18
Jacobיַעֲקֹבrose earlyוַיַּשְׁכֵּםin the morning,בַּבֹּקֶרtookוַיִּקַּחthe stoneאֶת הָאֶבֶןthatאֲשֶׁרhe had putשָׂםat his head,מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיוset it upוַיָּשֶׂם אֹתָהּas a standing stone,מַצֵּבָהand pouredוַיִּצֹקoilשֶׁמֶןon its top.עַל רֹאשָׁהּ
Genesis 28:18
Study it in the app“Jacob 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.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 28:18, word by word
- Jacobיַעֲקֹבyaakov
Jacob
Jacob, the younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau and father of the twelve tribes. In Hebrew "Yaakov" sounds like "heel" and "supplant" (Genesis 25:26; 27:36). God later gave him the name Israel; the name also stands for his descendants, the people of Israel.
Where else “yaakov” appears- rose earlyיַּשְׁכֵּםyashkem
rise early
To get up early to do something.
Where else “yashkem” appears- in the morningבֹּקֶרboker
morning
Morning, dawn.
Where else “boker” appears- tookיִּקַּחyikach
take
To grasp something in the hand to carry or use it.
Where else “yikach” appears- the stoneאֶבֶןeven
stone
A piece of rock, large or small, used for building, marking or throwing.
Where else “even” appears- he had putשָׂםsam
put
To put something somewhere.
Where else “sam” appears- at his headמְרַאֲשֹׁתָיmeraashotay
at the head
The place at someone's head where they sleep.
Where else “meraashotay” appears- as a standing stoneמַצֵּבָהmatseva
standing stone
Standing stone: a stone set upright as a memorial of something, of a meeting with God or of a covenant. Later laws forbid the standing stones of Canaanite worship, which were objects of worship.
Where else “matseva” appears- and pouredיִּצֹקyitsok
pour
To pour a liquid over something or into something.
Where else “yitsok” appears- oilשֶׁמֶןshemen
oil
The fat pressed from olives, for eating, lighting or anointing.
Where else “shemen” appears- on its topרֹאשָׁrosha
top
Literally "the head": the highest part, as of a mountain.
Where else “rosha” appears
Translation note
A standing stone (matseva) is a stone set upright. Jacob pours oil on it and says it will be “the house of Elohim” (28:22). In John 1:51 Jesus takes up the words of this dream: the angels ascending and descending (28:12).
The context
17He 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.”
18 · This verse (above)
19He called the name of that place Bethel, but Luz was the name of the city at first.
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?