I suspect that this is for two reasons. Jacob's Well is also about 250 feet from the archaeological ruins of ancient Shechem. Simeon ( Hebrew: , Modern: mn, Tiberian: mn) [2] was the second of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's second son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Simeon, according to the Book of Genesis. Jacob set up a pillar there and poured oil and wine upon it (verse 14). Jacobs condition is not that different from many Christians in our own time. For Jacob, this event served as a rededication to the God Who had set His love on Him in eternity past and Who had sought him out thirty years before when he was fleeing from Esau. Jud 20:18,26,31; 21:2 Authorized Version, "house of God." The city, near the place, then bore the Canaanite name Luz. This is probably due to a combination of two factors. Jacob seems to have little desire to do the will of God which he knows. This well is still there today. Rivaling Damascus in antiquity. Around the large are nine stone troughs; around the smaller, five. 2:1-4, 11; 1 Kings 2:11). And he said, Unto Hebron.1 Chronicles 3:4 - [These] six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years.Joshua 10:5 - Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.Joshua 10:3 - Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,Joshua 12:10 - The king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;2 Samuel 3:32 - And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.Exodus 6:18 - And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath [were] an hundred thirty and three years.1 Chronicles 2:42 - Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel [were], Mesha his firstborn, which was the father of Ziph; and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.Joshua 15:13 - And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, [even] the city of Arba the father of Anak, which [city is] Hebron.Joshua 21:11 - And they gave them the city of Arba the father of Anak, which [city is] Hebron, in the hill [country] of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.Judges 16:3 - And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put [them] upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that [is] before Hebron.2 Samuel 3:22 - And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from [pursuing] a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner [was] not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.1 Chronicles 6:57 - And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, [namely], Hebron, [the city] of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs,Joshua 20:7 - And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which [is] Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.Joshua 21:13 - Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, [to be] a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs,Genesis 23:2 - And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same [is] Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.Genesis 35:27 - And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which [is] Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.2 Samuel 15:10 - But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.2 Samuel 5:13 - And David took [him] more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.2 Samuel 3:27 - And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth [rib], that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. The home of the prophetess Deborah was not far off (Jdg 4:5). Joseph is between 39 and 56 years old. We may still continue to preserve the forms and observe the rituals of piety, but, in fact, the reality is not there. It was a well-known town when Abraham entered Canaan, 3800 years ago. S. of the town in the bottom of the valley is a tank, 130 ft. square by 50 deep. Secondly, we know that Joseph was 17 when he was sold into slavery, and this seems to be not too long after Jacob went to Bethel for the second time (37:2). Shechem's location, in the Promised Land, at the crossroads of trade, made it a convenient choice, helping Jacob to believe he was making his home in a good place (v. 18). It was David's first capital. The property now belongs to a Greek Orthodox Church, which has built over the well. The story of Dinah recounts an episode in which the girl (or young woman) goes out to see the "daughters of the land" (34:1) but is raped, seduced, and/or abducted by Shechem, a Hivite prince, who subsequently falls in love with her. Jehovah testified His acceptance of David's sacrifice there by sending down fire to consume it (Leviticus 9:24; 1 Kings 18:24; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Chronicles 7:1). 2 Chronicles 3:1 - Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where [the LORD] appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.Genesis 22:2 - And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. Furthermore, the wives and children, who were taken captive and would be taken away, must have had Canaanite relatives eagerly seeking revenge.17 After all, what had been done to Dinah was committed on a grand scale by her brothers in their killing the men of Shechem and kidnapping the women and children. Man cannot first choose God, for he is born at enmity with God. Many years later Joseph became second in command in the land of Egypt by the hand of God. Jacob to Shechem. A city in the south of territory of the tribe of Judah 1Sa 30:27 -3. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. Abraham is called by Mohammedans el-Khulil, "the Friend," i.e. (For further information on this subject, consult the series Guidelines For Guidance, which I did some time ago.). When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and violated her. Jacob (Heb. 2. And he put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. (See JEHOVAH JIREH; GERIZIM.) of Zion. 8:17-19); and (4) the promise of the Seed in which all nations of the earth were to be blessed (Gen. 22:18). Nearly thirty years have passed since Jacob vowed to return to Bethel, where God had revealed Himself to him during his flight from Esau to Paddan-aram. This spot became a center of great interest, lending growing importance to the town. But "life-long sorrow, disgrace, and trials, in the retributive providence of God, followed as a consequence of this double union." Hiel the Bethelite is recorded as the rebuilder of Jericho. On some low hills north of the large wells are scattered the foundations and ruins of a town of moderate size.Beersheba in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE be-er-she'-ba (be'er shebha`; Bersabee): Allotted originally to Simeon (Josh 19:2), one of "the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah" (Josh 15:28). Bethuel, 1 Chronicles 4:30. Previous to this time, God had chosen to fulfill His covenant to Abraham through one son to the exclusion of others. So far as we are told, there is only one act of immorality rather than an ongoing relationship. That which was promised he would have received in some good way; but Jacob and his mother, distrusting God's promise, sought the promised blessing in a wrong way, and received with it trouble and sorrow. The name Israel, rather than Jacob, may suggest that here the patriarch responded rightly (as Israel, not the old Jacob) to this situation. Our security will never come from the arm of the flesh, but only from the Sovereign God Who cares for His own (cf. Why did so many thousands come to Jesus in the beginning before he had done or said anything. Manasseh, Ephraim are between 19 and 26. Now I want to be very clear that Jacob did not suffer the penalty for his sins. 11. It is found by Isaac's servants just after the covenant made between him and Abimelech. the pestilence. He was about to enter into a relationship with the Canaanites which would undermine the purity of this chosen race. Only due to the urging of Bathsheba did David designate Solomon, her son, as the heir to the throne. (1) According to Genesis 49: 29-32; 50:13 Jacob was buried in the cave of Machpelah near Hebron which Abraham had bought from Ephron the Hittite (Gn . Isaacs death is now reported, though it did not take place for another twelve or thirteen years. These Canaanites undoubtedly kept their gods with them (or made new ones) when they were taken captive. Here Jacob (re-named "Israel") built an altar and named it "El-elohe-israel," meaning "God, the God of Israel" (Gen. 33:17-20). And then, when we have gotten our fill of sin and there is no other way to turn, He will speak to us again, reminding us of that which He has previously spoken. 7. He tolerated the possession of foreign gods. No doubt Jacob intended to get around to going up to Bethel in time, but there was no hurry in his mind. He divided the children between Leah and Rachel and the two maidservants. Abraham saw Moriah at some little distance (Genesis 22:4) on the third day; the distance, two days' journey from Beersheba, would just bring him to Zion, but not so far as Moreh and Gerizim (Genesis 12:6) where some fix Moriah. Bethlehem. Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. We can be fully assured that what God has begun, He will finish (Philippians 1:6). 8:17; 12:16).Bethel in Fausset's Bible Dictionary ("house of God".) A place in Central Israel, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. Again Jacob journeyed southward, and at Bethlehem Rachel gave birth to Benjamin, but she died in giving childbirth and was buried there (Gen. 35:16-20). and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob (Genesis 35:5, emphasis added). It was afterwards known as Mamre. 20:18, 31; 21:2). It was on a main north-south travel route that linked the northern and southern parts of Israel. The burial of Isaac was a cooperative effort of both Jacob and Esau. 16 Up here does not mean north, for Bethel was south. There is a song which says, whatever it takes to be closer to Thee, Lord, thats what Ill be willing to do. I doubt that many of us are willing to make that kind of commitment for fear of what might have to be set aside. 2Ki 10:29 After the desolation of the northern kingdom by the king of Assyria, Bethel still remained an abode of priests. Gen 33:16-17. Egypt. It retained this name till it came into the possession of Caleb, when the Israelites restored the original name Hebron" (Keil, Com.). In the Hebrew Bible he is the son of Isaac and Rebecca, the grandson of Abraham and Sarah and of Bethuel, and the twin brother of Esau. Is this not the very thing which motivates us to be faithful and encourages us when we have failed? Son of Kohath Ex 6:18; Nu 3:19; 1Ch 6:2,18; 23:12,19Hebron in Smiths Bible Dictionary (alliance). [] He told his servants, "Pass over before me, and keep some distance . The chickens, I am compelled to remind you, do come home to roost. The disaster that befalls Dinah in chapter 34 is another hint, after the fact, that Bethel was to be Jacobs proper home. Christians seem to ever be seeking some new and exhilarating experience. So Jacob come to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. The example of Jacob is quoted by the first and the last of the minor prophets. Theophanies occurred there to Hagar (21:17), to Isaac (26:24), to Jacob (46:2), and to Elijah (1 Ki 19:5). If anything, this constitutes evidence Israel was aware that God wanted him to keep his oath at Bethel. (c) In the Jewish tractate Pirqe Abhoth, iii.l, we read of a Jew named 'Aqabhyah, which is a name composed of the same verbal root as that in Jacob, together with the Divine name Yahu (i.e. Isaac was 60 years (old when Jacob was born Genesis 25:26). . I do not wish to imply that I am in favor of no military defense system or in a weak or obsolete one. Bethel is where God first appeared to Jacob (28:10-22) and where he returned later with his family (35:6). He, like Adonijah, could, by this act of possessing the harem, assume the headship that seemed to be his by virtue of being the eldest brother. The word again particularly inclines us toward this conclusion. The curb-stones around the mouth of both wells are worn into deep grooves by the action of the ropes of so many centures. According to Acts they were all buried at Shechem in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor. That very night the Angel of the Lord wrestled with him in a dream (Gen. 32:24-32) and because Jacob strove with God and prevailed the Lord changed his name to Israel. 20 The Messiah, of course, will come through only one of Jacobs sons, Judah (49:8-12). These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram (Genesis 35:21-26). Noah's ark lands on Mount Ararat in modern Turkey, and Noah's descendents . In Jos 16:1 and 1Sam 13:2 Mount Bethel, a hilly section near Beth-el, is referred to.Bethel in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE beth'-el (beth-'el; Baithel and oikos theou, literally, "house of God"): (1) A town near the place where Abraham halted and offered sacrifice on his way south from Shechem. 24:2), became the usual way of designating the whole Promised Land, and passed into a proverb. Jacob had left Padan-aram where he had lived for twenty-one years, marrying both Leah and Rachel ( Genesis 29:16-30 ). 10. The larger of the two, which lies to the east, is, according to Dr. Robinson, 12 1/2 feet in diameter, and at the time of his visit (April 12) was 44 1/2 feet to the surface of the water. Son of Isaac and Rebekah, and younger twin brother of Esau. The surrounding country is bleak and barren, the hills being marked by a succession of stony terraces, which may have suggested the form of the ladder in Jacob's famous dream. Ya'acov) was the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham the first Hebrew. Laban would not consent to give him his daughter in marriage till he had served seven years; but to Jacob these years "seemed but a few days, for the love he had to her." The third son of Kohath the Levite (Ex. Hither the ark was brought from Gilgal (Jdg 2:1, Septuagint). Beersheba. God visibly ascended before Jacobs eyes from the place where He had spoken (verse 13). . Still there is an oak bearing Abraham's name, 23 ft. in girth, and covering 90 ft. space in diameter. Our collection of maps are simple and they are free. And then His purposes will be realized in our lives. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father was fifty-nine and Abraham one hundred and fifty- nine years old. In fact, these adversities and afflictions are the very things which draw us nearer to God and strengthen our faith (cf. The ruins, covering three or four acres, still bear a like name, Beitin, on a low bill, between two wadies, which unite in the main valley of es-Suweinit, toward the S.E. He killed all the males, including Shechem and Hamor. A few centuries later, Abraham's grandson Jacob repurchased the land of Shechem from Hamor's family (Genesis 33:18-19). While the sentence may have been delayed in its execution, it is my conviction that Rachels death is the result, to one degree or another, of these words spoken by her husband. 20 years. The Tabernacle of Ancient Israel - Brief Overview of the Tabernacle of Moses in the Wilderness and the Ark of the Covenant. 2. The events of the past were intended to be remembered and commemorated. This, say some, is the very tree beneath which Abraham pitched his tent, and it still bears the name of the patriarch. The meeting was of a painful kind. Perhaps this explains, in part, his reluctance to go up16 to Bethel before now. A city in the south end of the valley of Eshcol, about midway between Jerusalem and Beersheba, from which it is distant about 20 miles in a straight line. The Angel of Jehovah had stood by Araunah's threshing floor; there David saw Him, and Araunah (Ornan) also, subsequently on turning back, saw Him and hid himself. The two unworthy sons of Samuel were Judges in Beersheba (1 Sam 8:2) and Zibiah, mother of King Jehoash, was born there (2 Ki 12:1; 2 Ch 24:1). According to the Bible, God destroys the world in a flood after telling Noah to build an ark. So thenceforth David sacrificed there, and no longer on the altar at Gibeon where the tabernacle was, separate from the ark, which was at Zion; for he could not go to Gibeon on account of the sword of the Angel, i.e. She had been praying for a child of her own to give to Jacob because she was not able to conceive. Furthermore, this act is not described in terms of lust or sexual desire, such as the incident with Shechem and Dinah (cf. Jacob put away those foreign gods which he had so long tolerated and which were so offensive to God. He stopped at Beersheba to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to seek guidance from Him (Gen. 46:1-5). Its ruins still lie on the righthand side of the road from Jerusalem to Nablus. And he called it Shibah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day." Then he sent [] as a gift [] to his brother Esau 14 200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 15 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, and 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys. It is also no coincidence that this altar was erected where Abraham built his first altar in the Promised Land (12:67). Jacob was not to go up to Bethel to live (Meek). Under Ahab the Baal worship at Samaria and Jezreel drew off attention from the calf worship at Bethel. Consequently Jacob must have been ninety-three at Josephs birth and at the time of our chapter 93 + 15, i.e. After bemoaning the fact that Jacob took his family away before he could give them a proper farewell, he got to the real bone of contention demanding the return of his gods. You see, while all of the men of the city of Shechem had been put to the sword, the women, children, and cattle had been taken as booty (34:28-29). He had twelve sons and several daughters, by his two wives, Leah and Rachel, and their maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah. After the lapse of twenty-one years he returned from Padan-aram with two wives, two concubines, eleven sons and a daughter, and large property. It was at Mahanaim that a host of angels came to comfort Jacob. The most likely explanation combines the second and the fourth, with Jacob offering a kind of pun or play on words. 2Ki 2:2,3 But after the destruction of Baal worship by Jehu Bethel comes once more into view. Several lessons may be learned from the events of this chapter. It states that even after Simeon and Levi slew the city of Shechem, Dinah refused to leave captivity. 9. 30:21). Hebron was the original name, changed to Kirjath Arba during Israel's sojourn in Egypt, and restored by Caleb, to whom it was given at the conquest of Israel (Genesis 23:2; Joshua 14:13-15). Interested in joining the Ligonier team? Hebron. After their dramatic reconciliation in Genesis 33, Jacob resists Esau's invitation to join him in the south (Seir) by: reassuring Esau that he'll follow at a distance, 33:14a, "Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly,." The city is some 20 miles South of Jerusalem, situated in an open valley, 3,040 ft. above sea-level. Here in Egypt Jacob met Joseph and there were great tears and rejoicing among them. Second, there cannot be renewal without separation. Following our Lord has always been costly, and men should not do so without counting that cost (cf. Jos 15:13,14; 21:13 Sarah died at Hebron; and Abraham then bought from Ephron the Hittite the field and cave of Machpelah, to serve as a family tomb Ge 23:2-20 The cave is still there, and the massive walls of the Haram or mosque, within which it lies, form the most remarkable object in the whole city. Shechem (/ k m / SHEK-m), also spelled Sichem (/ s k m / SIK-m; Hebrew: , romanized: em, lit. That should tell us something. One might conclude that Jacob had scarcely arrived at his fathers home when Isaac died, and so it seems that Jacob arrived just in the nick of time. Jacob returns to Bethel (35:1-28) God came to Jacob when he was in danger of being annihilated by the people of the land. Twenty Roman miles S. of Jerusalem, and twenty N. of Beersheba. Joseph's story began in Genesis 30 when he was born to Jacob and Rachel. Large Map of the Roman Empire in the Early First Century - Click around on the Places. And he built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him, when he fled from his brother. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought Here the ark of the covenant was kept for a long time under the care of Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron (20:26-28). ; Joshua 4:4-7; I Corinthians 11:26). Jacob had other daughters, whose names are not mentioned. Verse 9 is unusual in that it almost seems to overlook the time which lapsed between Jacobs departure from Paddan-aram and his going up to Bethel. That's why the place was named Allon-bacuth. Yet this patriarch of Israel first chose to reside in Shechem. Wilderness of, Hagar miraculously sees a well in Ge 21:14-19 An angel fed Elijah in 1Ki 19:5,7Beersheba in Smith's Bible Dictionary (well of the oath), the name of one of the old places in Israel which formed the southern limit of the country. Ge 13:18 Its original name was Kirjath-arba, Jud 1:10 "the city of Arba;" so called from Arba the father of Anak. This rendering creates an unnecessary conflict with what Jacob actually does. H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1942), II, p. 914. In the morning Jacob set up "for a pillar" the stone which had served as his pillow (Gen 28:18; see PILLAR, matstsebhah), poured oil upon it and called the name of the place Bethel, "house of God"; that is, of God whose epiphany was for him associated with the pillar. Mount Bethel was a hilly district near Bethel (Josh. 19 And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of silver. 7:16). This is our first indication that God wanted Jacob to complete his vow at Bethel when He told Isaac's son to leave Laban's country (31:13). (See OAK ?T0002758.) Seven (sheba' which also may explain the name) wells are at the place, so that a different one may have been named by Isaac from that named by Abraham. Hebron was called for a time also Mamre, from Abram's ally (Genesis 23:19; Genesis 35:27). The southern limit of the Holy Land, as Dan in the N.: "from Dan to Beersheba" (compare in David's census, 1 Chronicles 21:2; 2 Samuel 24:2-7) comprehends the whole. There is not so much as a hint that Esau still intended to carry out his threat from years past that he would get even with Jacob once his father died (cf. In Genesis 35:1 Jacob was commanded to return to Bethel, where He had appeared to him. Here Jacob, on his way from Beersheba to Haran, had a vision of the angels of God ascending and descending on the ladder whose top reached unto heaven (28:10, 19); and on his return he again visited this place, "where God talked with him" (35:1-15), and there he "built an altar, and called the place El- beth-el" (q.v.). Jacob knew that there could be no approach to God in an impure condition. In troublous times the people went to Bethel to ask counsel of God (Judg. No doubt, there was . According to the first, the well was dug by Abraham, and the name given to Judah, Jos 15:28 and then to Simeon, Jos 19:2; 1Ch 4:28 In the often-quoted "from Dan even unto Beersheba," Jud 20:1 it represents the southern boundary of Canaan, as Dan the northern. What a sense of history this pillar must have helped to create. 11 Bethel was only thirty miles away from Shechem, and yet it was quite ten years since Jacobs return into Canann. 5. Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. Abram pitched his tent on a mountain E. of Bethel, abounding in pasture (Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3). "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God" Gen (21:33). What Jehovah has made one see (this hophal mowreh occurs four times in the Pentateuch, nowhere in later books) "the vision of Jehovah". 2. Jacob arose and returned to Bethel where he would renew his vow to the Lord and he built an altar at Bethel and worshiped God (Gen. 35:1-15). There, Jacob called the people to 'put away the foreign gods that are among you' so they buried their household gods, treating them as 'dead . also I Corinthians 11:26). [2][3] Before the birth of Benjamin, Jacob is renamed "Israel" by an angel, the name after which the modern nation of Israel is named. In the troubled times when there was no king in Israel, it was to Bethel that the people went up in their distress to ask counsel of God. "Summer and winter houses" too, and "great houses" and "houses of ivory." For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity (Proverbs 24:16).