God commands Jacob to go to Bethel, 1. He purges his house of idols, 2-5. He builds an altar at Bethel, 6, 7. Deborah dies at Allon-bachuth, 8. God blesses Jacob at Bethel, 9-15. Rachel travails with Benjamin and dies in the way to Edar, 16-21. Reuben lies with Bilhah, 22. The sons of Jacob, 23-26. Jacob comes to Isaac at Hebron, 27. The age, death, and burial of Isaac, 28, 29.
1 And God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Beth-el and dwell there. And make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother." 2 Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the strange gods which are among you, and be clean and change your garments. 3 And let us arise and go up to Beth-el. And I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me in the way which I went." 4 And they gave to Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand and the earrings which were in their ears. And Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 And they journeyed. And the terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. 6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (that is Beth-el)—he and all the people who were with him. 7 And he erected there an altar and called the place El-beth-el because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother. 8 But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Beth-el under an oak. And its name was called Allon-bachuth.
9 And God appeared to Jacob again when he came out of Padan-aram, and he blessed him.
10 And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name." And he called his name Israel.
11 And God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a multitude of nations shall spring from you, and kings shall come out of your loins.
12 And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you. And to your offspring after you I will give the land."
13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. 14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone, and he poured a drink-offering thereon and he poured oil thereon. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him Beth-el.
16 And they journeyed from Beth-el. And there was but a little way to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed and had hard labor. 17 And it came to pass when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, "Do not fear. You shall have this son also." 18 And it came to pass as her soul was departing (for she died) that she called his name Ben-oni, but his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem. 20 And Jacob set a pillar on her grave. That is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day. 21 And Israel journeyed and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.
22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan-aram.
27 And Jacob came to Isaac his father at Mamre, near Kirjath-arbah (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
28 And the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29 And Isaac expired and died and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Genesis, Chapter 35[➚]