In contrast to the previous chapter, where God isn’t mentioned once, in this chapter, we see that God is mentioned twelve times. Jacob had to leave Shechem and go back to Bethel, where he built an altar to God, Genesis 35:1. This was the very place where God first appeared to him when he was running away from Esau, Genesis 35:1 / Genesis 28:10-22.
Jacob’s family starts again, this starts after Jacob gets right with God, and it seems that the children kept household gods just like Rachel, Genesis 35:2 / Genesis 31:19. He also tells them to purify themselves and change their clothes, Genesis 35:2.
The changing of their clothes was a symbol of new for old, Jude 23 / Ephesians 4:22-24. He then tells them they are going to Bethel, to build an altar to God, who answered his prayer in the day of his distress and who has been with him wherever he has gone, Genesis 35:3.
Jacob knew this holding on to those idols wasn’t a good idea, and so took the lead as head of the family to get rid of them. Obviously, the danger was idolatry, and so Jacob buried them under an oak tree at Shechem, Genesis 35:4. Even earrings had a pagan connection, Genesis 35:4.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The reappearance of idols in possession of the children of Israel is noted in connection with the wilderness wanderings, centuries later, Acts 4:42; and, from this, it has been supposed that some of Jacob’s posterity might have recovered some of those ‘gods’ after Jacob buried them.’
Notice when they set out, the ‘terror of God fell on the towns’, Genesis 35:5. It seems that the people who lived in these towns must have heard what Simeon and Levi did to Shechem and Hamor, Genesis 34:25-31.
Jacob proceeds to Luz, that is, Bethel, builds an altar and calls the place ‘El Bethel’, which means ‘God of Bethel’, Genesis 35:7. This is because God revealed himself there when he was fleeing from Esau, Genesis 35:7 / Genesis 28:10-22.
Hamilton, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Throughout his life, Jacob has had to contend with his own fears-fear of God, Genesis 28:17, fear of Laban, Genesis 31:31, fear of Esau, Genesis 32:8 / Genesis 32:12. Nobody had been in fear of him. Angry, yes; fearful, no.’
Here we read about the death of Deborah, who was Rebekah’s nurse. She died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel, Genesis 35:8. It was named Allon Bakuth, Genesis 35:8, meaning ‘oak of weeping.
Keil, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Deborah had either been sent by Rebekah to take care of her daughter-in-law and grandsons or had gone of her own accord into Jacob’s household after the death of her mistress Rebekah. The mourning at her death, and the perpetuation of her memory, are proofs that she must have been a faithful and highly esteemed servant in Jacob’s house.’
Afterwards, God appears to Jacob and blesses him, Genesis 35:9. Notice also that God now calls Jacob, ‘Israel’, Genesis 35:10. God once again reminds him of the promises He made to Abraham, that many nations and kings would come from his descendants, Genesis 17:5-6. And so, now as promised, Jacob will have many nations and kings come through his descendants and the land promise is mentioned, Genesis 35:11-12.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God’s use of his name ‘God Almighty’ (El Shaddai) is significant in view of what God promised Jacob. It would take an omnipotent God to fulfil these promises, Genesis 17:1-2.’
God seems to speak to Jacob in bodily form, hence ‘He went up from him’, Genesis 35:13. Jacob proceeds to set up a stone pillar as a memorial to where the promises of God were made to him, Genesis 35:14.
The drink offerings, Genesis 35:14, were a way of expressing gratitude towards God, Exodus 29:40-41 / Leviticus 23:13 / Numbers 15:5-7 / Philippians 2:17 / 2 Timothy 4:6.
This was an act of faith by Jacob that he would follow God and keep His covenant with Him. Jacob names the place Bethel, Genesis 35:15, which means house of God, Genesis 35:8.
Jacob and his family now move on from Bethel, Genesis 35:16. While they were some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty, Genesis 35:17, and so the midwife tells her not to despair, for she has another son, Genesis 35:17.
Here we read the sad account of Rachel’s dying moments after she gives birth to a son. It doesn’t seem all that long ago when Rachel was pleading with Jacob for children, Genesis 30:1. She had a second son and then died.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘One cannot forget the rash prayer of Rachel who had cried, ‘Give me children, or I die’, Genesis 30:1. God answered her prayer, and she died!’
Before she died, Rachel named the child Ben-Oni, Genesis 35:18, which means ‘son of my trouble’, but Jacob changed his name to Benjamin, Genesis 35:18, which means ‘son of my right hand’.
It’s interesting that the words ‘right hand’ speak of authority, Exodus 15:6 / Psalm 16:8 / Psalm 63:8 / Colossians 3:1 / Ephesians 1:20-23 / Hebrews 8:1. It’s possible that Jacob changed his son’s name for good reason.
Jacob honours Rachel by burying her in Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem, Genesis 35:19, and setting up a memorial for her, Genesis 35:10. If this teaches us anything, it teaches us that just because we do God’s will doesn’t mean that everything will be right.
Jacob, now called Israel, moves on and pitches his tent beyond Migdal Eder, Genesis 35:21. After the sadness of Rachel’s death and the happiness of Benjamin being born, it’s not long before sin raises its ugly head again.
Here we read that Reuben sins with Bilhah as he sleeps with his father’s concubine, Genesis 35:22 / 1 Chronicles 5:1 / Deuteronomy 22:30 / 2 Samuel 16:21-22 / 1 Kings 2:13-25. He obviously had no respect for Israel or his authority as head of the house and his household.
It’s now that we begin to understand why Reuben, Simeon and Levi will be disqualified from the seed promise, 1 Chronicles 5:1-2; it would be Judah who would bring the seed promise.
I’m sure Ruben must have thought nothing was going to happen because Israel doesn’t deal with it there and now, but later Rueben would be excluded as a leader in the covenant, Genesis 49:3-4.
Jacob had twelve sons, Genesis 35:22. The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, Genesis 35:23. The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin, Genesis 35:24. The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali, Genesis 35:25. The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah were Gad and Asher, Genesis 35:26.
This list of Jacob’s sons is according to their mothers, who were Leah and Rachel, with the sons of the handmaids, Bilhah and Zilpah, placed second. Interestingly, the list says that they were born in Paddan Aram, Genesis 35:26, but doesn’t say anything about Benjamin being born in Canaan.
Sailhamer, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Just as Abraham had two sons and only one was the son of promise, and just as Isaac had two sons and only one was the son of the blessing, so now Jacob, though he has twelve sons, has two wives (Leah and Rachel); and each has a son (Judah and Joseph) that can rightfully contend for the blessing. In the narratives that follow, the writer holds both sons, Joseph and Judah, before the readers as rightful heirs of the promise. As the Jacob narratives have already anticipated, in the end it was Judah, the son of Leah, not Joseph, the son of Rachel, that gained the blessing, Genesis 49:8-12.’
Jacob came home to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, where Abraham and Isaac had stayed, Genesis 35:27. Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years, Genesis 35:28. For Israel, it must have felt like a lifetime ago when he heard his father, Isaac, tell him he was going to die, Genesis 27:1-2, but Isaac lived until Jacob came back from Laban’s house.
Isaac was buried in the cave of Machpelah, Genesis 25:9 / Genesis 49:29-31. Notice that Esau and Jacob buried their father together, Genesis 35:29. It appears the hostility between them has finally gone.