New English Translation
Genesis 28:17
17He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else 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
15I am with you! I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!” 16Then Jacob woke up and thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, but I did not realize it!” He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!” 18Early in the morning Jacob took the stone he had placed near his head and set it up as a sacred stone. Then he poured oil on top of it. 19He called that place Bethel, although the former name of the town was 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he was afraidיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- this placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
- none other but the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
Cross-references for Genesis 28:17
- Exodus 3:6He added, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
- Judges 13:22Manoah said to his wife, “We will certainly die, because we have seen a supernatural being!”
- Matthew 17:6When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.
- Luke 2:9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified.
- Luke 8:35So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
- Revelation 1:17When I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last,
- Genesis 28:22Then this stone that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely give you back a tenth of everything you give me.”
- Genesis 35:1Then 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.”
- 2 Chronicles 5:14The priests could not carry out their duties because of the cloud; the Lord’s splendor filled God’s temple.
- Ecclesiastes 5:1Be careful what you do when you go to the temple of God; draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice like fools, for they do not realize that they are doing wrong.
- 1 Timothy 3:15in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark 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, starting with the house of God. And if it starts with us, what will be the fate of those who are disobedient to 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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