Genesis 28:22 Meaning, Commentary and Cross References

Genesis 28:22 kjv

And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

Genesis 28:22 nkjv

And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."

Genesis 28:22 niv

and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."

Genesis 28:22 esv

and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you."

Genesis 28:22 nlt

And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me."

Genesis 28 22 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Stone/Pillar:
Gen 35:14	Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.	Jacob again sets up a pillar at Bethel.
Ex 24:4	And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars...	Moses establishes covenant pillars.
Jos 24:26-27	And Joshua took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord... It shall therefore be a witness...	Joshua sets up a stone as a covenant witness.
1 Sam 7:12	Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”	Samuel commemorates God's help with a stone.
Ps 118:22	The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.	Prophetic of Christ as the rejected stone.
Isa 28:16	Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation...”	God's cornerstone, pointing to Messiah.
Mt 21:42	Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone...’”	Jesus identifies with the rejected cornerstone.
Acts 4:10-11	let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified... This Jesus is the stone that was rejected...	Peter declares Jesus is the rejected cornerstone.
Eph 2:19-22	...you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.	Believers built into God's spiritual house with Christ as the cornerstone.
1 Pet 2:4-5	As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house...	Believers are living stones in God's spiritual house.
1 Pet 2:6-8	For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” ... a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.	Christ as a chosen stone for believers, a stumbling block for others.
God's House/Dwelling:
Gen 12:8	From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent... and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.	Abram also connects with Bethel/God's name.
Ex 25:8	“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.”	God desires a dwelling place among His people.
1 Kgs 6:1	In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel... he began to build the house of the Lord.	Solomon builds the Temple, God's permanent house.
Jn 2:19-21	Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body.	Jesus speaks of His body as the true Temple.
1 Cor 3:16	Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?	Believers individually and corporately are God's temple.
Rev 21:3	And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.”	God's ultimate dwelling with humanity.
Tithe/Tenth:
Gen 14:19-20	And Melchizedek king of Salem... brought out bread and wine... And Abraham gave him a tenth of everything.	Abraham’s earlier act of tithing to Melchizedek.
Lev 27:30	“Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord.”	The Law's commandment for tithes as holy to the Lord.
Num 18:21	“To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel as an inheritance in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.”	Tithes for the support of the Levites.
Mal 3:8-10	“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and contributions.” ... Bring the full tithe into the storehouse...	Reprimand for withholding tithes; blessings for obedience.
Heb 7:4-8	See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils!... For here perishable men receive tithes, but there one receives them of whom it is witnessed that he lives.	Melchizedek's superiority to Abraham and the Levitical priesthood.
Vows:
Deut 23:21	“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin in you.”	Command to fulfill vows promptly.
Ecc 5:4-5	When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.	Emphasizes the importance of keeping vows.

Genesis 28 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Genesis 28 22 Meaning

Genesis 28:22 conveys Jacob's solemn commitment to God, made after his pivotal dream at Bethel. This verse pledges that the stone he anointed as a pillar will become a consecrated "house of God" (a designated sacred place for worship), and crucially, Jacob promises to give a tenth of all future provisions from God back to Him. This act reflects a nascent covenantal response to God's reaffirmation of His promises of presence, protection, and provision, marking a significant point of spiritual dedication for Jacob.

Genesis 28 22 Context

This verse is the culmination of Jacob's deeply personal and transforming encounter with God. Having fled his brother Esau, Jacob stopped for the night in a desolate place, using a stone as his pillow. There, he experienced a vivid dream of a ladder (or stairway) extending from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. Above the ladder, God stood and reaffirmed the covenant promises made to Abraham and Isaac – promises of land, innumerable offspring, and universal blessing through his lineage.

Upon waking, awestruck and filled with the sense of God's holy presence, Jacob recognized the place as a sacred site, renaming it Bethel ("House of God"). As an immediate response of worship and commitment, he took the stone he had used as a pillow, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on its top to consecrate it. His vow, outlined in the preceding verses (28:20-21) and concluded here, demonstrates a pivotal shift in Jacob's spiritual understanding: moving from simply inheriting a covenant to actively responding to God in personal dedication. The cultural practice of setting up pillars served as memorials or markers in the ancient Near East; Jacob's act, however, transformed a secular stone into a hallowed memorial of God's revealed presence, distinct from idolatrous practices by its dedication to the Lord alone.

Genesis 28 22 Word analysis

And this stone (וְהָאֶבֶן - v'ha'even): Refers to the physical stone Jacob used as a pillow. In ancient thought, certain stones were viewed with significance due to divine encounters. Here, it is singled out for a consecrated purpose.
which I have set for a pillar (אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי מַצֵּבָה - asher samti matzevah):
- Pillar (מַצֵּבָה - matzevah): A standing stone, often erected as a monument or memorial. While later Israelite law distinguished between legitimate memorials and forbidden matzevot used for pagan worship, Jacob's act here is a pre-Law, direct, personal dedication to the Lord. It signifies a marker of divine remembrance and a public declaration.
shall be God's house (יִהְיֶה בֵּית אֱלֹהִים - yihyeh beit Elohim):
- God's house (בֵּית אֱלֹהִים - Beit Elohim): Literally "house of God." This signifies a designated sacred space where God's special presence is manifested, where He is met, and where worship occurs. It foreshadows the later Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temple, both called God's "house," establishing a concept of consecrated space for the divine-human encounter. It doesn't necessarily mean a constructed building initially, but a place made holy by God's presence and Jacob's dedication.
and of all that thou shalt give me (וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּתֶּן־לִי - v'khol asher titen-li): This phrase underscores that Jacob's pledge is contingent on God's active fulfillment of His promises to protect and provide for him on his journey, showing his faith intertwined with human conditionality. It also recognizes God as the ultimate source of all blessings.
I will surely give the tenth unto thee (עַשֵּׂר אֲעַשְּׂרֶנּוּ לָךְ - 'asser 'a'asherennu lach):
- "Surely give the tenth" ('asser 'a'asherennu): Uses a Hebrew infinitive absolute construction for emphasis, indicating an unwavering and definite commitment to giving.
- Tenth (עשׂר - 'aser): Refers to a tithe, or ten percent. This is the second recorded instance of tithing in Genesis, after Abraham's offering to Melchizedek (Gen 14:20). It reveals a pre-Mosaic practice of recognizing God's sovereignty over possessions by returning a portion to Him, acting as a profound spiritual discipline and an act of thanksgiving.

Words-group Analysis:

"this stone... shall be God's house": This declaration transforms an ordinary object into a symbol of sacred space and divine presence. It highlights that certain locations, consecrated by divine encounter or human dedication, can become places where God is particularly acknowledged and worshipped, paving the way for later, more formal structures like the Tabernacle and Temple.
"of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee": This profound pledge illustrates Jacob's willingness to engage in stewardship as an act of worship. It establishes an early principle that all material blessings are gifts from God, and dedicating a tenth back to Him is a recognition of His ownership and provision, laying foundational concepts that would later be codified in the Law.

Genesis 28 22 Bonus section

Jacob's Character Development: This vow signals a profound turning point in Jacob's character. Prior to this, his life was marked by self-reliance, deception, and seeking advantage (e.g., deceiving Esau for the birthright and blessing). Here, in a vulnerable state, he truly begins to depend on God and makes a proactive, reciprocal commitment, reflecting a significant step in his spiritual transformation from schemer to covenant keeper.
Precedent for Giving: The recording of tithing here and in Genesis 14 establishes a pre-Law precedent for returning a tenth to God. It indicates that the concept of dedicating a portion of one's increase to God existed as an understanding or practice long before it was institutionalized within the Mosaic Law, emphasizing its deep-rooted theological significance as an act of worship and trust in God as the provider.
Symbolic Transformation: The physical stone, initially a mundane pillow, undergoes a symbolic and sacred transformation. By being erected as a pillar and designated "God's house," it ceases to be merely inanimate and becomes imbued with spiritual significance, representing God's manifest presence and a place of covenant interaction, foreshadowing the symbolic nature of later holy objects and places.

Genesis 28 22 Commentary

Genesis 28:22 represents a crucial stage in Jacob's spiritual maturation, shifting from merely being the recipient of ancestral promises to an active participant in covenant. Following his dramatic encounter with God at Bethel, Jacob's vow in this verse is a deeply personal and transformative response. The identification of the stone as "God's house" (Bethel) highlights an early understanding of a designated sacred space where the divine and human realms could meet, foreshadowing future biblical narratives centered on sanctuaries and temples as God's dwelling place. This initial, seemingly crude "house of God" later became a significant spiritual site, embodying the theological principle that while God is omnipresent, He also condescends to meet His people in specific consecrated places.

Furthermore, Jacob's solemn pledge to "surely give the tenth" is profoundly significant. This pre-Mosaic act of tithing, mirroring Abraham's earlier deed, demonstrates an ancient principle of acknowledging God's ultimate ownership and generous provision by returning a portion of His blessings to Him. It's an act of stewardship born out of gratitude and commitment, an internal spiritual impulse that later became an explicit divine command under the Mosaic Law. Jacob's vow, though phrased with human conditionality, reflects an awakened faith, showing that his commitment to the Lord was not merely passive but involved active obedience and financial dedication, a prototype of giving that honors God and supports His work.