Genesis 31:13

31:13 I am the God of Bethel, ¹  where you anointed ²  the sacred stone and made a vow to me. ³  Now leave this land immediately ⁴  and return to your native land.’”

Genesis 35:1

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ⁵  to Bethel ⁶  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ⁷ 

Genesis 35:3

35:3 Let us go up at once ⁸  to Bethel. Then I will make ⁹  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ¹⁰  and has been with me wherever I went.” ¹¹ 

[31:13]  ¹ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[31:13]  ² sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the Lord as an anointing. Jacob had consecrated the place.

[31:13]  ³ sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the Lord when he anointed the stone (Gen 28:20-22). God is now going to take him back to the land, and so he will have to fulfill his vow.

[31:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.

[35:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[35:1]  ⁶ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ⁷ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[35:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

[35:3]  ¹⁰ tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

[35:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

[35:3]  ¹² tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).