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Genesis 28:17

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 28:17 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
Genesis 28:17 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 28

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
14And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. And in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee, whithersoever thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land. For I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
16And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely Jehovah is in this place. And I knew it not.
17And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19And he called the name of that place Beth-el. But the name of the city was Luz at the first.
20And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
← Genesis 28:16Genesis 28:18 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And he was afraid, etc.] Not with a servile but filial fear; not with a fear of the wrath and displeasure of God, but with a fear of his grace and goodness; not with a fear of distrust of it, of which he had just had such a comfortable assurance; but with an awe of the greatness and glory of God, being conscious of his own unworthiness to receive such favours from him; and said, how dreadful [is] this place! not terrible and horrible, being not like Mount Sinai, but like Sion; not as the suburbs of hell, but as the gate of heaven majestic and venerable, because of the glory of God that appeared in it, whose name is holy and reverend and because of the holy angels here present: and so the…”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification