Genesis 35 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

Genesis 35

WHEN:

• There isn’t enough information in the text to date the events of this chapter with precision.

• Most of the events of Genesis 35 took place after Jacob’s return to Canaan, sometime between 1745-1725 B.C.

• Isaac died in approximately 1716 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Jacob – The son of Isaac and Rebekah and twin brother of Esau. He had recently returned from Haran to dwell in Canaan. God renamed him Israel.

• Rachel – Jacob’s favorite wife and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.

• Isaac – The son of Abraham and father of Jacob.

WHERE:

• Jacob travelled to Bethel and built an altar where he had seen a vision more than 20 years earlier.

• Rachel died on the way to Ephrath, also known as Bethlehem.

• Isaac lived in Mamre (also known as Kiriath-arba or Hebron).

OUTLINE:

• JACOB RETURNS TO BETHEL (35:1-15):

  • God told Jacob to return to Bethel, where he had seen the vision of the heavenly ladder (Gen 28), and build an altar there.

  • Jacob told his household to get rid of all their foreign Gods.

  • Jacob took their idols and buried them under a tree near Shechem.

  • God caused a great terror to fall on the people of the land so they would not pursue Jacob’s family to avenge Hamor and Shechem (Gen 34).

  • Jacob built an altar in Bethel to honor the Lord who watched over him when he fled from Esau.

  • God appeared to Jacob and told him his name would be changed to Israel.

  • He told Jacob He would make him the father of nations and would give him the land of Canaan.

  • Jacob set up a pillar of stone in the place God appeared to him.

• THE DEATH OF RACHEL (35:16-21):

  • Rachel went into labor as their family was travelling to Ephrath (Bethlehem).

  • She had “hard labor” and died shortly after delivering a son.

  • Jacob named the boy Benjamin.

• JACOB’S 12 SONS (35:22-26):

  • Jacob had children with 4 women: Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah.

  • Jacob’s 12 sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

• THE DEATH OF ISAAC (35:27-29):

  • Jacob visited his father Isaac at Mamre (Hebron).

  • Isaac died at 180 years old and was buried by Jacob and Esau.

APPLICATION:

• God was with us before we found the people we would love the most, and He will be with us when we lose the people we’ve loved the most.

• God was with Jacob before he went to Haran and found the woman he loved (Rachel), and He was with Jacob when she left him on the road outside Bethlehem.

• What a friend we have in Jesus.