Genesis 35 begins with God instructing Jacob to return to Bethel, the very place where Jacob first encountered God in a dream (Genesis 28). Before departing, Jacob commands his household to rid themselves of any foreign gods and purify themselves: “So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had…and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem” (Genesis 35:4). By cleansing themselves and recommitting to the Lord, Jacob and his family acknowledge God’s faithfulness and prepare themselves for worship. They travel safely to Bethel, where Jacob builds an altar and names the place El-bethel, reaffirming its significance as the site where God revealed Himself.

While at Bethel, Jacob experiences the reaffirmation of God’s covenant promise and hears that his name is formally changed to Israel (Genesis 35:10). This change from Jacob, meaning “supplanter,” to Israel, meaning “he who strives with God,” reinforces his unique role in God’s unfolding redemptive plan. Here, God reiterates His pledge that “a nation and a company of nations shall come from you” (Genesis 35:11). Bethel itself, located in the central hill country north of Jerusalem, played a consistent role throughout Israel’s history as a location of worship and a reminder of this divine promise.

The chapter also records two important deaths. First, Deborah, who served as Rebekah’s nurse, passes away, symbolizing the end of an era tied to the matriarch Rebekah. More tragically, Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel dies in childbirth while delivering Benjamin, Jacob’s twelfth son. Her death and burial near Bethlehem foreshadow future sorrow in that area (Matthew 2:16–18) yet also reflect hope in God’s continuing line of descendants. Despite grief, Jacob sets up a pillar to mark Rachel’s tomb, signifying her importance in the lineage leading to the Messiah.

Finally, Genesis chapter 35 concludes with Jacob’s return to his father Isaac at Mamre, where Isaac later dies after a long life (traditionally placed around 2066 – 1886 BC) and is buried by both of his sons, Esau and Jacob. This reunion of the two brothers in burying their father calls to mind the earlier tensions between them and demonstrates God’s power to bring about reconciliation. The events of this chapter continue to press forward the central themes of God’s covenant, the establishment of Israel, and the ultimate trajectory toward Jesus, in whom all the promises of God find their fulfillment (Luke 1:31–33).