The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac
A story of completion, corruption, and a new beginning.
Jacob’s travels
Rachel’s death
Reuben’s sin
Genealogy
Isaac’s death
Genesis 35:16-29 (NLT)
The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac
16 Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. 17 After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!” 18 Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”). 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.
21 Then Jacob traveled on and camped beyond Migdal-eder. 22 While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it.
These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:
23 The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram.
27 So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners. 28 Isaac lived for 180 years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.
Examine the Scriptures
Genesis 35:16-29 (NLT)
The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac
16 Leaving Bethel,
- Jacob and his clan are in the Promised Land. (This is not new for this lesson.)
Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath (another name for Bethlehem).
That name should sound familiar.
Ephrath or Ephrathah
More about Ephrathah
Micah 5:2 (NLT)
A Ruler from Bethlehem
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
whose origins are in the distant past,
will come from you on my behalf.
But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. 17 After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!”
Another son.
A previous prayer of Rachel was to have another son. God answered this prayer.
Genesis 30:24 (NLT)
24 And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the Lord add yet another son to my family.”
- Rachel had prayed for another son.
18 Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”).
The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”).
Assigning him a place of honor in the family.
A more positive name for the child who was the answer to Rachel’s prayer.
In the Bible names communicated something about the individual to other people.
Benjamin was the only son of Jacob that was born in the Promised Land.
- Jacob’s family was completed with the birth of Benjamin.
19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.
“To this day” means that the monument could still be seen in Moses’ day. The monument was about one mile north of Bethlehem.
Three other monuments are listed in 28:18, 31:45-47, and 35:14.
- Rachel died and was buried near Bethlehem.
21 Then Jacob traveled on and camped beyond Migdal-eder.
The tower of Eder
“Tower of the flock
“Between Bethlehem and Hebron
Towers for guarding flocks against robbers
22 While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it.
Other scriptures addressing this incident:
Genesis 49:3-4 (NLT)
Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength,
the child of my vigorous youth.
You are first in rank and first in power.
4 But you are as unruly as a flood,
and you will be first no longer.
For you went to bed with my wife;
you defiled my marriage couch.
Ruben lost his birthright.
1 Chronicles 5:1-2 (NLT)
Descendants of Reuben
5 The oldest son of Israel was Reuben. But since he dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, his birthright was given to the sons of his brother Joseph. For this reason, Reuben is not listed in the genealogical records as the firstborn son. 2 The descendants of Judah became the most powerful tribe and provided a ruler for the nation, but the birthright belonged to Joseph.
Genesis 48:5-6 (NLT)
5 “Now I am claiming as my own sons these two boys of yours (Joseph), Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived. They will be my sons, just as Reuben and Simeon are. 6 But any children born to you in the future will be your own, and they will inherit land within the territories of their brothers Ephraim and Manasseh.
Note: Ruben knew that this behavior was wrong.
Genesis 30:4 (NLT)
4 So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her.
Genesis 26:9-10 (NLT)
9 Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
“Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.
10 “How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.”
Deuteronomy 22:30 (NLT)
30 “A man must not marry his father’s former wife, for this would violate his father.
- Ruben dishonored his father by sleeping with one of his father’s concubines.
Jacob’s seemingly failure to address this matter immediately was similar to the incident with his daughter Dinah.
Genesis 34:5 (NLT)
5 Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned.
These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:
23 The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram.
Heads of the 12 original tribes.
- The 12 sons of Jacob became the heads of the 12 original tribes of Israel.
The sons of Jacob are listed more than two dozen times in the scriptures (in various forms).
Deuteronomy 27:11-13 (NLT)
11 That same day Moses also gave this charge to the people: 12 “When you cross the Jordan River, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin must stand on Mount Gerizim to proclaim a blessing over the people. 13 And the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali must stand on Mount Ebal to proclaim a curse.
Slightly different in Revelation 7
Revelation 7:4-8 New Living Translation (NLT)
4 And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:
5 from Judah 12,000
from Reuben 12,000
from Gad 12,000
6 from Asher 12,000
from Naphtali 12,000
from Manasseh 12,000
7 from Simeon 12,000
from Levi 12,000
from Issachar 12,000
8 from Zebulun 12,000
from Joseph 12,000
from Benjamin 12,000
(no Dan listed here)
The names of the heads of the 12 original tribes are slightly different than the names used to divide the Promised Land. The Levites were not assigned a section of land since they were given assignments throughout the Promised Land. A section of land was not named after Joseph, instead, two sections of land were named after his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
Note: Reuben is included in each of these lists.
- God uses imperfect people. (The nation of Israel was comprised of less than perfect people.)
27 So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners.
Genesis 13:18 (NLT)
18 So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord.
- Jacob is “back home” with his sons.
Remember Jacob’s vow.
*** Genesis 28:20-21 (NLT)
20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God.
28 Isaac lived for 180 years. 29 Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death.
This chapter records the deaths of:
Rebekah’s old nurse, Deborah (v.8)
Rachel (v. 19)
Isaac
- Isaac joins his ancestors in death.
And his (Isaac) sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.
- Jacob and Esau are once again reunited.
The two brothers previously separated.
Genesis 33:16 (NLT)
16 So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day.
Jacob and Esau were reunited just as Isaac and Ishmael were at the time of the death of Abraham.
Genesis 25:9 (NLT)
9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him (Abraham) in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.
Isaac is dead.
The story continues – God has become the God of Jacob.
Acts 7:46 (NLT)
46 “David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.
- God has become the God of Jacob.
