GenèseChapitre 35

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Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau."

So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes.

Let us set out and go up to Bethel, and there I will build an altar to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone."

So they handed over to Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the terebinth near Shechem.

Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns around them, so that no one pursued the sons of Jacob.

Jacob came to Luz in the land of Canaan—that is, Bethel—he and all the people with him.

There he built an altar and named the place El Bethel, because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried below Bethel under the oak; so he named it Allon Bakuth.

God appeared to Jacob again after he came from Paddan Aram, and he blessed him.

God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." So he named him Israel.

And God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—indeed a company of nations—will come from you, and kings will descend from you.

The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your offspring after you I will give this land."

Then God went up from him at the place where he had spoken with him.

Jacob set up a pillar of stone at the place where God had spoken with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil over it.

And Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

They moved on from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and her labor was severe.

As she struggled in her labor, the midwife said to her, "Do not be afraid—you have another son."

As her life slipped away and she was dying, she named him Ben-Oni, but his father called him Benjamin.

So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem.

Jacob set up a pillar over her grave, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel's grave.

Israel moved on and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.

While Israel was living in that land, Reuben went and slept with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons:

The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali.

The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, born to him in Paddan Aram.

Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath Arba—that is, Hebron—where Abraham and Isaac had lived as strangers.

Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.

Then Isaac breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 35

Main Theme: Jacob returns to Bethel where God confirms the covenant and gives him the name Israel, while the chapter also marks important deaths and family changes.

Content: God commands Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar. Before the journey, Jacob purifies his household of foreign gods. At Bethel, God reveals Himself as El Shaddai, gives Jacob the name Israel, and renews the promises concerning land and descendants. Rachel dies while giving birth to Benjamin, and Reuben dishonors his father by sleeping with Bilhah. Isaac dies at 180 years old and is buried by Esau and Jacob.

Key Words/Images:

Bethel – The place where God revealed Himself to Jacob both during his flight and upon his return, and where Jacob builds an altar.
Israel – Jacob's new name, marking his identity as the patriarch of God's people.
Foreign gods – The idols that the household had to give up and bury before they could approach God.
Benjamin – Jacob's youngest son, born at Rachel's death; she named him Ben-Oni ("son of my sorrow"), but Jacob called him Benjamin ("son of my right hand").

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Genesis 35

People

Deborah (v. 8) was Rebekah’s nurse, mentioned only here and in Gen 24:59. Her presence with Jacob may suggest that Rebekah had already died, or that Deborah had joined Jacob’s household at an earlier time. In the ancient Near East, a nurse’s role extended far beyond infancy; they often remained trusted family members for life. The fact that her death and burial are specifically recorded, and that the place was named "Allon-Bachuth" (the oak of weeping), shows the deep attachment the family had to her.

Benjamin (v. 18) is the only one of Jacob’s sons certainly born in Canaan (the others were born in Paddan-Aram, see v. 26). Rachel called him "Ben-Oni" (son of my sorrow), but Jacob changed his name to "Benjamin" (son of the right hand). In Semitic culture, the right hand was associated with strength, honor, and blessing. The name change may be understood as Jacob’s desire to turn tragedy into something positive.

Places

Bethel (vv. 1, 6–7, 15) means "house of God" and was formerly known as Luz. It is located about 17 km north of Jerusalem at an elevation of approximately 900 meters. Archaeological excavations at Beitin (the traditional identification, now debated) have revealed settlement from the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 2000–1550 BCE), which coincides with the patriarchal period. Bethel was a significant cultic site in Canaan before Israelite times, which may explain why God commanded Jacob to cleanse his household of foreign gods before going there.

Ephrath/Bethlehem (vv. 16, 19) is identified as the place where Rachel died and was buried. The name Ephrath probably means "fruitful land." It lies about 8 km south of Jerusalem. Tradition has associated Rachel’s tomb with this area for millennia, although the current structure known as "Rachel’s Tomb" dates from a later period. Migdal-Eder (v. 21), meaning "tower of the flock," was a watchtower for shepherds nearby, also mentioned in Micah 4:8.

Mamre/Kiriath-Arba/Hebron (v. 27) was Isaac’s residence and the family burial place of the patriarchs. Kiriath-Arba ("city of Arba") was the Canaanite name, while Hebron became the later Israelite name. Archaeological findings show that Hebron was continuously inhabited throughout the Bronze Age.

Events and Customs

Cleansing and removal of foreign gods (vv. 2–4) reveals that Jacob’s household had brought along divine images (teraphim) and cultic objects, possibly including the household gods (teraphim) that Rachel stole from Laban (Gen 31:19). The earrings mentioned were likely amulets with religious significance, common in Canaanite religion. The command to change clothes was part of a cleansing ritual preparing them for holy worship. Burying these objects under the oak at Shechem was a way to permanently remove them from use—a practice known from several ancient cultures.

Drink offering and anointing of the stone pillar (v. 14) combines two ritual actions. The drink offering (Hebrew: נֶסֶךְ, nesekh) was probably wine, water, or oil poured out as a gift to the deity. Anointing with oil marked the place as holy and dedicated to God. Stone pillars (matsevot) were widespread in Canaanite religion, but here they are used to mark the site of divine revelation.

Reuben’s sin (v. 22)—that he lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine—was a serious offense that in the ancient Near East was often interpreted as an attempt to seize his father’s authority and inheritance rights. Similar actions are seen when Absalom lay with David’s concubines (2 Sam 16:21–22). This explains why Reuben later lost his birthright (Gen 49:3–4; 1 Chr 5:1).

Key Terms

El Shaddai (אֵל שַׁדַּי, v. 11) is a divine name traditionally translated "God Almighty." The etymology of the name is debated—it may be linked to Akkadian šadû (mountain) or Hebrew šad (breast, as a symbol of nourishment and blessing). This name is used especially in the patriarchal narratives and is connected with promises of fertility and land.

"A people and an assembly of peoples" (גּוֹי וּקְהַל גּוֹיִם, v. 11) expands the promise from earlier revelations. The word qahal (assembly) suggests not only numerous descendants but also an organized entity—a confederation of tribes to emerge from Jacob.

"Gathered to his people" (וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל־עַמָּיו, v. 29) is an idiomatic expression for death that implies continued existence with the ancestors. It is distinguished from burial itself, which is mentioned separately, and points to an early belief in life after death.

Personnages21

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Mots-clés7

Jacob — One of the patriarchs in the Bible and son of Isaac and Rebekah. He is also known as Israel after God changed his name.
Bethel — A city in Canaan, where Jacob had a meeting with God. The name means "house of God" in Hebrew.
Israel — The new name God gave to Jacob after a struggle with an angel. The name means "he who struggles with God" or "God struggles".
Rachel — Jacob's beloved wife and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She died during the birth of Benjamin and was buried near Bethel.
Benjamin — The youngest of Jacob's twelve sons and Rachel's second son. His name means "son of my right hand" or "son of the south".
Ephraim — A city in Canaan where Jacob lived after leaving Bethel. The place is also known as Mamre and Kiriath-Arba.
Isaac — Jacob's father and son of Abraham and Sarah. He was one of the three patriarchs in the Bible and father to Esau and Jacob.