sealchan
Well-Known Member
Summary Genesis 35:1-15:
God tells Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar. Jacob tells his household to literally ditch their foreign gods under a tree at Shechem. When Jacob builds his second altar he calls the place El Bethel whereas before he called it Bethel...and it was called Luz. It is mentioned that Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died. She was buried by a tree outside of Bethel. Then some of the prior story of Jacob’s encounter with God at Bethel and elsewhere is told.
Questions For Discussion:
As different as Jacob is from his grandfather he follows in the footsteps of his grandfather in many ways. My questions are these:
God tells Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar. Jacob tells his household to literally ditch their foreign gods under a tree at Shechem. When Jacob builds his second altar he calls the place El Bethel whereas before he called it Bethel...and it was called Luz. It is mentioned that Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died. She was buried by a tree outside of Bethel. Then some of the prior story of Jacob’s encounter with God at Bethel and elsewhere is told.
Questions For Discussion:
As different as Jacob is from his grandfather he follows in the footsteps of his grandfather in many ways. My questions are these:
- How has Jacob’s experience with God paralleled that of his grandfather Abraham?
- What is the significance of the tree when burying objects/gods or people?
- Why is this section of scripture so repetitive in its narrative and in its mention of Bethel? Sloppy editing or intentional patterning?
- Are verses 14 and 15 current events or a recall of the past?