17
He was afraidוַיִּירָאand said,וַיֹּאמַר“Howמַהfearsomeנּוֹרָאis thisהַזֶּהplace!הַמָּקוֹםThis is none otherאֵין זֶה כִּי אִםthan the houseבֵּיתof Elohim,אֱלֹהִיםand thisוְזֶהis the gateשַׁעַרof the heavens.”הַשָּׁמָיִם
Genesis 28:17
Study it in the app“He was afraid and said, “How fearsome is this place! This is none other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of the heavens.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 28:17, word by word
- He was afraidיִּירָאyira
fear
To feel fear before danger or before someone stronger.
Where else “yira” appears- and saidיֹּאמַרyomar
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomar” appears- placeמָּקוֹםmakom
place
A place, a spot.
Where else “makom” appears- than the houseבֵּיתbet
temple
The temple: "the house of YHWH".
Where else “bet” appears- of Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohim” appears- is the gateשַׁעַרshaar
gate
The entrance of a city or house, with doors that close.
Where else “shaar” appears- of the heavensשָּׁמָיִםshamayim
heaven
God's dwelling, from which he is called "the Elohim of the heavens".
Where else “shamayim” appears
The context
16Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely YHWH is in this place, and I did not know it.”
17 · This verse (above)
18Jacob rose early in the morning, took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a standing stone, and poured oil on its top.
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?