Genesis – Chapter 35

Old Testament29 Verses

Chapter Summary

"In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when…" — so begins Genesis 35. The chapter centers on Jacob, Rachel and Isaac. Across its 29 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and worship and praise. Read slowly, this chapter rewards the kind of prayerful attention the Church calls lectio divina.

1In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau, thy brother.

2And Jacob having called together all his household, said: Cast away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed, and change your garments.

3Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar to God; who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompained me in my journey.

4So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem.

5And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away.

6And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed Bethel: he and all the people that were with him.

7And he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, The house of God: for there God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.

8At the same time Debora, the nurse of Rebecca, died, and was buried at the foot of Bethel, under an oak, and the name of that place was called, The oak of weeping.

9And God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,

10Saying: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called him Israel.

11And said to him: I am God almighty, increase thou and be multiplied. Nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.

12And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee.

13And he departed from him.

14But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him: pouring drink-offerings upon it, and pouring oil thereon:

15And calling the name of that place Bethel.

16And going forth from thence, he came in the spring time to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail,

17By reason of her hard labour, she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also.

18And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.

19So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to Ephrata, this is Bethlehem.

20And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar of Rachel's monument, to this day.

21Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower.

22And when he dwelt in that country, Ruben went, and slept with Bala the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

23The sons of Lia: Ruben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon.

24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

25The sons of Bala, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Nephthali.

26The sons of Zelpha, Lia's handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

27And he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, this is Hebron: wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

28And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years.

29And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Important Verses in Genesis 35

In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau, thy brother.

Genesis 35:1

So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem.

Genesis 35:4

And God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,

Genesis 35:9

By reason of her hard labour, she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also.

Genesis 35:17

Historical Context

Genesis belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for the people of Israel, to root their identity in God's creation and the covenant with the patriarchs. Chapter 35 of 50 moves toward the climax of the book as earlier promises and conflicts converge. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 29 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. Jacob, Rachel, Isaac and Abraham appear at the center of the events recorded here. The passage starts with these words: "In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who…" The chapter ends with: "And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and…" The wider setting of Genesis is this: Genesis was composed to give Israel its foundational identity: one God created all things good, sin entered through human choice, and God responded with a plan of salvation beginning with Abraham. Catholic tradition dates the book to the period described in its introduction: Traditions reaching back to the 2nd millennium BC, compiled in final form between the 10th and 5th centuries BC.

Who Wrote It

Traditionally attributed to Moses; Catholic scholarship recognizes the work of inspired editors drawing on ancient oral and written traditions

When It Was Written

Traditions reaching back to the 2nd millennium BC, compiled in final form between the 10th and 5th centuries BC

Catholic Commentary

Read at the narrative level, this chapter describes real persons, decisions, and consequences within creation, covenant, and the patriarchs. A pivotal line is verse 1: "In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from…" The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 791). Here, the Catechism teaches that Genesis reveals God's plan of salvation from the beginning (CIC 54-64). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize family and covenant relationships as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

For Christians today, the chapter's lesson is clear: The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.. The Church invites us to receive this word not as antiquarian information but as living Scripture proclaimed at Mass and prayed in lectio divina.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Worship is the heart of the covenant: giving God the praise and adoration that are His due.
  • Suffering, united to Christ, becomes a path of purification and deeper trust in God.

People in This Chapter

Jacob9 mentionsRachel5 mentionsIsaac4 mentionsAbraham2 mentionsEsau2 mentionsLeah2 mentions

Reflection for Today

Genesis Chapter 35 marks Jacob's return to Bethel, fulfilling his vow from chapter 28. The Catechism teaches that vows made to God must be fulfilled and that returning to places of spiritual encounter can renew our faith (CIC 2101-2103). Jacob's command to put away foreign gods shows the ongoing struggle against idolatry in his household.

God's renewal of the covenant promises at Bethel confirms Jacob's place in salvation history. The change of name from Jacob to Israel is reaffirmed, emphasizing his new identity. Catholic theology sees in such divine encounters the pattern of sacramental grace—God meets us at appointed times and places to renew His covenant with us.

The deaths of Rachel and Isaac frame this chapter with grief, reminding us that the patriarchal narratives are not fairy tales but real human stories marked by loss. Rachel's death in childbirth, naming her son Ben-oni ("son of my sorrow"), reveals the cost of bringing new life into the world. Jacob's renaming him Benjamin ("son of the right hand") transforms sorrow into hope. This chapter teaches us that spiritual renewal often accompanies life's most difficult transitions.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Genesis Chapter 35 about?

Genesis 35 contains 29 verses. It opens with "In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who…" and closes with "And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and…". The book as a whole is narrative with genealogies and covenant accounts.

What is a key verse in Genesis 35?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau, thy brother." It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Genesis Chapter 35?

This chapter mentions Jacob, Rachel, Isaac, Abraham, Esau, among others.

Who wrote Genesis and when?

Traditionally attributed to Moses; Catholic scholarship recognizes the work of inspired editors drawing on ancient oral and written traditions. Traditions reaching back to the 2nd millennium BC, compiled in final form between the 10th and 5th centuries BC.

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