lectionary.com

Trinity/After Pentecost · The Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity

Genesis 28:10-17

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

October 11, 2026

Jacob's Dream, Jusepe de Ribera
Jacob's Dream, Jusepe de Ribera, 1639Museo del Prado, Madrid
Ribera leaves out the ladder entirely. Jacob sleeps against a bank and the top right of the canvas dissolves into pure light with figures only just visible in it.Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it. The painting is about not seeing it clearly, which is the point of the chapter.Jusepe de RiberaA Spaniard who spent his working life in Naples, painting saints and philosophers as weathered, specific, often elderly men.Museo del Prado, MadridSpain's national collection, formed from what the Spanish crown had bought over three centuries, which is why its Titians and Rubenses are unmatched.Museo del Prado, Madrid
Historic One-Year Lectionary
GospelMatt. 9:1-8Mt 9:1-8
EpistleEph. 4:22-28Eph 4:22-28
Old TestamentGen. 28:10-17Gn 28:10-17
PsalterPs. 84Ps 84

Overview & Insights

“‘Surely the Lord is in this place… this is the gate of heaven.’” (Genesis 28:16–17)

In this report of Jacob’s dream Jacob rests for the night (vv. 10–11), God speaks to him in a dream (vv. 12–15), Jacob responds (vv. 16–17), he names that place (vv. 18–19), and he makes a vow (vv. 20–22).

From Sermons.com: Join Today to access the most scholarly & well written preaching resources anywhere.

Take it further: Genesis 28:10-17

Commentary

Genesis 28 Commentary: Jacob Flees from EsauGn 28 Commentary: Jacob Flees from Esau Enduring Word · David Guzik

Verse by verse on Jacob's dream at Bethel and the ladder joining heaven and earth.

Genesis 28:10-19aGn 28:10-19a Center for Excellence in Preaching

Reformed commentary on the dream as a vision of divine presence with the fugitive Jacob.

Genesis 28:10 CommentariesGn 28:10 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentators assembled on Jacob's departure and the Bethel vision.

Background & Word Study

Genesis 28 | Sefaria LibraryGn 28 | Sefaria Library Sefaria

Hebrew text with the Jewish commentary tradition (Rashi and others) on Jacob's dream.

Book of Genesis Summary (Overview Video, Part 2)Book of Gn Summary (Overview Video, Part 2) BibleProject

Animated overview of Genesis 12-50, the ancestral story in which Jacob's Bethel vision falls.

Genesis 28:10 InterlinearGn 28:10 Interlinear BibleHub

Hebrew text with parsing and Strong's numbers for the Bethel narrative.

The Church Fathers

Genesis 28 - Catena Bible & CommentariesGn 28 - Catena Bible & Commentaries Catena

Patristic comment on Genesis 28 gathered verse by verse.

Questions preachers ask

What is Jacob’s ladder?

Fleeing Esau, Jacob dreams of a ladder from earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending and the Lord promising to be with him; he names the place Bethel, the house of God (Genesis 28:10–17).

Prep at sermons.com

Ready to write?

  • Full sermons on Matthew 9:1-8
  • Illustrations cleared for use in worship
  • Commentary, quotes, and Bible dictionary
Open it at sermons.com →

Trusted by pastors since 1995.

Free every Tuesday

Illustrations & Sermon Prep in your inbox

The coming Sunday’s readings, a cleared-for-use illustration, and a sermon-prep head start. One email, free.