Genesis 28:10-22

Genesis 28:10-22

[10] And Jacob  went out  from Beersheba,  toward Haran.  [11] And he lighted  upon a certain place,  and tarried there all night,  because the sun  was set;  and he took  of the stones  of that place,  and put  them for his pillows,  in that place  to sleep.  [12] And he dreamed,  and behold a ladder  set up  on the earth,  and the top of it  reached  to heaven:  and behold the angels  of God  ascending  and descending  on it. [13] And, behold, the LORD  stood  above it, and said,  I am the LORD  God  of Abraham  thy father,  and the God  of Isaac:  the land  whereon thou liest,  to thee will I give it,  and to thy seed;  [14] And thy seed  shall be as the dust  of the earth,  and thou shalt spread abroad  to the west,  and to the east,  and to the north,  and to the south:  and in thee and in thy seed  shall all the families  of the earth  be blessed.  [15] And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep  thee in all places whither  and will bring thee again  into this land;  for I will not leave  thee, until  I have done  that which I have spoken  to thee of. [16] And Jacob  awaked  out of his sleep,  and he said,  Surely  the LORD  is  in this place;  and I knew  [17] And he was afraid,  and said,  How dreadful  is this place!  this is none other but the house  of God,  and this is the gate  of heaven.  [18] And Jacob  rose up early  in the morning,  and took  the stone  that he had put  for his pillows,  and set it up  for a pillar,  and poured  oil  upon the top of it.  [19] And he called  the name  of that place  Bethel:  but  the name  of that city  was called Luz  at the first.  [20] And Jacob  vowed  a vow,  saying,  If God  will be with me, and will keep me  in this way  that I go,  and will give  me bread  to eat,  and raiment  to put on,  [21] So that I come again  to my father's  house  in peace;  then shall the LORD  be my God:  [22] And this stone,  which I have set  for a pillar,  shall be God's  house:  and of all that thou shalt give  me I will surely  unto thee.

What does Genesis 28:10-22 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

"From a "stone pillow" to a "stone pillar," this account tells how Jacob"s lodging place at Bethel became the most celebrated place of worship among the patriarchal narratives." [1]
Yahweh appeared at the top of an angel-filled stairway restating the promise to Abraham and adding more promises of blessing and protection for Jacob. The patriarch acknowledged God"s presence, memorialized the place with a monument stone and a name, and vowed to worship the Lord there if He did bless and protect him.
"The two most significant events in the life of Jacob were nocturnal theophanies. The first was this dream at Bethel when he was fleeing from the land of Canaan, which ironically was his by virtue of the blessing. The other was his fight at Peniel when he was attempting to return to the land. Each divine encounter was a life-changing event." [2]
Bethel receives more mention in the Old Testament than any other city but Jerusalem. This indicates its importance in biblical history.