Discovery BoxGenesis 35:1 
Context35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once 1 to Bethel 2 and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” 3
Genesis 35:3
Context35:3 Let us go up at once 4 to Bethel. Then I will make 5 an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress 6 and has been with me wherever I went.” 7
Genesis 35:6-7
Context35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) 8 in the land of Canaan. 9 35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel 10 because there God had revealed himself 11 to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
1 tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.
2 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
3 sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).
4 tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.
5 tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.
6 tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.
7 tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).
8 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
9 tn Heb “and Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan – it is Bethel – he and all the people who were with him.”
10 sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”
11 tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.
