Genesis 35 27

Genesis 35:27 kjv

And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arba, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

Genesis 35:27 nkjv

Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt.

Genesis 35:27 niv

Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.

Genesis 35:27 esv

And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned.

Genesis 35:27 nlt

So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners.

Genesis 35 verses

Genesis 35 27 meaning

Genesis 35:27 describes the arrival of Jacob at Mamre near Hebron, the dwelling place of his father, Isaac. This verse marks the reunion of Jacob with his aged father after an absence of many years, completing Jacob's journey back to the land of Canaan. It specifically identifies Hebron as a place where both Abraham and Isaac had previously resided as sojourners, underscoring the ancestral link and the continuity of the patriarchal line and the divine covenant.

Genesis 35 27 Context

Genesis chapter 35 chronicles significant and often challenging events in Jacob's journey after his return to Canaan from Padan-aram. The chapter begins with God instructing Jacob to go to Bethel, where God renews the covenant promises and formally renames him Israel. Following this, the narrative records the tragic death of Rachel during the birth of Benjamin. Jacob then settles in a region marked by further internal family conflict with Reuben. It is against this backdrop of establishing his large family in the promised land, alongside personal losses and challenges, that Jacob finally reunites with his aging father, Isaac, signifying a measure of stability and the conclusion of a major phase of Jacob's life. The mention of Mamre and Hebron directly connects Jacob back to the historical and spiritual heartland of his patriarchal forefathers and the core of the covenant promise. Isaac's advanced age means this reunion anticipates his imminent passing, completing the direct patriarchal succession from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob (Israel).

Genesis 35 27 Word analysis

• And Jacob came (וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב֙, vayyavo Ya'akov):
  • Vayyavo: This Hebrew word employs the Waw-consecutive structure, typical for narrating sequential events. It indicates a significant action concluding a prior period of journeying and challenges. Jacob, whose name means "supplanter," now truly comes into his identity, fulfilling divine promises of return.
• unto Isaac his father (אֶל־יִצְחָק אָבִיו, el-Yitzchak aviv):
  • Highlights the family relationship and the transfer of leadership and the covenantal promise. Isaac, though secondary to Abraham in the narrative, is the direct recipient and bearer of the covenant passed down. This marks a reunion with the one from whom Jacob received the patriarchal blessing.
• unto Mamre (מַמְרֵ֑א, Mamre):
  • A specific location name. This was a grove or region associated with Abraham's early encampments (Gen 13:18) and a significant site for the covenant promises (Gen 18:1). It roots Jacob's return in the deep history of his ancestors.
• unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron (קִרְיַ֣ת הָֽאַרְבַּ֔ע הִ֥וא חֶבְר֖וֹן, Kiryat ha'Arba hiw Chevron):
  • Kiryat ha'Arba: "City of four" or "city of Arba," likely referring to an ancestral founder or the four Anakite giants associated with it. This older name clarifies and provides context for the more familiar name, Hebron.
  • Hebron: A historically significant city in the central hill country of Judah. Its name may mean "confederacy" or "fellowship." Hebron later becomes a key Israelite city (Josh 14:15), even serving as David's first capital (2 Sam 2:1-4). Its enduring presence highlights the land promise's fulfillment.
  • The specification "which is Hebron" serves as a crucial clarification for the original audience, indicating its familiar identity and cementing its importance.
• where Abraham and Isaac sojourned (אֲשֶׁר־גָּר־שָׁם֩ אַבְרָהָ֥ם וְיִצְחָֽק׃, asher-gar-sham Avraham v'Yitzchak):
  • Gar (sojourned): The Hebrew verb גור (gur) signifies living as a temporary resident or alien, without legal ownership of the land. This term emphasizes the nomadic, transient nature of the patriarchs' lives in the promised land, even while awaiting its full inheritance. It reflects their faith that God would ultimately fulfill His promise, even if they only possessed a burial plot.
  • By mentioning Abraham and Isaac together, the text connects Jacob's current experience directly to the lineage of the covenant. It shows the generational continuity and underscores that the land was always designated for their descendants, despite their "sojourning" status.
  • This phrase emphasizes the spiritual lineage and connection to the divine promise, rather than just physical proximity.

Genesis 35 27 Bonus section

The seemingly simple declaration of Jacob's arrival holds immense theological and historical weight.

• Thematically: It concludes a major arc of Genesis focusing on Jacob's life away from the land and his ultimate return, highlighting God's faithfulness to His promise to Jacob (Gen 28:15). It shows that despite challenges and detours, God's plan for Jacob's lineage continues through the proper succession.
• Literary Foreshadowing: The immediate mention of Abraham and Isaac sojourning in Hebron directly anticipates Isaac's death in the following verses and their burial there (Gen 49:30-31), connecting Jacob to the ancestral burial ground, reinforcing his roots and future in the promised land.
• Symbolic Significance of Hebron: Beyond being a familial dwelling, Hebron held deep historical and cultic importance as a resting place for the patriarchs. It became a site associated with divine encounters, land claims, and, later, a significant city for the tribes of Israel, even briefly serving as David's capital. This deep connection emphasizes its pivotal role in the developing nation.
• "Sojourned" (גור, gur) polemic: In its original context, using "sojourned" implicitly contrasts with the Canaanite claims of land ownership. It emphasizes that while the patriarchs did not own the land entirely at this point, they were God's chosen residents there by divine right, with the promise of future possession for their descendants, distinguishing their claim from that of the local inhabitants. It highlights the divine, not human, basis of Israel's claim to the land.

Genesis 35 27 Commentary

Genesis 35:27 serves as a poignant and concluding narrative marker in Jacob's extended journey back to his ancestral land and family. After years of servitude, trickery, reconciliation with Esau, and difficult personal losses within his family, Jacob finally reaches the settled presence of his aging father. This reunion, understated in its description, signifies the generational transfer of the covenant of God from Isaac to Jacob. The specific mention of Mamre and its identification as Hebron, immediately followed by the statement that Abraham and Isaac "sojourned" there, is deeply significant. It grounds Jacob's presence in a sacred location where Abraham had encountered God and made key purchases (the Cave of Machpelah for burial). The patriarchs lived as temporary residents in the very land promised to them, demonstrating a life of faith and dependence on God's future fulfillment, a theme later elaborated in the New Testament (Heb 11:9). This verse sets the stage for Isaac's peaceful death in the subsequent verses, signaling the closure of one patriarchal era and the full commencement of Jacob's leadership as Israel. It emphasizes divine faithfulness in bringing Jacob safely back and reinforcing the lineage through which God's redemptive plan would continue.