Genesis 28:20-22

Context

Jacob has taken his brother Esau's birthright and blessing and is fleeing Esau's anger. He is traveling to Haran, where his uncle Laban lives. While sleeping in the open with a stone for a pillow, he dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it. In the dream, God repeats the promises He had made to Abraham and Isaac (28:12-15). When he wakes, Jacob names the place "Bethel" (house of God) and sets up the stone he had used as a pillow as a pillar. He then makes this vow.

The vow has two parts. The first is a condition: "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go… so that I come again to my father's house in peace." The second is a set of promises: the LORD will be his God, the stone pillar will be God's house, and he will give a tenth to God.

Interpretation

• A vow of immature faith: God had given an unconditional promise (28:15), yet Jacob attached conditions. On this reading, the conditions reveal his immaturity and show that he could not yet trust God fully. Jacob is later transformed when he wrestles with God at the Jabbok (ch. 32).
• A response to the promise: On this reading, the "if" is not a bargaining condition. It echoes and affirms the promise God had made, and the vow is a grateful response to grace.
• A prototype of worship and devotion: At the place where he met God, Jacob erects an altar and a memorial and offers part of his possessions. This reading treats his actions as a model of worship and devotion. Jacob later returns to Bethel and fulfills his vow (35:1-7).

Debates and Issues

This passage and Abraham's giving of a tenth to Melchizedek (14:20) are both cited as instances of tithing that predate the Mosaic Law.

• Continuing obligation of the tithe: This view holds that the tithe is a principle that existed before the Law. It therefore remains binding on believers even after the Law has been abolished. In Korea, most churches hold this position.
• Voluntary giving: This view holds that Jacob's tithe was not a command but a vow he set for himself. It also holds that the New Testament teaches giving "as he purposeth in his heart" rather than according to a fixed percentage (2 Corinthians 9:7).

For further detail, see Tithing debate. A related question is whether churches should encourage vows that attach conditions, in which a person promises to give to God if He does something in return. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 warns against making vows rashly.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, the passage is a staple text for sermons on tithing, and "Bethel" is widely used as a church name. Korean believers also frequently cite it as a model for vow prayers offered at the New Year or at turning points in life.

Related Passages

• Genesis 14:18-20
• Genesis 35:1-7
• Malachi 3:8-10
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
• Ecclesiastes 5:4-5