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Genesis 35

God renews his promises to Jacob at Bethel while the family’s history continues through worship, death, and wrongdoing.

God tells Jacob to leave for Bethel and build an altar where God had appeared during his flight from Esau. Jacob gathers his household, removes their foreign gods, and leads them there under God’s protection. At Bethel, God names him Israel and renews the promises of descendants and land. The account also records Deborah’s death, Rachel’s death while bearing Benjamin, and Reuben’s act with Bilhah. It closes with Jacob’s twelve sons listed and Isaac buried by Esau and Jacob.

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1God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”
2Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
3Let’s arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went.”
4They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob.
6So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
7He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
8Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.
9God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him.
10God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel.” He named him Israel.
11God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body.
12The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your offspring after you I will give the land.”
13God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him.
14Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.
15Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him “Bethel”.
16They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.
17When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.”
18As her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin.
19Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).
20Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.
21Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
22While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
23The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25The sons of Bilhah (Rachel’s servant): Dan and Naphtali.
26The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
27Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners.
28The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years.
29Isaac gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.
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Key verses
Genesis 35:2Jacob calls his whole household to remove foreign gods and prepare for worship before leaving for Bethel.
Genesis 35:11God identifies himself as Almighty and promises that Jacob’s descendants will include nations and kings.
Genesis 35:22Reuben’s act with his father’s concubine brings wrongdoing into the account just before the twelve sons are named.
Where this chapter reaches

Joshua and 1 Samuel share Jacob’s call to put away foreign gods, linking allegiance to God with the removal of idols. 1 Chronicles returns to Reuben’s act with Bilhah and explains its consequence: his birthright passed to Joseph’s sons because he defiled his father’s bed.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What do you notice about God’s promises appearing alongside the deaths recorded here?

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How does Jacob’s account of God’s help shape his household’s return to Bethel?

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Questions people ask about Genesis 35

Why did God tell Jacob to return to Bethel?

God directs Jacob to live at Bethel and build an altar to the God who appeared when he fled from Esau. Jacob describes that same God as the one who answered his distress and stayed with him. The return connects worship with God’s past help and renewed promises.

How did Rachel die in Genesis 35?

Rachel dies during hard labor while the family is traveling from Bethel toward Ephrath, also called Bethlehem. Her son survives. Before dying, she names him Benoni; Jacob names him Benjamin. Jacob buries Rachel beside the road and sets a pillar over her grave. The text gives no further medical details.

What did Reuben do in Genesis 35?

Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, has sexual relations with Bilhah, his father’s concubine and the mother of Dan and Naphtali. The account says Israel heard about it, then turns to the list of his twelve sons. This chapter records neither Reuben’s motive nor any immediate response from Jacob.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).