Genesis 28:12

“He dreamed, and look, a ladder set on the earth, and its top reaching to the heavens; and look, the angels of Elohim were going up and coming down on it.”
Genesis 28:12 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

He dreamed,וַיַּחֲלֹםand look,וְהִנֵּהa ladderסֻלָּםsetמֻצָּבon the earth,אַרְצָהand its topוְרֹאשׁוֹreachingמַגִּיעַto the heavens;הַשָּׁמָיְמָהand look,וְהִנֵּהthe angelsמַלְאֲכֵיof Elohimאֱלֹהִיםwere going upעֹלִיםand coming downוְיֹרְדִיםon it.בּוֹ

Allusion · John 1:51

Go to John 1:51

Both texts speak of the angels of God “going up and coming down,” in that order. In Genesis they go up and down the ladder; in John, “on the Son of Man.”

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

מַלְאֲכֵיmalajeH4397ἀγγέλουςangelousG32“messenger, angel”
עֹלִיםolimH5927ἀναβαίνονταςanabainontasG305“go up”
יֹרְדִיםyordimH3381καταβαίνονταςkatabainontasG2597“go down, descend”

Genesis 28:12, word by word

He dreamedיַּחֲלֹםyachalom

dream

To see images and scenes while asleep.

Where else “yachalom” appears

a ladderסֻלָּםsulam

stairway

Stairway or ramp leading up. It occurs only in Genesis 28:12.

Where else “sulam” appears

setמֻצָּבmutsav

set up

To set something up so that it stays firm, like a pillar or a wall of water.

Where else “mutsav” appears

on the earthאַרְצָartsa

ground

What is underfoot: bowing down to touch it.

Where else “artsa” appears

and its topרֹאשׁrosh

top

Literally "the head": the highest part, as of a mountain.

Where else “rosh” appears

reachingמַגִּיעַmagia

reach

To reach a place or a moment.

Where else “magia” appears

to the heavensשָּׁמָיְמָshamayma

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayma” appears

the angelsמַלְאֲכֵיmalache

angel

A messenger from God, a heavenly being.

Where else “malache” appears

of Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim

Elohim

The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.

Where else “elohim” appears

were going upעֹלִיםolim

go up

To go from a low place to a higher one: up the mountain, to Jerusalem or to a city.

Where else “olim” appears

and coming downיֹרְדִיםyordim

go down

To go from a higher place to a lower one, like from the mountain to the valley.

Where else “yordim” appears

The context

11He came upon the place and spent the night there, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place and put it at his head, and lay down in that place.

12 · This verse (above)

13And look, YHWH stood above it and said, “I am YHWH, the Elohim of Abraham your father and the Elohim of Isaac. The land on which you are lying I will give it to you and to your offspring.

Read all of Genesis 28

To study Genesis 28 in a group

1. What it says
What did Jacob dream at Bethel, and what did YHWH say to him (vv. 12-15)?
2. What it means
What does it mean that Elohim tells Jacob, “I am with you and will keep you,” in his flight (v. 15)?
3. How I live it
In what difficult place in your life do you need to remember that Elohim is with you?

How to use it