Berean Standard Bible
Genesis 28:17
17And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!”
Genesis 28:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
- New International Version (NIV)He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
Context of Genesis 28:17
15Look, I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16When Jacob woke up, he said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!” 18Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had placed under his head, and he set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it, 19and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.
Read all of Genesis 28Genesis 28:17 word by word
וַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר מַה־נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם־בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
- And he was afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Howמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
- thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
- is noneאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
- other thanכִּי [אם]kîy · that if: exceptH3588
- other than[כִּי] אם'im · if: exceptH518
- the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- is the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
Cross-references for Genesis 28:17
- Exodus 3:6Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
- Judges 13:22“We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
- Matthew 17:6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown in terror.
- Luke 2:9Just then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
- Luke 8:35So the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man whom the demons had left, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
- Revelation 1:17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
- Genesis 28:22And this stone I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give You a tenth.”
- Genesis 35:1Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”
- 2 Chronicles 5:14so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
- Ecclesiastes 5:1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
- 1 Timothy 3:15in case I am delayed, so that you will know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
- Hebrews 10:21and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
- 1 Peter 4:17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
Commentaries on Genesis 28:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17How dreadful is this place! - The appearance of the ladder, the angels, and the Divine glory at the top of the ladder, must have left deep, solemn, and even awful impressions on the mind of Jacob; and hence the exclamation in the text, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God - The Chaldee gives this place a curious turn: "This is not a common place, but a place in which God delights; and opposite to this place is the gate of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-22Verses 1-22 - Jacob‘s Journey to Haran 3. קהל qâhāl “congregation.” 9. מחלת māchălat Machalath, “sickness, or a harp.” 19. לוּז lûz Luz, “almond.” The blessing of his sons was the last passage in the active life of Isaac, after which he retires from the scene. Jacob now becomes the leading figure in the sacred history. His spiritual character has yet come out to view. But even now we can discern the general distinction in the lives of the three…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-19Verses 16-19 God manifested himself and his favour, to Jacob, when he was asleep. The Spirit, like the wind, blows when and where it listeth, and God's grace, like the dew, tarrieth not for the sons of men. Jacob sought to improve the visit God had made him. Wherever we are, in the city or in the desert, in the house or in the field, in the shop or in the street, we may keep up our intercourse with Heaven, if it is not our own fault. But the more we see…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-22The second part of the passage describes Jacob's response to God's revelation. He felt reverence and awe in God's presence. His acts of devotion became models for Israel's worship. When God graciously visits his people and promises to be with them and make them a blessing to the world, his people respond in faith with reverence, worship, offerings, and vows. They preserve their faith in memory for future worshipers.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-191. Isaac called Jacob and blessed him--He entered fully into Rebekah's feelings, and the burden of his parting counsel to his son was to avoid a marriage alliance with any but the Mesopotamian branch of the family. At the same time he gave him a solemn blessing--pronounced before unwittingly, now designedly, and with a cordial spirit. It is more explicitly and fully given, and Jacob was thus acknowledged "the heir of the promise."Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 28:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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