Bible Discussion Thread

God has now repeated the promise to Jacob at least 4 times since first appearing to Jacob at Bethel 20 years before.

God leaves Jacob and Jacob puts up a pillar in the place they first (on the hill top) He pours a drink offering (wine, perhaps to symbolize blood) on the stone and then anoints it with oil.

From Bethel they journeyed to Ephrath (Bethlehem-house of bread) we and stopped since Rachel was in difficult hard labor. There BenOni (Benjamin) was born and Rachel died in childbirth. Jacob must have been very grieved due to Rachel being is "true love". Jacob marked her grave with a stone pillar.

Then Jacob (Israel) journeyed and put down the tent near the tower of Eder( about 1000 paces from Bethlehem-a shepherd's watchtower on a knoll where shepherds watched their flocks grazing in the valley below). It seems that Israel stayed there a while and during that time, Reuben, about 20 years old, slept with his stepmother, Bilhah and Israel heard of it, probably from Bilhah. Reuben dishonored is father and Bilhah, committing adultery with her (she was most likely submissive to Israel and his sons) and taking what belonged to his father. He probably desired to have a wife, but no suitable woman was around. He probably knew it was wrong to do this. The significance of this action will be discovered later when Israel is old.

The text goes through the list of Israel's children-which children were from which wife. And ten skips to Israel finally coming to his father's dwelling having not seen him for 20 years, Israel may have wondered if he was still alive, or perhaps Esau had told Isaac was still living and were he was living. Isaac was living in the same place that Abraham first lived when he arrived in Canaan, Mamre in Hebron, also call Kirjath Arba (city of four-perhaps related Canaanite chiefs-the ancient name of Hebron.) Sarai died there, and Abraham bought the field with the cave where Sarai and others were buried.

After reuniting with Jacob, Isaac dies there.