And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
What does Genesis 35:19 mean?
Rachel had passionately said, Give me children, or else I die; and now that she had children, she died! The death of the body is but the departure of the soul to the world of spirits.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 35:16-20 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 35:19
And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. Hence called Bethlehem Ephratah, Micah 5:2 ; with great pertinency is Rachel represented as if risen from her grave, and weeping for her children, when the children of Bethlehem, and thereabout, were slain by Herod, she being buried so near that place, Matthew 2:16 ; at what age she died is not said. Polyhistor, out of Demetrius (d), reports, that she died after Jacob had lived with her twenty three years. (d) Apnd Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 21. p. 424.
Key words
- Rachel
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And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
- died
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And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
- buried
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And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
Context in Genesis 35
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Genesis 35 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the family line through Isaac and Jacob. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.
Glossary
- Ephrath Place
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Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Bethlehem.
- Rachel Person
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Ewe, “the daughter”, “the somewhat petulant, peevish, and self-willed though beautiful younger daughter” of Laban, and one of Jacob’s wives ( Gen. 29:6 , 28).
- Bethlehem Place
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House of bread. (1. ) A city in the “hill country” of Judah. It was originally called Ephrath ( Gen. 35:16 , 19; 48:7; Ruth 4:11 ). It was also called Beth-lehem Ephratah ( Micah 5:2 ), Beth-lehem-judah. Modern identification: Bethlehem.