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Genesis 28:20-22: Edit history

Revision #12352

Genesis 28:20-22

English baseline before localization

Status: approved

Changes from the previous English revision

+ ## Context
+ Having seized his brother Esau's birthright and blessing, Jacob is fleeing his brother's anger and traveling to Haran, where his uncle Laban lives. 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, and of God repeating the promises He had made to Abraham and Isaac (28:12-15). On waking, Jacob names the place "Bethel" (house of God), sets up the stone he had used as a pillow as a pillar, and then makes this vow.
+
+ The vow consists of 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"—and a set of promises: that the LORD will be his God, that the stone pillar will be God's house, and that he will give a tenth to God.
+
+ ## Interpretation
+ - **A vow of immature faith**: Although God had given an unconditional promise (28:15), Jacob attached conditions, which on this reading reveals his immaturity and his inability as yet to 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 but an expression that echoes and affirms the promise God had made, and the vow is a grateful response to grace.
+ - **A prototype of worship and devotion**: Jacob's erecting an altar and memorial at the place where he met God and offering part of his possessions is read as a model of worship and devotion. Jacob later returns to Bethel and fulfills his vow (35:1-7).
+
+ ## Debates and Issues
+ Together with Abraham's giving a tenth to Melchizedek (14:20), this passage is cited as an instance of tithing that predates the Mosaic Law.
+ - **Continuing obligation of the tithe**: This view holds that because the tithe is a principle that existed before the Law, it remains binding on believers even after the Law has been abolished. This is the position of most Korean churches.
+ - **Voluntary giving**: This view holds that Jacob's tithe was not a command but a vow he set for himself, and 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 further question is whether it is advisable to encourage vows that attach conditions, promising to give to God if He does something in return. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 warns against making vows rashly.
+
+ ## In the Korean Church
+ The passage is a staple text for sermons on tithing, and "Bethel" is widely used as a church name. It is also frequently cited as a model for prayers of vow offered at the New Year or at life's crossroads.
+
+ ## Related Passages
+ - Genesis 14:18-20
+ - Genesis 35:1-7
+ - Malachi 3:8-10
+ - 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
+ - Ecclesiastes 5:4-5


The vow Jacob made after his dream at Bethel, promising that if God would keep him, the LORD would be his God and he would give a tenth of all he received. The passage is often cited as an example of tithing before the Mosaic Law, and interpreters differ over the nature of a vow made with conditions attached.

Full revision

The vow Jacob made after his dream at Bethel, promising that if God would keep him, the LORD would be his God and he would give a tenth of all he received. The passage is often cited as an example of tithing before the Mosaic Law, and interpreters differ over the nature of a vow made with conditions attached.

Context

Having seized his brother Esau's birthright and blessing, Jacob is fleeing his brother's anger and traveling to Haran, where his uncle Laban lives. 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, and of God repeating the promises He had made to Abraham and Isaac (28:12-15). On waking, Jacob names the place "Bethel" (house of God), sets up the stone he had used as a pillow as a pillar, and then makes this vow.

The vow consists of 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"—and a set of promises: that the LORD will be his God, that the stone pillar will be God's house, and that he will give a tenth to God.

Interpretation

  • A vow of immature faith: Although God had given an unconditional promise (28:15), Jacob attached conditions, which on this reading reveals his immaturity and his inability as yet to 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 but an expression that echoes and affirms the promise God had made, and the vow is a grateful response to grace.
  • A prototype of worship and devotion: Jacob's erecting an altar and memorial at the place where he met God and offering part of his possessions is read as a model of worship and devotion. Jacob later returns to Bethel and fulfills his vow (35:1-7).

Debates and Issues

Together with Abraham's giving a tenth to Melchizedek (14:20), this passage is cited as an instance of tithing that predates the Mosaic Law.

  • Continuing obligation of the tithe: This view holds that because the tithe is a principle that existed before the Law, it remains binding on believers even after the Law has been abolished. This is the position of most Korean churches.
  • Voluntary giving: This view holds that Jacob's tithe was not a command but a vow he set for himself, and 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 further question is whether it is advisable to encourage vows that attach conditions, promising to give to God if He does something in return. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 warns against making vows rashly.

In the Korean Church

The passage is a staple text for sermons on tithing, and "Bethel" is widely used as a church name. It is also frequently cited as a model for prayers of vow offered at the New Year or at life's crossroads.

Related Passages

  • Genesis 14:18-20
  • Genesis 35:1-7
  • Malachi 3:8-10
  • 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
  • Ecclesiastes 5:4-5
RevisionTime (UTC)ContributorSummaryStatus
#123532026-11-05 01:48:32AI localizationLocalized for English-speaking readersapproved
#123522026-11-05 01:48:32AI localizationEnglish baseline before localizationapproved