Study Desk

But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, "Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob."

I have the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.'

If the God of my father—the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears—had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night."

If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize that God is witness to your actions."

May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us." Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared.

So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him.

When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, "This is the camp of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim.

Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord , you said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.'

"No longer will your name be Jacob," the man told him, "but Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have prevailed."

So Jacob named the place Peniel, explaining, "Certainly I have seen God face to face and have survived."

When Esau looked up and saw the women and the children, he asked, "Who are these people with you?" Jacob replied, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."

"No, please take them," Jacob said. "If I have found favor in your sight, accept my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, it is as if I have seen the face of God.

Please take my present that was brought to you, for God has been generous to me and I have all I need." When Jacob urged him, he took it.

There he set up an altar and called it "The God of Israel is God."

Then God said to Jacob, "Go up at once to Bethel and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."

Let us go up at once to Bethel. Then I will make an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress and has been with me wherever I went."

and they started on their journey. The surrounding cities were afraid of God, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel because there God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram and blessed him.

God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob; Israel will be your name." So God named him Israel.