Bible Commentary

Genesis 28:12

Genesis 28:12

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible · John Gill (1697–1771) · Public Domain

And he dreamed,.... As he slept; not a common dream, but under divine direction and influence:and, behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: denoting either the providence of God, and the various steps of it, bringing about his own glory and the good of his people; and which is steady, firm, and sure, and reaches to all things here on earth; and in an especial manner is concerned about the people of God, their protection and safety; and is directed and governed according to the will, counsels, and purposes of God in heaven; a view of which must be very encouraging to Jacob in his present circumstances: or else the incarnation and mediation of Christ, who in his human nature was to be in the fulness of time on earth, there to live a while, obey, suffer, and die, and so was the ladder set on earth; and his divine nature was the top of it, which reached heaven; here he was in that nature before his incarnation, and from hence he came; and indeed here he was in that when on earth; and as man, he ascended on high when he had done his work, and is now higher than the heavens; he may be fitly represented hereby as the Mediator, who has reconciled things in heaven and things on earth, and has as it were joined and united heaven and earth together: and the various rungs in this ladder, so considered, are Christ's interposition as a surety front eternity; his incarnation in time; his being under the law, and his obedience to it; his sufferings, the shedding of his blood, and the death of the cross; his resurrection from the dead, ascension to heaven, session at the right hand of God, and intercession there.

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Genesis 28 — OverviewGenesis 28 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleWe have here, I. Jacob parting with his parents, to go to Padan-aram; the charge his father gave him (ver. 1, 2), the blessing he sent him away with (ver. 3, 4), his obedience to the orders given him (ver. 5,…Genesis 28 — OverviewGenesis 28 · Treasury of Scripture KnowledgeGenesis 28:1, Isaac blesses Jacob, and sends him to Padan-aram; Genesis 28:6, Esau marries Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael; Genesis 28:10, Jacob journeys, and has a vision of a ladder; Genesis 28:18, The stone of…Genesis 28 — OverviewGenesis 28 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleIn this chapter an account is given of the charge Isaac gave to Jacob not to marry a Canaanitess, but to go to Padanaram, and take a wife from his mother's family, and of his blessing him before he sent him away, Ge…Genesis 28:10-15Genesis 28:10-15 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleWe have here Jacob upon his journey towards Syria, in a very desolate condition, like one that was sent to seek his fortune; but we find that, though he was alone, yet he was not alone, for the Father was with…Genesis 28:10-22Genesis 28:10-22 · The Pulpit CommentaryEXPOSITIONGenesis 28:10-22Genesis 28:10-22 · The Pulpit CommentaryJacob at Bethel, or heaven opened. I. THE LONELY SLEEPER. 1. His desolate condition. Exiled from home, fleeing from the murderous resentment of a brother, o'er-canopied by the star-lit firmament, remote from human…