And when Jacob awoke from sleep, he said: “Indeed, the Lord is in this place[1], and I knew it not How terrible[2] is this place! This is no other but the house of God[3] and the gate[4] of heaven.” As soon as morning dawned, he took the stone upon which his head had lain during the vision, and set it up as a monument; he also poured oil[5] upon it, in honour of God, and changed the name of the place from Luza to Bethel, that is to say, the house of God. He also made a vow, saying: “If God shall be with me, and I shall return prosperously to my father’s house, the Lord shall be my God; and of all things that Thou shalt give me I will offer tithes to Thee.”
This being done, he continued his journey, and having come to a well near which three flocks of sheep were lying, he addressed the shepherds who were tending their flocks, saying: “Brethren, whence are you?” They answered: “Of Haran.” He then asked them if they knew Laban, the son of Nachor. They replied: “We know him: and behold! Rachel, his daughter cometh with his flock.” When Rachel drew near, Jacob met her in a friendly manner, and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well so that her flock might drink. He informed Rachel that he was the son of Rebecca, her father’s sister. She joyfully ran home and announced the glad tidings to her father who, coming out, embraced Jacob and then conducted him to his house. Jacob remained[6] twenty years[7] with Laban, tending his flocks with
- ↑ In this place, i. e. the Lord is in a special manner in this place, not only in the general manner in which He is everywhere by His Omnipresence. God chose this place to make this grand revelation and promise to Jacob.
- ↑ How terrible. Jacob cried out in this way, because the fear of God had seized him.
- ↑ House of God. Because Almighty God had shown Himself visibly there.
- ↑ Gate of heaven. He calls the place the gate or door of heaven, because heaven had there opened itself before him, and he had gazed upon God and His holy angels.
- ↑ Poured oil. He placed the stone on which he had rested his head upright, to serve as a memorial of the wonderful vision of God; and, anointing it with oil, he consecrated it to God. By virtue of God’s promises to him, Jacob had become a patriarch, and the patriarchs were not only the heads , but also the priests of their families, and offered sacrifice. It was only in the time of Moses that God instituted a special priesthood (Old Test. XXXIX). It was by right of his priestly dignity that Jacob consecrated the memorial stone.
- ↑ Remained. And God increased Laban’s riches, for Jacob’s sake. He, being blessed of God, brought a blessing on the master whom he served.
- ↑ Twenty years . Fourteen of which (seven for each) he had to serve in order to obtain Lia and Rachel, daughters of Laban, for his wives.
