
Peniel means "I have seen God" (El) or "the face of God". The word life here is "nephesh" in Hebrew often mistranslated "soul." As you can see, Jacob knew that nephesh can die! Also, Jesus said no man has ever seen the face of God the Father (John 5:43) hence we know that this LORD is Jesus and not the Father. The Father God never appears at any time to anyone in the Old or New Testament.
31 Then the sun rose as he was leaving that place, and Jacob was limping because of his leg.
32 So even today the people of Israel do not eat the muscle that is on the hip joint of animals, because Jacob was touched there.
Based on this incident, Jews even today consider the sciatic nerve and the adjoining blood vessels forbidden as food—it must be cut out. As a practical matter, however, this tissue is so difficult to remove, Jewish sockets normally don't deal with it; they just sell the hindquarters to non-kosher butchers. Moses states that the practice was a longstanding tradition even in his day (five centuries or so after Jacob’s wrestling match). But nowhere in the Torah is there a hint of divine instruction about this. It’s nothing but what it purports to be—a man-made tradition.
Genesis 33 "in the beginning" 33
1 Jacob saw Esau coming with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two slaves.
2 Jacob then arranged his family into a column, with his two concubines and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.
3 Jacob himself went out in front of them and bowed down flat on the ground seven times until he came near his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and put his arms around him and hugged him. Then Esau kissed him, and they both cried.
5 When Esau saw the women and children, he asked, "Who are these people with you?"
And Jacob answered, "These are the children God (Elohim/Theos) has given me. God (Elohim-the family of God).
7 Leah and her children also came up to Esau and also bowed down flat on the earth. Last of all, Joseph and Rachel came up to Esau, and they, too, bowed down flat before him.
8 “And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked.
Jacob replied, “They are a gift, sir (adown), to ensure your friendship.”
adown means master, king, lord, one of greater authority. Not to be confused with Yahweh, the proper name of God. Yahweh is rendered LORD in CAPS. Adonay is a lesser title of God rendered Lord.
9 But Esau said, "I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself."
10 But Jacob insisted, "No! Please! If I have pleased you, then accept the gift I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of GOD (Elohim-The God Family), because you have accepted me.
11 So I beg you to accept the gift I give you. GOD (Elohim-The God Family) has been very good to me, and I have more than I need." And because Jacob begged, Esau accepted the gift.
12 Then Esau said, "Let us be going. I will travel with you."
13 But Jacob said to him, "My lord (adown), you know that the children are weak. And I must be careful with my flocks and their young ones. If I force them to go too far in one day, all the animals will die.
14 So, my master (adown), you go on ahead of me, your servant. I will follow you slowly and let the animals and the children set the speed at which we travel. I will meet you, my master (adown), in Edom."
15 “All right,” Esau said, “but at least let me assign some of my men to guide and protect you.”
"No, thank you," said Jacob. "I only want to please you, my lord (adown) ."
16 So that day Esau started back to Edom.
17 But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his animals. That is why the place was named Succoth.
Succoth This name means "shelters or Tabernacles." This is why the Feast of Tabernacles/Shelters is called Succoth in Hebrew
18 Jacob left Paddam-Haran and arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan. There he camped east of the city.
19 He bought a part of the field where he had camped from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver.
20 He built an altar there and named it "Elelohe-Israel" after GOD (Elohim-The God Family), or the GOD (Elohim-The God Family) of Israel.
Jacob did not content himself with words of thanks for God's favour to him, but gave real thanks. Also he kept up religion, and the worship of God in his family. Where we have a tent, God must have an altar. Jacob dedicated this altar to the honour of El-elohe-Israel, God, the God of Israel; to the honour of God, the only living and true God; and to the honour of the God of Israel, as a God in covenant with him. Israel's God is Israel's glory. Blessed be his name, he is still the mighty God, the God of Israel. May we praise his name, and rejoice in his love, through our pilgrimage here on earth, and for ever in the heavenly Canaan. (Matthew Henry)
Genesis 34 "in the beginning" 34
Rape of Dinah
1 Jacob and Leah's daughter Dinah , went to visit some of the women who lived in the area.
2 She was seen by Shechem, Hamor's son. Hamor was the leader of the Hivites. Shecem grabbed her and raped her.
3 But Shechem was attracted to Dinah, so he told her how much he loved her.
4 He even asked his father to take, even forceably her for his wife.
5 Meanwhile, Jacob heard what had happened. But his sons were out in the fields with the cattle, so he did not do anything then.
6 Hamor the father of Shechem arrived at Jacob's home,
7 just as Jacob's sons were coming in from working. When they learned that their sister had been raped, they became angry because nothing is more disgraceful than rape, which isn't tolerated in Israel.
8 Hamor said to Jacob and his sons, "My son Shechem really loves Dinah. Please let him marry her.
9 and why don't you start letting your families marry into our families and ours marry into yours?
10 You can share this land with us. Move freely about until you find the property you want; then buy it and settle down here."
11 Shechem added, "Do this favor for me, and I'll give whatever you want.
12 Ask anything, no matter how expensive. I'll do anything, just let me marry Dinah.
13 Jacob's sons wanted to get even with Shechem and his father because of the rape their sister.
14 So they tricked them by saying "You're not circumcised! It would be a disgrace for us to let you marry Dinah now.
You're not circumcised: Israelite boys were circumcised when they were eight days old, and no uncircumcised man could be part of the people of Israel.
15 But we will let you marry her, if you and the other men in your tribe get circumcised.
16 Then your families can marry into ours, and ours can marry into yours, and we can live together like one nation.
17 But if you don't agree to get circumcised, we'll take Dinah and leave this place."
18 Hamor and Shechem liked what was said.
19 Shechem was the most respected person in his family, and he was so in love with Dinah that he hurried off to get everything done.
20 The two men met with the other leaders of their city and told them,
21 "These people really are friendly. Why not let them move freely about until they find the property they want? There's enough land here for them and for us. Then our families can marry into theirs, and theirs can marry into ours.
22 We have to do only one thing before they will agree to stay here and become one nation with us. Our men will have to be circumcised like their men.
23 Just think! We'll get their property, as well as their flocks and herds. All we have to do is to agree, and they will live here with us."
24 Every grown man followed this advice and got circumcised.
The reason they were so ready to do this was again the oustanding beauty of the girls of Jacob's clan and the incredible blessing that God was showing to them.
25 Three days later the men who had been circumcised were still weak from pain, Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah's brothers, attacked with their swords and killed every man in town,
26 including Hamor and Shechem. Then they took Dinah and left.
27 Jacob's other sons came and took everything they wanted. All of this was done because they had defiled their sister.
28 They took sheep, goats, donkeys, and everything else that was in the town or the fields.
29 After taking everything of value from the houses, they dragged away the wives and children of their victims.
30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "Look what you've done! Now we are in bad trouble with the Canaanites and Perizzites who live all around us here. There aren't many of us, and if they attack, they'll kill everyone of us."
31 They answered back, "Was it right to let our own sister be treated like a whore?”
Genesis 35 "in the beginning" 35
1 GOD (Elohim-The God Family) told Jacob: Return to Bethel, where I appeared to you when you were running from your brother Esau. Make your home there and build an altar for me.
2 Jacob said to his family and to everyone else who was traveling with him, "Get rid of your foreign gods! Then make yourselves acceptable to worship GOD (Elohim-The God Family) and put on clean clothes.
3 Afterwards, we will go to Bethel and I will build an altar there for GOD (Elohim-The God Family), who answered my prayers when I was in trouble and who has always been at my side.
4 So everyone gave Jacob their idols and their earrings, and he buried them under the oak tree near Shechem.
5 While Jacob and his family were traveling through Canaan, GOD (Elohim-The God Family) terrified the people in the towns so much that no one dared bother them.
6 Finally, they reached Bethel, also known as Luz.
7 Jacob built an altar there and called it Elbethel or "God of Bethel," because that was the place where GOD (Elohim-The God Family) had appeared to him when he was running from Esau.
8 While they were there, Rebekah's personal servant Deborah died. They buried her under an oak tree and called it "Weeping Oak" or Allonbachuth in Hebrew.
God Blesses Jacob at Bethel
9 And GOD (Elohim-The God Family) appeared to Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him,
10 And GOD (Elohim-The God Family) said to him, your name was Jacob, and from now on your name will be Israel
11 And GOD (Elohim-The God Family) said: I am God All-Powerful(El Shaddai), be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of you, and some of the men in your family will even be kings.
A nation (America) and a commonwealth of nations (England). This could also be taken the other way around! A nation, may be England, and a nation comprised of many nations, could be America!
12 I will give you the land that I promised Abraham and Isaac, and it will belong to your family forever.
The promise of RACE.
13 After GOD (Elohim-The God Family) had left,
14 Jacob set up a large rock, so that he would remember what had happened there. Then he poured wine and olive oil on the rock to show that it was dedicated to GOD (Elohim-The God Family),
This is probably the same stone that we mentioned earlier as the "coronation" stone, that the monarchs are crowned over to this day in Britain.
15 and he named the place Bethel.
Benjamin Is Born, son #12
16 Jacob and his family had left Bethel and were still a long way from Ephrath, when the time came for another baby of Rachel to be born.
17 She was having a bad time, but the woman who was helping her said, "Don't worry! It's a boy."
18 Rachel was dying, and right before she died, she said, "I'll name him Benoni." But Jacob called him Benjamin.
Benoni: In Hebrew "Benoni" means "Son of my Sorrow."
In Hebrew "Benjamin" can mean "Son at my Right Side" (the place of power).
19 Rachel was buried beside the road to Ephrath, which is also called Bethlehem.
This is the same town where our savior and also King David were born, so we see why in the Gospels the death of the new borns by Herod is written as "Rachel weeping for her children" The Jews were not her children, but she is resting there. Matthew 2:18
In I Samuel 10:12, (about 1,000BC or so) this was by then a huge landmark in Israel and everyone knew of its location. The present site is only 4 miles from Jerusalem and 1 mile from Bethlehem. This became a Muslim cemetary in the early 1900's, but the Jews freed it in 1967.
20 Jacob set up a tombstone over her grave, and it is still there.
21 Jacob, know known as Israel, traveled to the south of Eder Tower, where he set up camp.
22 During their time there, Jacob's oldest son Reuben had sexual intercourse with Bilhah, who was one of Jacob's concubines. And Jacob found out about it, now his sons are:
The sin will cost Reuban (France) his birthright!
Jacob's Twelve Sons
23 Jacob had twelve sons while living in northern Syria. His first-born Reuben was the son of Leah, who later gave birth to Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 Jacob and his wife Rachel had Joseph and Benjamin.
25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant are Dan and Naphtali.
26 Leah's servant Zilpah had two sons: Gad and Asher.
Isaac Dies
27 Jacob went to his father Isaac at Hebron, also called Mamre or Kiriath-Arba, where Isaac's father Abraham had lived as a foreigner.
28 And the days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years
29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
The death of this venerable patriarch is here recorded by anticipation for it did not take place till fifteen years after Joseph's disappearance. Feeble and blind though he was, he lived to a very advanced age; and it is a pleasing evidence of the permanent reconciliation between Esau and Jacob that they met at Mamre to perform the funeral rites of their common father. (Jamieson)
Genesis 36 "in the beginning" 36
1 This is the family history of Esau who is also called Edom.
2 Esau married women from the land of Canaan. Adah, Elon the Hittite daughter and Oholibamah daughter of Anah, the son of Zibeon the Hivite;
3 and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth.
There were three, mentioned under different names; for it is evident that Bashemath is the same as Mahalath ( Genesis 28:9 ), since they both stand in the relation of daughter to Ishmael and sister to Nebajoth; and hence it may be inferred that Adah is the same as Judith, Aholibamah as Bathsemath ( Genesis 26:34 ). It was not unusual for women, in that early age, to have two names, as Sarai was also Iscah [ Genesis 11:29 ]; and this is the more probable in the case of Esau's wives, who of course would have to take new names when they went from Canaan to settle in mount Seir. (Jamieson)
4 Adah gave birth to Eliphaz for Esau. Basemath gave him Reuel,
5 and Oholibamah gave him Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were Esau's sons who were born in the land of Canaan.
6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the people who lived with him, his herds and other animals, and all the belongings he had gotten in Canaan, and he went to a land away from his brother Jacob.
7 Esau and Jacob's belongings were becoming too many for them to live in the same land. The land where they had lived could not support both of them, because they had too many herds.
8 So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.
9 This is the family history of Esau. He is the ancestor of the Edomites, who live in the mountains of Edom.
10 Esau's sons were Eliphaz, son of Adah and Esau, and Reuel, son of Basemath and Esau.
11 Eliphaz had five sons: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
12 Eliphaz also had a slave woman named Timna, and Timna and Eliphaz gave birth to Amalek. These were Esau's grandsons by his wife Adah.
13 Reuel had four sons: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were Esau's grandsons by his wife Basemath.
14 These were the sons of Aholibamah, Esau’s wife, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon. And she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.
The Chiefs of Edom:
15 These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, were Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz,
16 Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek. These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. They were the sons of Adah.
17 Esau's son Reuel was the father of these chiefs: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the chiefs that came from Reuel in the land of Edom. They were the grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath.
18 And these were the sons of Aholibamah, Esau’s wife: Chief Jeush, Chief Jaalam, and Chief Korah. These were the chiefs who descended from Aholibamah, Esau’s wife, the daughter of Anah.
19 These were the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these were their chiefs.
20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These sons of Seir were the leaders of the Horites in Edom.
22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan's sister.
23 The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 The sons of Zibeon were Aiah and Anah. Anah is the man who found the hot springs in the desert while he was caring for his father's donkeys.
25 The children of Anah were Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.
26 The sons of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.
27 The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28 The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.
29 These were the names of the Horite leaders: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These men were the leaders of the Horite families who lived in the land of Edom.
31 These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before the Israelites ever had a king:
32 Bela son of Beor was the king of Edom. He came from the city of Dinhabah.
33 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah became king. Jobab was from Bozrah.
34 When Jobab died, Husham became king. He was from the land of the Temanites.
35 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who had defeated Midian in the country of Moab, became king. Hadad was from the city of Avith.
36 When Hadad died, Samlah became king. He was from Masrekah.
37 When Samlah died, Shaul became king. He was from Rehoboth on the Euphrates River.
38 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Acbor became king.
39 When Baal-Hanan son of Acbor died, Hadad became king. He was from the city of Pau. His wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, who was the daughter of Me-Zahab.
40 These Edomite leaders, listed by their families and regions, came from Esau. Their names were Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,
41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,
42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,
43 Magdiel, and Iram. They were the leaders of Edom. Esau was the father of the Edomites. The area where each of these families lived was named after that family.
Genesis 37 "in the beginning" 37
Joseph is an important character of the Bible. He symbolizes Jesus, he also is the son which inherits the name Israel from his father and his children become the only two nations of Jacob that carry the name Israel, as well as get the promise of RACE or the "promised land." That meaning that these two nations would become the greatest nations ever to be on earth until Christ comes. Joseph's story is "lost" through the pages of the Bible, but we will see in various studies in these commentaries, the Joseph is a pivotal character of the Bible. His younger son, actually is made into the thirteenth tribe of Israel, equal to the other twelve in everything! The number thirteen becomes very important, and we will see later how it identifies the United States as the youngest tribe of Joseph!
Joseph’s Dreams
1 So Jacob settled again in the land of Canaan, where his father also lived as a foreigner.
2 This is the story of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. Furthermore, Joseph brought to his father their evil ways.
3 Israel {which is Jacob} loved Joseph best because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. Therefore, one day Jacob had made him a coat of {many} colors.
The coat of many colors was most likely the same colors of the veil to the Outer Court were a large curtain, made of fine linen, colored in blue, purple, red and white. The same colors of the British flag, called the Union Jack (Jacob). Jacob loved Joseph the most for two reasons. One his heart obviously was closer to God, and he was the only son of Rachel, his one true love. coat of many colors--formed in those early days by sewing together patches of colored cloth, and considered a dress of distinction ( Judges 5:30 , 2 Samuel 13:18 ). The passion for various colors still reigns among the Arabs and other people of the East, who are fond of dressing their children in this gaudy attire. But since the art of interweaving various patterns was introduced, "the coats of colors" are different now from what they seem to have been in patriarchal times, and bear a close resemblance to the varieties of tartan.
4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They could not speak kindly to him..
5 One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever.
6 “Listen to this dream,” he said.
7 “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly, my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”
8 His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.
9 Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”
These dreams are from God, preparing the way for the story of Joseph in Egypt, which ended in him saving his family and setting up the story of Moses. There is also a future meaning of these dreams, namely the future role of the nations of Joseph becoming the supreme leaders of the entire world.
10 This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow before you?”
11 But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, but his father observed what he said.
12 Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to Shechem to pasture their father’s flocks.
13 When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, "Your brothers are over at Shechem with the flocks. I'm going to send you to them.""I'm ready to go," Joseph replied.
14 Jacob said “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and the flocks.” “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way from Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
15 A man from the area saw him wandering around the area. “What are you looking for?” he asked.
The man is an angel, no idea if this is Jesus or not, but most likely an angel.
16 “I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph replied. “Do you know where they are keeping their sheep?”
17 “Yes,” the man told him. “They have moved on from here, but I heard them say, ‘Let’s go on to Dothan.’” So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.
Joseph Sold into Slavery
18 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming from a distance, they made plans to kill him.
19 “Here comes the dreamer!” they said.
20 “Come on, let’s murder him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”
The Hebrew here for murder or kill is "hrg" which is the same verb used to describe Cain murdering Abel. It is a ruthless murdering of someone.
21 But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “We will not kill him,” he said.
22 “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.
The wilderness and the shedding no blood is exact images of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement! Joseph is becoming the scapegoat here.
23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they ripped off his coat of many colors that he was wearing.
24 Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty, as there was no water in it.
25 Then, just as they were sitting down for a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of wandering Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? His blood would just give us a guilty conscience.
Judah sees a profit in selling him. Like it or not, the Bible is filled with racial stereotypes! That just maybe because they are accurate and God knows it. Reuben sleeps with his father's concubine, and he is the father of the French, Judah sees a profit in selling the boy, and he is the father of the Jews. Judah is also a bit guilty here and is trying also to sell the boy. It cannot also be overlooked that Joseph, a type of Jesus here, is saved alive by the Jews! The Jews cried for Christ's execution, but here Judah is crying for his life! The symbolism cannot be overlooked!
27 Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” His brothers agreed.
28 So when the Ishmaelite Midianite traders, came near, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the well and sold him to them for twenty pieces [Hebrew 20 shekels, about 8 ounces or 228 grams in weight] of silver. Furthermore, the traders took him to Egypt.
Sold for silver, another Christ symbol here. By the way, Judas in the New Testament is really Judah! Judas is the old English form of Judah, which in Hebrew is Yudah. There are no J's in Hebrew. Jesus was sold for 30 pieces of silver, Joseph 20.
29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes in grief.
30 Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, “The boy is gone! What will I do now?”
31 Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood.
32 They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?”
33 Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!”
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time.
35 His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep.
Hebrew: go down to Sheol. Sheol is rendered "hell" in the KJV, but the word simply means the place of the dead, a hole in the ground or grave. The Greek word for Sheol is Hades. This never means some sort of hell where souls go to. The concept of souls in hell tormenting forever is simply not in the Bible. It comes from Dante.
36 Meanwhile, the Midianite [traders] arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.
Hebrew the Medanites. The relationship between the Midianites and Medanites is unclear; compare 37:28. See also 25:2.
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, 1Jo 3:15. The sons of Jacob hated their brother because their father loved him. New occasions, as his dreams and the like, drew them on further; but this laid rankling in their hearts, till they resolved on his death. God has all hearts in his hands. Reuben had most reason to be jealous of Joseph, for he was the first-born; yet he proves his best friend. God overruled all to serve his own purpose, of making Joseph an instrument to save much people alive. Joseph was a type of Christ; for though he was the beloved Son of his Father, and hated by a wicked world, yet the Father sent him out of his bosom to visit us in great humility and love. He came from heaven to earth to seek and save us; yet then malicious plots were laid against him. His own not only received him not, but crucified him. This he submitted to, as a part of his design to redeem and save us. (Jamieson)
