Episode 304 - "More trouble with Jacob's sons & Isaac dies" - Genesis 36:16-29

Gen. 35:16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” 18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

Gen. 35:22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Gen. 35:27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

The latter half of Genesis 35 is a transition in the greater narrative of Isaac and Jacob to a greater focus on Jacob’s (Israel’s) sons. We read in the last episode about the death of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse. In this section, Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel dies giving birth to one last son for Jacob. We’ll come back to that shortly. The chapter concludes with the death of Isaac. The focus is now on Jacob and his twelve sons.

The brief narrative of Rachel’s death has an intriguing element when the midwife says to Rachel, “Do not fear, for you have another son” (v. 17). What is that all about? I believe Rachel’s fear is that she will die without giving Jacob another son. Looking back to Genesis 30:1, Rachel is distraught that her sister Leah has had multiple sons by Jacob, and she has not had any. Perhaps she feels inadequate even though she knows that Jacob loves her more than Leah. She tells Jacob, “Give me children, or I will die” (Gen 30:1). After a while, the LORD hears her prayers and gives her a son, Joseph. When Joseph is named, she says, “May the LORD add to me another son” (Gen 30:24)! Her nurse is comforting her as she is dying by essentially telling her that the LORD had answered her prayer. Rachel named him Ben-oni, meaning “Son of my sorrow.” But Jacob gave him the name Benjamin, meaning “Son of my right hand.” That is to indicate a position of favor with Jacob.

The text now gives us another interesting little detail. Moses tells the reader that Jacob’s oldest son (the one to whom the greatest honor would typically be given) Reuben had sex with his father’s concubine (Rachel’s servant) Bilhah, and Jacob (Israel) found out about it. Hmm . . .someone just got written out of the will. The three oldest have all gotten in trouble with dad. We can see how these problems Jacob has with his sons help the reader anticipate conflict that is yet to come.

The chapter then closes with a summarized list of Jacob’s sons and by whom he had them. Finally, we have the death and burial of Isaac. The greater story now is about Jacob and his sons.

I’m not sure if there is a great spiritual principle that needs to be gleaned from this text. However, by applying the interpretive principle of reading and understanding the greater context, we see how details that seem either out of place or insignificant at first glance are actually important. God’s word is rich and what is preserved for us is valuable.