The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

Leaving Bethel, he and his household traveled on toward Ephrath (Bethlehem). But Rachel's pains of childbirth began while they were still a long way away. After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, "Wonderful--another boy!" And with Rachel's last breath (for she died) she named him "Ben-oni" ("Son of my sorrow"); but his father called him "Benjamin" ("Son of my right hand").

So Rachel died, and was buried near the road to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem). And Jacob set up a monument of stones upon her grave, and it is there to this day.

Then Israel journeyed on and camped beyond the Tower of Eder. It was while he was there that Reuben slept with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and someone told Israel about it.

Here are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob:

The sons of Leah:
  Reuben, Jacob's oldest child,
  Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun.
The sons of Rachel:
  Joseph, Benjamin.
The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant-girl:
  Dan, Naphtali.
The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant-girl:
  Gad, Asher.

All these were born to him at Paddan-aram.

So Jacob came at last to Isaac his father at Mamre in Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham too had lived. Isaac died soon afterwards, at the ripe old age of 180. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Esau's Descendants »


TEXT SOURCE: (Genesis 35:16-29) The Children's Living Bible, ©1970 Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187
TITLE SOURCE: The New Student Bible
, ©1992 Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids Michigan 49530