Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, Creator of the universe, You have set us apart for Yourself through Your Covenant commandments and You have called us to internalize the words of Your Covenant. Please, YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Covenant in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people, the family of Israel. May we and our offspring and the offspring of Your people, the house of Israel – all of us – know Your Name and embrace Your Covenant so that we may deeply love one another and love You above all. Please uncover our eyes and open our hearts that we may carefully examine and receive the marvels and mysteries of Your Covenant. Blessed are You, YHVH, who enters into Covenant with Your beloved Bride - Israel.
Deu
32:9 “For the portion of יהוה is His people, Ya‛aqoḇ His allotted inheritance.
Deu 32:8
“When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance (Gen 10 &Ps 82) When
He separated the sons of Aḏam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the
children of Yisra’ěl. (or Elohim)
וירא אלהים אל־יעקב – and
Elohim appeared to Jacob (Israel)
Gen 35:9 And Elohim appeared to Ya‛aqoḇ again, when he came from
Paddan Aram, and blessed him.
The verb
‘’vayera’’ (וירא)
is a Niphal (Passive form) indicating that the initiative for YHVH
appearing to Yakov came from YHVH – for covenant confirmation to Yakov and his
descendants.
This is the third major divine encounter Jacob has at
Bethel (the first was the ladder dream in Genesis 28; the second was YHVH’s
command in Genesis 35:1 to go there and build an altar).
It indicates a direct, personal manifestation of YHVH - a
theophany or visible manifestation of Himself, not a messenger, not merely
an inner feeling or a distant voice – this is YHVH Himself.
Hebraic understanding holds that while YHVH having no
physical existence, YHVH can manifest in ways humans can perceive, through a
sense of His personal presence, as well as through sent messengers. (“No one can
see YHVH and live” — Exodus 33:20)
Joh
4:24 “Elohim is Spirit, and those who worship Him need to worship in
spirit and truth.”
Whether
a ‘’theophany’’ or a ‘’messenger’’ appears – it is as good as if YHVH Himself
is appearing – In Gen 18:1 the messenger is called YHVH.
Rudolf Bultmann (1884–1976): Famous for
existential interpretation, he described the doctrine of the pre-existence of
Christ as well the doctrine of the trinity "not only irrational but utterly
meaningless".
More and more theologians argue that if Jesus truly
pre-existed as a divine being, his human experience was not genuine. They
maintain that for Jesus to be fully human, his existence must have begun at his
conception.
These false teachings are not only offensive to YHVH but
are a stumbling block to the house of Jacob.
1Jn
4:1 Beloved ones, do not believe every spirit, but prove the spirits,
whether they are of Elohim, because many false prophets have gone out into the
world.
1Jn
4:2 By this you know the Spirit of Elohim: Every spirit that confesses
that יהושע Messiah has come in the
flesh is of Elohim,
1Jn
4:3 and
every spirit that does not confess that יהושע Messiah has come in the flesh is not of
Elohim. And this is the spirit of the anti-messiah which you heard is
coming, and now is already in the world.
‘’Some writers explicitly claim that the Trinity doctrine
(formalized at Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381) is the “mark” or “name”
of the beast. They argue it replaces biblical monotheism (one God = the Father
alone) with a “three-god” system of pagan origin. One detailed presentation
links the Trinity directly to the “image of the beast” and the “mark,” claiming
it was introduced as part of the beast’s deceptive power after the fall of
pagan Rome.’’
Jas
3:1 Not
many of you should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we shall receive
greater judgment. Gal 1:7,8 – 2 Cor 11:3,4
https://trinities.org/blog/
Gen 35:9 And Elohim appeared to Ya‛aqoḇ again, when he came from
Paddan Aram, and blessed him.
Gen 35:10 And Elohim said to him, “Your name is
Ya‛aqoḇ, your name is no
longer called Ya‛aqoḇ,
but Yisra’ěl is your name.” So He called his name Yisra’ěl.
Gen 35:11 And Elohim said to him, “I am Ěl Shaddai.
Be fruitful and increase, a nation and a company of nations shall be from you,
and sovereigns come from your body.
Gen 35:12 “And the land which I gave Aḇraham and Yitsḥaq I give to you. And to your
seed after you I give this land.”
Gen 35:13 And Elohim went up from him in the place
where He had spoken with him.
Gen 35:14 And Ya‛aqoḇ
set up a standing column in the place where He had spoken with him, a monument
of stone. And he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it.
Gen 35:15 And Ya‛aqoḇ
called the name of the place where Elohim spoke with him, Běyth Ěl.
The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac
Gen 35:16 Then they set out from Běyth Ěl. And it
came to be, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, that Raḥěl began to give birth, and
had great difficulty giving birth.
Gen 35:17 And it came to be, as she was having
great difficulty giving birth, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for
it is another son for you.”
Gen 35:18 And it came to be, as her life was going
out – for she died – that she called his name Ben-Oni. But his father called
him Binyamin.
Gen 35:19 So Raḥěl
died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is Běyth Leḥem.
Gen 35:20 And Ya‛aqoḇ
set a standing column on her burial-place, which is the monument of Raḥěl’s burial-place to this
day.
Gen 35:21 And Yisra’ěl set out and pitched his tent
beyond the tower of Ěḏer.
https://donnagawell.com/2020/12/17/away-in-a-manger-at-migdal-eder/
The primary (and most explicit) ancient Jewish source
that connects Migdal Eder to the Messiah is the Targum
Pseudo-Jonathan (also called Targum Yonatan ben Uzziel in some traditions),
an Aramaic interpretive paraphrase of the Torah.
Its rendering of Genesis 35:21 reads approximately:
“And Jacob journeyed and spread his tent beyond the Tower
of Eder, the place from whence the King Messiah is destined to be revealed
at the end of days.”
This Targum expands the plain text with a
future-oriented, eschatological interpretation. It identifies Migdal Eder
(“Tower of the Flock”) as the future site of the revelation (or
manifestation) of King Messiah in the end times.
Connection to Micah 4:8
Jewish tradition often links Genesis 35:21 with Micah
4:8:
“And you, O tower of the flock (Migdal Eder), hill of the
daughter of Zion, to you it shall come, even the former dominion shall come,
the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”
·
The Targum to Micah 4:8 interprets this
verse messianically: “And you, O Messiah of Israel, who has been hidden
because of the sins of the congregation of Zion, the kingdom shall come to
you...”
·
The idea is that the hidden Messiah (a
concept found in various midrashim) will be revealed from this symbolically
significant “tower of the flock,” restoring the Davidic kingdom.
Migdal Eder was a real location near Bethlehem, on the
road toward Jerusalem. The Mishnah (Shekalim 7:4 and related discussions in
Kiddushin 55a) mentions flocks pastured in the area between Jerusalem and
Migdal Eder as being suitable for Temple sacrifices. This led some (especially
in Christian scholarship like Alfred Edersheim) to suggest these were
special “Temple flocks” watched by Levitical-style shepherds — though the
Mishnah itself does not explicitly call the shepherds “priestly.”
Gen 35:22 And it came to be, when Yisra’ěl dwelt in
that land, that Re’uḇěn
went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Yisra’ěl heard about it.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, taking a father’s wife
or concubine was often a symbolic act of claiming leadership or declaring the
father unfit or “dead” as head of the family/clan.
This is the same pattern seen when Absalom
publicly lay with David’s concubines to legitimize his rebellion and claim the
throne (2 Samuel 16:21-22).
While sexual desire may have played a role, most
commentators argue it was not the primary driver. The act carried heavy
political and relational weight beyond mere lust.
Now the sons of
Ya‛aqoḇ were
twelve:
Gen 35:23 the sons of Lě’ah were Re’uḇěn, Ya‛aqoḇ’s first-born, and Shim‛on,
and Lěwi, and Yehuḏah,
and Yissasḵar, and Zeḇulun;
Gen 35:24 the sons of Raḥěl were Yosěph and Binyamin;
Gen 35:25 the sons of Bilhah, Raḥěl’s female servant, were Dan
and Naphtali;
Gen 35:26 and the sons of Zilpah, Lě’ah’s female
servant, were Gaḏ and
Ashěr. These were the sons of Ya‛aqoḇ
who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
Gen 35:27 And Ya‛aqoḇ
came to his father Yitsḥaq
at Mamrě, or Qiryath Arba, that is Ḥeḇron, where Aḇraham and Yitsḥaq had dwelt.
Gen 35:28 And the days of Yitsḥaq were one hundred and eighty
years.
Gen 35:29 So Yitsḥaq
breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, aged and satisfied
of days. And his sons Ěsaw and Ya‛aqoḇ
buried him.
Esau's Descendants
The genealogy of Esau (who is also called Edom). This
chapter closes Esau’s story in the Torah before shifting focus entirely to
Jacob’s line in Genesis 37 onward.
The sages note that genealogies of the “non-chosen”
line (Ishmael in Gen. 25, Esau here) are given before the chosen line
(Isaac then Jacob) to “clear the stage” and show that the covenant promise
flows exclusively through Jacob/Israel.
·
Esau receives material blessings and becomes a
great nation with kings and chiefs (fulfilling Isaac’s blessing in Gen.
27:39–40: “by your sword you shall live... when you grow restless you shall
break his yoke”).
·
However, the detailed list highlights that
Esau’s line, though numerous and powerful, is separate from the
spiritual covenant line of Abraham → Isaac → Jacob.
·
It also explains future biblical conflicts: Edom
(Esau’s descendants) becomes a recurring adversary to Israel (see Obadiah,
Psalms 137, etc.). Some midrashim and later commentators (e.g., Lekach Tov)
identify Edom symbolically with Rome and later oppressive empires.
·
The chapter demonstrates God’s faithfulness even
to the “rejected” line — Esau prospers greatly in this world.
Jacob is the chosen line through which the Abrahamic
covenant flows (land, descendants, blessing to all nations). YHVH protects him
repeatedly from Laban, from Esau, from famine and renames him Israel ("he
struggles with YHVH") after their wrestling match (Genesis 32). This is not the story of a mere opportunist;
it's a flawed man YHVH refuses to abandon.
Jacob is often painted as a villain. The scriptures give
him a "bad wrap" yes! Jacob was flawed as all humans are, yet YHVH's
favour and covenant rest on him, exactly as it did with Abraham and Isaac. He
becomes the father of Israel, the meek tent-dweller who studies Torah and
wrestles with YHVH and prevails by clinging to the promise. That's a powerful
picture of YHVH’s favour upon his life, Jacob was not a shrewd opportunist – he
was mentored by his grandfather – Abraham – one of the meekest men on earth and
some scholars believe Jacob was not trying to take or claim something that was
not his – Jacob had no self seeking agenda – Jacob would have been content
right throughout his life looking after sheep, living in his tent and studying
the Torah and digging wells.
The wrestling scene especially captures Jacobs life, he
refuses to let go without a blessing. Was this blessing primarily for Jacob? or
was this was a blessing for a nation of peoples?
Gen
25:27 And the boys grew up. And Ěsaw became a man knowing how to hunt, a
man of the field, while Ya‛aqoḇ was a complete (Heb ‘’tam’’)man,
dwelling in tents.
‘’tâm’’
(תּם) complete, morally innocent,
having integrity an ordinary, quiet sort of person – Strongs 8535
Complete
men don’t steal and deceive. There isn’t a verse in the scriptures where
YHVH directly says, “Jacob is a deceiver” or a ‘’thief’’ as a formal label.
Did Jacob deceive Esau by buying his birthright? (3min)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jrOnuARGEFo
Isaiah
41:8-9 (ESV): "But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend..."
Isaiah
44:1-2 (NIV): "...do not be afraid, Jacob, my
servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen."
Psalm
135:4 (ESV): "For YHVH has chosen Jacob for
himself, Israel as his own possession."
Romans
9:10-13 (ESV): Mentions "Jacob I loved, but Esau
I hated" to explain YHVH's sovereign choice.
Blessed
are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of
truth and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH
giver of the Torah – Amein.
Additional
midrash:
What’s the
point? YHVH chooses a very special and precious people very close to His Heart on
earth (‘’am segulah’’ – "peculiar treasure" Ex 19:5/1 Pet 2:9) it is a people a nation called Israel – called
Jacob and YHVH will judge all mankind by the way they treat this nation He has
chosen – this nation that is very precious to Him–but He has chosen them
because He is YHVH and He has made up His mind to do so– the welfare of every nation
and human being outside this chosen nation will be determined, judged or
accepted by the way they treat this one nation – Israel.
Zec
2:8 For thus said יהוה of hosts (for the sake of esteem He sent
me to the nations which plunder you): “For he who touches you touches the apple
of My eye.a Footnote: a Deu_32:10.
However,
this chosen
nation has been very disobedient to Him.
For more in-depth study, you can explore the full text
of Ezekiel 2-3, Isaiah 65:1-16, and Romans 10-11.
In Matthew 21:31-32, Jesus tells religious leaders
(chief priests and elders) that "tax collectors and prostitutes are
entering the kingdom of God before you" because they repented and believed
John the Baptist, while the leaders did not. This indicates that humble
repentance outweighs external religious appearance or even ethnicity – Joshua and
Caleb!
Mat 21:28 “But what do you think? A man had two
sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my
vineyard.’
Mat 21:29 “And he answering, said, ‘I do not wish
to,’ but afterwards he repented and went.
Mat 21:30 “And having come to the second, he said
similarly. And he answering, said, ‘I go, master,’ but he did not go.
Mat 21:31 “Which of the two did the desire of the
father?” They said to Him, “The first.” יהושע said to them, “Truly,
I say to you that tax collectors and whores are entering into the reign of
Elohim before you,
Mat 21:32 for Yoḥanan
came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but tax
collectors and whores believed him. And when you saw it, you did not repent
afterwards, to believe him.
Ultimately only those grafted into Jacobs family will be called
family and priests of the Most High Elohim.
Jacob's Well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srE_u9CmIso&t=9s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srE_u9CmIso