Genesis 35:21 - Meaning and Application

Here we see Jacob moving on again, Genesis 35:21. Like his fathers, he lived in the promised land as a stranger, not settling long in any one place. Right after Rachel’s death, he is called Israel, and not often by that name afterward. The Jews said the writer honored him here because he bore that loss with remarkable patience and trust in God’s providence. True Israelites, princes with God, are those who rule their own spirit. A person who governs himself is better than the mighty. Israel may be a prince with God, yet still live in tents, because the city is kept for him in the world to come.

We then come to Reuben’s sin, Genesis 35:22. It was a shameful act, the very kind of sin Paul says should not even be named among the Gentiles, that a man should have his father’s wife (1 Corinthians 5:1). The text says this happened while Israel lived in that land, as if he were away from the family at the time, which may have given the chance for these troubles. Bilhah may have been the greater offender, and it is likely Jacob put her away because of it, but Reuben’s sin was so serious that he lost both his birthright and blessing for it (Genesis 49:4). The firstborn is not always the best, or the most likely to do well.

This was Reuben’s sin, but it was Jacob’s grief. Scripture says only, “Israel heard it,” and that is enough. He heard it with deep sorrow, shame, horror, and disgust. Reuben likely hoped no one would ever find out, but people who expect secrecy in sin are usually disappointed. A bird of the air carries the report.

Then comes a full list of Jacob’s sons now that Benjamin, the youngest, has been born. This is the first time we see the names of the heads of the twelve tribes together. After this, they are often named again and again, all through Scripture, even to the end of the Bible (Revelation 7:4; Revelation 21:12).

We also read about Jacob’s visit to his father Isaac at Hebron. He likely had visited him before after returning, since he longed for his father’s house. But now he brought his whole family to live with him, or at least near him, Genesis 35:27. This may have happened after Rebekah’s death, when Isaac was left alone and likely no longer thought of marrying again.

Last, the chapter records Isaac’s age and death, though by careful counting it seems he died many years after Joseph was sold into Egypt, around the time Joseph was raised to power there. Isaac was a gentle, quiet man, and he lived longer than any of the patriarchs, reaching 180 years. Abraham lived to 175. Isaac also lived about forty years after he had made his will, Genesis 27:2. We do not die a moment sooner, and we are often the better for setting our house in order in advance.

Special notice is given to the peace between Esau and Jacob at their father’s burial, Genesis 35:29. This shows how completely God had changed Esau’s heart since he once planned to kill his brother after their father died, Genesis 27:41. God has many ways to stop wicked people from carrying out their evil plans. He can hold back their hands, or he can change their hearts.