Commentary - Genesis 35:9-15

Bird's-eye view

This passage is a monumental moment of covenant renewal in the life of Jacob. Having returned to the land of promise and having obeyed God's command to go to Bethel, Jacob is met by God once again. This is not a new covenant, but a formal reaffirmation of the great Abrahamic covenant that God had previously confirmed to him at this very same place years before (Gen. 28:13-15). The central event is the changing of Jacob's name to Israel, which had been announced earlier after his wrestling match at Peniel (Gen. 32) but is here formally ratified and explained by God Himself. This name change signifies a transformation of identity from the "supplanter" to "one who strives with God." Following the name change, God identifies Himself as El Shaddai, God Almighty, and reiterates the core promises of the covenant: fruitfulness (many descendants, a nation, an assembly of nations, kings) and the land. Jacob responds to this divine encounter with appropriate worship, setting up a stone pillar and consecrating it with offerings, formally renaming the place Bethel, "House of God." This is a foundational text, establishing Israel's identity and destiny under the sovereign hand of God.

In essence, this is a formal ceremony. God descends, makes His pronouncements, and then ascends. Jacob, the covenant vassal, responds with worship and memorial. The whole event serves to solidify Jacob's standing as the heir of the promise and the patriarch of the chosen people, grounding his future and the future of his descendants in the unshakeable word of God Almighty.

Outline

Context In Genesis

This passage occurs after Jacob's long sojourn in Paddan-aram and his tense reunion with Esau. He has returned to the Promised Land, but his household is still tainted with idolatry (Gen. 35:2-4) and his family has been embroiled in the violent incident at Shechem (Gen. 34). God's command to "Arise, go up to Bethel" (Gen. 35:1) is a call to Jacob to return to the place of his first encounter with God, to put away the foreign gods, and to re-center his life and family on the covenant. This event at Bethel, therefore, is a spiritual cleansing and re-consecration. It formally closes the chapter of Jacob's flight and exile and establishes him as the head of the covenant line in the land itself. It looks back to God's initial promise at Bethel (Gen. 28) and forward to the formation of the twelve tribes of Israel and their eventual possession of the land. The renaming to Israel is particularly significant, as it is under this name that the nation will be known for the rest of redemptive history.

Key Issues

The God Who Names His People

One of the central truths running through Scripture is that God is the one who defines reality. He does not discover things; He constitutes them. He speaks, and worlds come into being. And one of the primary ways He demonstrates this authority is by naming things and people. In Genesis 1, He names the day and the night. He brings the animals to Adam to be named, delegating a measure of this authority. And here, in this crucial moment, He names the man who will be the father of His chosen nation.

This is not like a modern parent picking a name they find pleasant. When God bestows a name, He is defining the very essence and destiny of the recipient. Abram ("exalted father") becomes Abraham ("father of a multitude"). Sarai becomes Sarah ("princess"). And here, Jacob ("supplanter," "heel-grabber") becomes Israel ("he strives with God" or "God strives"). This is a creative act. God is not just observing a change in Jacob's character; He is effecting it. He is taking the conniving, wrestling, scheming man and formally constituting him as the head of a people who will be defined by their relationship of striving with God. This is a foundational principle: our identity is not something we discover within ourselves. Our true identity is something that is given to us, bestowed upon us by our Creator and Redeemer.

Verse by Verse Commentary

9 Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him.

The action begins with a direct, unmediated appearance of God. This is a momentous occasion. God "appeared" to him, marking this as a formal and significant encounter. This is the second time God has appeared to him at Bethel. The first was when he was a fugitive running for his life; now he returns as the head of a great household. The text says God appeared to him "again," linking this back to all the previous encounters, and emphasizing God's covenant faithfulness over the long haul. And the first thing God does is bless him. Blessing is the fundamental disposition of God toward His covenant people. Before any commands, before any stipulations, there is the divine blessing. This is grace, front and center.

10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called his name Israel.

Here is the heart of the matter. God begins by stating the old reality: "Your name is Jacob." He acknowledges who Jacob has been, the supplanter, the trickster, the man who lived by his wits. Then comes the divine, creative decree: "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name." This is not a suggestion. It is a sovereign declaration that changes reality. The name Israel, as we know from the context of Genesis 32, has to do with wrestling or striving with God. It signifies a man whose life is now defined not by his scheming against men, but by his direct engagement with God. He is one who has prevailed, not through his own strength, but by clinging to God in desperation. The final clause, "Thus He called his name Israel," underlines the authority of the act. God spoke, and it was so.

11 God also said to him, “I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and an assembly of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from your loins.

God now identifies Himself by a specific covenant name: "I am God Almighty," in Hebrew, El Shaddai. This is the name God used when He established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham (Gen. 17:1). Its use here signals that what follows is a solemn reaffirmation of that same covenant. El Shaddai carries the connotation of all-sufficient power, the ability to bring life out of barrenness and to fulfill promises that seem impossible from a human perspective. It is on the basis of this omnipotence that God issues the command and promise: "Be fruitful and multiply." This echoes the original creation mandate (Gen. 1:28) and the promise to Abraham. The promise is then amplified. Jacob will not just be the father of a large family, but of "a nation and an assembly of nations." This points to the twelve tribes forming one nation, but also hints at a greater, worldwide scope, ultimately fulfilled in the Church. And from him will come "kings," a promise that points toward the Davidic monarchy and, ultimately, to Christ the King.

12 And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your seed after you.”

The second great pillar of the Abrahamic covenant is the promise of land. God is very precise here. This is not just any land; it is "the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac." This establishes a clear line of covenantal inheritance. The promise is not being invented for Jacob; it is being passed down to him as the rightful heir. God's faithfulness is generational. He then extends the promise into the future: "I will give the land to your seed after you." This looks forward to the conquest under Joshua and the entire history of Israel in Canaan. It is a tangible, physical promise of a place, a home, an inheritance. For the Christian, this promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in the new heavens and the new earth, the whole world inherited by Christ and His people (Rom. 4:13).

13 Then God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him.

The divine audience is over. The text simply states that "God went up from him." This is the language of theophany. God had descended to speak with Jacob face to face, and now He ascends. This detail is significant; it is the same language used to describe Jesus' ascension. The encounter was real, localized, and has now concluded. The King has delivered His decree and departed, leaving His servant to respond.

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.

Jacob's response is one of worship and memorial. He takes a stone and sets it up as a pillar, a monument to commemorate this holy event. This is what you do when something of immense importance happens in a particular place; you mark the spot. This is not idolatry; it is a memorial. He then consecrates the pillar. He pours a drink offering on it, an act of libation and worship common in the ancient world, signifying a gift to God. Then he pours oil on it, an act of anointing and setting apart as holy. He is marking this place as sacred ground, a place where heaven and earth met.

15 So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, Bethel.

Just as God named the man, the man now names the place. He confirms the name he had given it years before: Bethel, which means "House of God." This was no longer just a place where he had a remarkable dream as a young man. It was now the place where God Almighty had appeared to him, confirmed his new identity as Israel, and solemnly renewed the everlasting covenant. By naming the place, Jacob is claiming it, not for himself, but for God. He is acknowledging that this spot on the map is now defined by God's presence and His word. It is, and forever will be, the House of God.

Application

This passage is a profound reminder that our relationship with God is covenantal, initiated and defined by Him. Like Jacob, we come to God with our old names, our old identities marked by sin and scheming. We are all "Jacobs." But in Christ, God appears to us. He speaks to us through His word and by His Spirit, and He gives us a new name. We are no longer defined as supplanters, but as sons of God, co-heirs with Christ. Our identity is not earned or achieved; it is a gift, bestowed by sovereign grace.

This new identity comes with the same covenant promises given to Israel, now escalated and fulfilled in Christ. God is our El Shaddai, our Almighty God, who promises us fruitfulness. We are called to be fruitful and multiply, not just by having children, but by making disciples of all nations. We are part of a holy nation, a royal priesthood, an assembly of nations from every tribe and tongue. And we are promised an inheritance, a land, not just a strip of territory in the Middle East, but the entire renewed creation. We are heirs of the world.

Our response should be the same as Jacob's: worship. We are to set up memorials in our lives, baptism, the Lord's Supper, the regular gathering for worship on the Lord's Day. These are our pillars, our Bethels, where we remember what God has done, who He has declared us to be, and the promises He has made. We anoint these things with our praise and thanksgiving, acknowledging that our lives, our families, and our churches are the house of God, the place where He has chosen to dwell.