Scholars indicate the standard period of mourning following the death of a Pharaoh was 72 days. Jacob was mourned in Egypt for 70 days, an enormous honor for the shepherd from whom the people of Israel would take their name. Genesis 50:1–14 begins with Joseph weeping by his father’s deathbed. Read more…
Jacob used a stone as a pillow because that was customary for his time. In this story, Jacob had a vision of God and angels going up and down stairs leading to Heaven, and in the morning, he used that stone pillow as a memorial. We hope you enjoyed this Read more…
Like some Jewish commentators, Islamic commentators described the event as punishment for Jacob failing to give tithes to God but making an offering like a tithe to Esau. What is the meaning of Jacob wrestles with God? Jacob wrestled with what he thought was a man but turned out to Read more…
Jacob buries them under a specific terebinth tree near Shechem before the company begins their caravan south to Bethel. Scripture doesn’t give an explicit reason why Jacob buried these items, rather than destroying them or reusing the precious metals. Why did Jacob bury the idols under the oak tree? Desolate Read more…
Luz. Biblical narrative On his flight, Jacob rested at a city called Luz and used a group of stones as a pillow. Why did Jacob call the place Bethel? Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. There he built Read more…
God reassured Jacob, promising to be with him, to make his family into a great nation, and to bring them back from Egypt. Though Jacob himself would die in Egypt, according to God’s promise, his family would prosper before they returned to the Promised Land. What was God’s promise to Read more…
In this way he made it a memorial to God. The name of that place was Luz, but Jacob named it Bethel. What is the name of the place Jacob slept? LuzOn his flight, Jacob rested at a city called Luz and used a group of stones as a pillow. Read more…
Jacob took the foreign gods, along with the earrings of the people and buried them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem. Why did Jacob bury the idols under the oak tree? Desolate and chastened, Jacob renews his resolve to worship only God, commanding his household to get rid Read more…
He observed seven days of mourning for his father. Why was Jacob mourning 70 days? Scholars indicate the standard period of mourning following the death of a Pharaoh was 72 days. Jacob was mourned in Egypt for 70 days, an enormous honor for the shepherd from whom the people of Read more…
Jacob’s weakness is moral—that of a finite man who seeks to supplant the living God. Both men must ultimately yield to the mystery which is the divine. What is Jacob’s strength in the Bible? Strengths: 1. He valued the birthright and blessing – This blessing is shown to be more Read more…