Jacob Returns to Bethel: After reentering the promised land, Jacob follows in the steps of Abraham. His moving from Shechem to Bethel and then south toward Hebron parallels Abraham’s initial journey through the land of promise. At Bethel God blesses Jacob with the Abrahamic blessing. The imprint of Abraham continues when Jacob and Esau inter their father Isaac in the Cave of Machpelah, the only plot of land in Canaan owned by Abraham (35:27–29).

This portion of the Jacob narrative contains three sections: Jacob’s pilgrimage to Bethel (vv. 1–7), the report of Deborah’s death (v. 8), and God’s blessing Jacob (vv. 9–15).

35:1 While Jacob was apprehensive that the local inhabitants would take vengeance on his family for their violent raid of Shechem, God told him to go up to Bethel and settle th…