Tag: Genesis

Genesis 35It sounds like Rebekah’s nurse dwelt with her favored son – perhaps after Rebekah died (I can’t remember if we have been informed of her death). Deborah died and then Rachel died while giving birth to Benjamin and that all took place before Isaac died. I had not realized that Isaac lived until after…

Genesis 34One of the extra problems with what the sons of Jacob did was to use the symbol of the Lord’s covenant as a way to exact their own vengeance for the folly of Shechem.

Genesis 33I wonder if we will ever hear when Isaac dies. I had forgotten that Esau first told Jacob that he could keep the gifts he had offered. By taking the gifts Esau signaled publicly that he was a friend to Jacob.

Genesis 32The story of Jacob wrestling all night to be given a blessing is interesting. I wonder (despite the references to having his thigh touched) if it was physical wrestling.

Genesis 31Why did Rachel take the idols of her father? It is never explained here. Perhaps it is explained later – I’m not sure. Jacob was with Laban for 20 years and Laban kept impeding his desires to return to Isaac who, as far as we know, was still alive and at least 120 years…

Genesis 30I didn’t realize that 11 of Jacob’s sons were born while he was still living with and serving Laban. I think I can safely say that he stayed more than 7 years after he married Rachel. In fact, he did not go to Laban and seek to depart until Joseph was born.

Genesis 29I wonder how angry Jacob was at Laban for his deception. I’m sure that Laban expected that Leah would be married within those seven years that he promised Rachel. Jacob’s first four sons all came from Leah. I find it interesting that Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel were all barren (later we see Hannah, the…

Genesis 28Esau too a wife from among the posterity of Ishmael, his uncle, when he learned that his father did not want Jacob to take a Canaanite as a wife (Esau already had two Canaanite wives). He is obviously trying to gain favor in his father’s eyes.

Genesis 27I never realized that the birthright and the blessing that Jacob deceived Isaac into giving were two different things – I thought the one was the fulfillment of the other. I wonder what the significance of that final blessing was? Esau, upon learning that his blessing had been stolen just as his birthright had…

Genesis 26The story of Isaac, Rebekah, and Abilmelech sounds much like the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech. It also sounds much like the story of Abraham, Sarah, and the Pharoah in Egypt. I personally think the Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech version is an error in the oral tradition that came from people confusing and…