Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 35

Arise, go up to Beth-el. — Jacob's position at Shechem had become dangerous; for although the first result of Simeon and Levi's high-handed action was to strike the local inhabitants with terror (Genesis 35:5), yet reprisals might still follow if they had time to learn the comparatively small number of Jacob’s followers. It was necessary, therefore, to move.

Moreover, Beth-el was the goal of the patriarch’s journeyings. He had made a solemn vow there on his journey to Padanaram, and though forty-two years had elapsed, it had not been forgotten . The Divine command to go there was the outward authorisation of what his own conscience dictated.

For this reason, we cannot believe that he had remained long at Shechem. Nomads are remarkably leisurely in their movements. There is nothing of the rush and hurry of city life in their actions or purposes. They are capable of a great effort occasionally, but then they relapse into their usual slowness. And so, when Jacob found good pasture and plenty of room for his cattle at Shechem, he remained there for a while; but he did not abandon his purpose of going first to Beth-el, and finally to Hebron.

THE TÔLDÔTH ISAAC (Genesis 25:19 – 35:29).

THE BIRTH OF ISAAC’S SONS.

Abraham begot Isaac —The Tôldôth in its original form probably gave a complete genealogy of Isaac, tracing his descent up to Shem, and showing thereby that the right of primogeniture belonged to him; but the inspired historian uses only as much of this as is necessary for tracing the development of the Divine plan of human redemption.

The Syrian. —Really, the Aramean, or descendant of Aram . The name of the district is also correctly “Paddan-Ararn,” and far from being identical with Aram-Naharaim (Genesis 24:10), it is strictly the designation of the region immediately in the neighbourhood of Charran.

The assertion of Gesenius that it meant “Mesopotamia, with the desert to the west of the Euphrates, in opposition to the mountainous district towards the Mediterranean,” is devoid of proof (see Chwolsohn, Die Ssabier, 1, p. 304).

In Syriac, the language of Charran, padana means a plough (1 Samuel 13:20) or a yoke of oxen (1 Samuel 11:7); and this also suggests that it was the cultivated district close to Charran.

In Hosea 12:12 it is said that Jacob fled to the field of Aram; but this is a very general description of the country in which he found refuge, and provides no basis for the assertion that Padan-aram was the level region.

Finally, the assertion that it is an ancient name used by the Jehovist is only an assertion. It is the name of a special district, and the knowledge of it was the result of Jacob’s prolonged stay there. Chwolsohn says that traces of the name still remain in Faddân and Tel Faddân, two places close to Charran, mentioned by Yacut, the Arabian geographer, who flourished in the thirteenth century.

Isaac entreated the Lord. —This barrenness lasted twenty years (Genesis 25:26) and must have greatly troubled Isaac. However, it would also compel him to reflect deeply on the purpose for which he had been given to Abraham and afterwards rescued from death on Mount Jehovah-Jireh.

When offspring finally came, in answer to his earnest pleading of the promise, the delay would serve to impress upon both parents the religious significance of their existence as a separate race and family, and the necessity of training their children worthily.

The derivation of the verb to entreat, from a noun signifying incense, is uncertain but made probable by the natural connection between the idea of the ascending fragrance and that of prayer mounting heavenward (Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:4).

The children struggled together.—Two dissimilar nations sprang from Abraham, though from entirely different mothers. Similarly, from the peaceful Isaac two distinct races of men were to originate, but from the same mother, and the contest began while they were still unborn.

Rebekah, apparently unaware that she was pregnant with twins but harassed by the pain of strange jostlings and thrusts, grew despondent and exclaimed—

If it be so, why am I thus? —Literally, If so, why am I this? Some explain this as meaning, “Why do I still live?”

More probably, however, she meant: If I have conceived in this way, in answer to my husband’s prayers, why do I suffer in this strange manner? This prepares for what follows, namely, that Rebekah wished to have her condition explained to her and therefore went to inquire of Jehovah.

She went to enquire of the Lord. —Not to Shem, nor Melchizedek, as many think, nor even to Abraham, who was still alive, but, as Theodoret suggests, to the family altar. Isaac had several homes, but probably the altar at Bethel, erected when Abraham first took possession of the Promised Land (Genesis 12:7) and therefore especially holy, was the place indicated. If Abraham were there, he would doubtless join his prayers with those of Rebekah.

Strange gods. Besides Rachel’s teraphim, many of the people Jacob acquired at Haran were probably idolaters and had brought their gods with them. In addition to these, the numerous men and women who formed the "tafs" of the Shechemites were certainly worshippers of false deities. The purpose, then, of this reformation was not merely to raise Jacob’s own family to a higher spiritual state, but also to initiate the many heathen belonging to their households into the true religion. Outward rites of purification and changes of clothing were to accompany the religious teaching given, because of their symbolic value; and we can well believe that much deep and earnest religious feeling would be evoked by the solemn ceremonies that accompanied this drawing near of the whole tribe to God.

This reformation is also interesting as the first of a long series of such acts constantly recurring in the history of Israel; it is especially parallel to the sanctification of the people at Sinai. There, also, was the initiation not merely of the lineal Israel, but also of the mixed multitude, into the true religion—since Jacob’s family had then grown into a nation; and there, also, symbolic washings were prescribed (Exodus 19:10–14). These were subsequently still practiced under the Law, and grew into the baptism by which we are now admitted into the Church of Christ.

Who answered me ... — The narrative of Jacob’s life, and the detail of God’s providential care of him, would doubtless affect strongly the minds of his followers, and make them ready to abandon their idols, “and worship the God that was Israel’s God” (Genesis 33:20).

Earrings. —Earrings seem to have been worn not so much for ornament as for superstitious purposes, being regarded as talismans or amulets. Hence it was from their earrings that Aaron made the golden calf (Exodus 32:2–4).

The oak. —Not Abraham’s oak-grove (Genesis 12:6), referred to probably in Judges 9:6; Judges 9:37 —the Hebrew word in these three places being êlôn —but that under which Joshua set up his pillar of witness (Joshua 24:26), the tree being in both these places called allâh, or êlâh, a terebinth.