Discovery BoxGenesis 28:18-22 
Context28:18 Early 1 in the morning Jacob 2 took the stone he had placed near his head 3 and set it up as a sacred stone. 4 Then he poured oil on top of it. 28:19 He called that place Bethel, 5 although the former name of the town was Luz. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food 6 to eat and clothing to wear, 28:21 and I return safely to my father’s home, 7 then the Lord will become my God. 28:22 Then this stone 8 that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely 9 give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” 10
1 tn Heb “and he got up early…and he took.”
2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn See the note on this phrase in v. 11.
4 tn Heb “standing stone.”
sn Sacred stone. Such a stone could be used as a boundary marker, a burial stone, or as a shrine. Here the stone is intended to be a reminder of the stairway that was “erected” and on which the
5 tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).
map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
6 tn Heb “bread,” although the term can be used for food in general.
7 tn Heb “and I return in peace to the house of my father.”
8 tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.
9 tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.
10 tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.
