Genesis 35:20 · Bible study
Genesis 35:20 Commentary: Rachel’s Memorial Pillar
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the meaning of Jacob's pillar for Rachel's grave. Commentary and insight into this enduring memorial of grief and faith.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jacob marks Rachel’s grave with a pillar that remains a known landmark for generations.
- Key words: Pillar (H4676/H4678), grave (H6900), ‘to this day’ (עד היום).
- Main debate: Whether the phrase ‘to this day’ implies a late composition date or fits an early recording soon after the event.
- Theological theme: Remembrance, lament, and the continuity of God’s covenant through Rachel’s sons.
- Best use: A text for funerals, grief counseling, or teaching on the value of memorials in faith.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.
KJV King James Version 1769
And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave: the same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and Jacob setteth up a standing pillar over her grave; which is the standing pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Jacob erected a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave to [this] day.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar of Rachel's monument, to this day.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y puso Jacob un título sobre su sepultura: este es el título de la sepultura de Rachêl hasta hoy.
E pôs Jacó uma coluna sobre sua sepultura: esta é a coluna da sepultura de Raquel até hoje.
Jacob éleva un monument sur son sépulcre; c’ est le monument du sépulcre de Rachel, qui existe encore aujourd’ hui.
Und Jakob richtete ein Mal auf über ihrem Grabe; dasselbe ist das Grabmal Rahels bis auf diesen Tag.
En Jakob richtte een gedenkteken op boven haar graf, dit is het gedenkteken van Rachels graf tot op dezen dag.
E Giacobbe eresse un monumento sulla tomba di lei. Questo è il monumento della tomba di Rachele, il quale esiste tuttora.
I postawił Jakób znak nad grobem jej; toć jest znak grobu Rachelinego aż po dziś dzień.
Иаков поставил над гробом ее памятник. Это надгробный памятник Рахили до сего дня.
雅各 在 她的墳 上 立了 一統碑，就是 拉結 的墓 碑，到 今日還在。
And Jacob put up a pillar on her resting-place; which is named, The Pillar of the resting-place of Rachel, to this day.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 35:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jacob’s pillar marks Rachel’s grave as a lasting memorial. Adam Clarke notes that such monuments were common in ancient times, often a single stone with an inscription or device. Gill points out that the pillar was still known in Samuel’s day (1 Samuel 10:2), and travellers described it as a structure of twelve stones. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the phrase ‘to this day’ does not necessarily indicate a late origin; the remark could have been made within decades of the event. Matthew Henry sees the pillar as a memorial of sorrow made useful, Jacob preserved the memory of his beloved wife, and the site later fell in the territory of Benjamin, her son. The consensus is clear: the narrator highlights the pillar’s endurance to underline the authenticity of the account and the significance of Rachel’s place in Israel’s history. The faithful remember their dead, and God weaves those memories into His covenant story.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jacob erected a pillar marking Rachel's grave, and this monument remained known at the time of the narrative's composition.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the current tomb | Christians, Jews, and Muslims agree that the traditional site venerated as Rachel's tomb is near Bethlehem, consistent with the biblical description. | Whether the current structure, dating from the Turkish period, occupies the exact spot of Jacob's pillar. Some scholars argue continuity of tradition; others suggest the location moved over centuries. |
| Dating of the phrase 'to this day' | All interpreters agree the phrase indicates the pillar was still standing when the account was written. | Some conservative commentators (e.g., Keil) argue the remark could have been added shortly after the event, even within Moses' lifetime. Others see it as evidence of a later editor, possibly after the conquest. |
| Pillars as memorials in Old Testament religion | Pillars served as memorials of divine encounters (Gen 28:18) and of the dead (Gen 35:20). | Later prohibitions against pillars (Lev 26:1, Deut 16:22) raise questions about whether Jacob's practice was later condemned. Some see a contrast between memorial pillars and cultic objects. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The pillar Jacob erected (מצבה) was a standing stone, a common memorial in ancient Canaan. Earlier, Jacob set up such a pillar at Bethel to mark God’s revelation (35:14). Now he uses one for a grave. The location is ‘on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.’ Ephrath means ‘fruitful,’ and Bethlehem ‘house of bread’, names that echo the covenant promises of land and provision. Rachel’s tomb became a boundary marker for Benjamin’s territory (1 Samuel 10:2).
In the ancient Near East, a grave marker served multiple purposes: it honored the deceased, marked family land, and provided a place for remembrance. Jacob’s act is deeply personal. Rachel was his beloved wife, who died in childbirth after years of barrenness. By erecting a pillar, Jacob makes her death public and permanent. The narrator then adds the note ‘to this day,’ a formula used elsewhere in Genesis (e.g., 22:14, 32:32) to connect past events with the present audience. This signals that the memorial remained visible and meaningful for Israel’s later generations.
The site has been venerated for millennia. The fourth-century Bordeaux Pilgrim mentions it. Modern visitors see a Turkish-era structure, not Jacob’s original pillar. Nevertheless, the verse testifies that Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, was not forgotten. Her grave, marked by her grieving husband, became a landmark of God’s faithfulness through the lineage of Jacob.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Genesis 35:20. The Hebrew manuscripts are consistent in their wording. The Septuagint translates ‘pillar’ as στήλη, maintaining the sense of a standing monument.
Reception History
Rachel’s tomb has been a pilgrimage site for centuries. The Bordeaux Pilgrim (AD 333) noted the monument. Jerome mentions it in his writings. Jewish tradition, drawing on Genesis 35:20 and 1 Samuel 10:2, maintained the site’s importance. In the New Testament, Matthew 2:16, 18 quotes Jeremiah 31:15, ‘Rachel weeping for her children,’ linking the patriarch’s wife to the mourning at Bethlehem. The verse has been used in Christian funeral liturgies as a reminder that God marks the grief of His people. In art, Rachel is often depicted at her tomb, a symbol of sorrow and hope.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- A Pillar of Grief: Jacob marks the place of his deepest loss. Rachel dies in travail, and the pillar is a sign that sorrow has a place in the life of faith.
- A Pillar of Legacy: Rachel’s son Benjamin completes the twelve tribes. The pillar stands at the edge of the Promised Land, witnessing that God’s covenant continues beyond death.
- A Pillar of Testimony: The phrase ‘to this day’ invites readers to see God’s hand in history. The memorial is not just for Jacob but for all who come after.
Five-point outline
- Context: Rachel dies on the journey, near Bethlehem.
- Action: Jacob sets up a pillar as a grave marker.
- Continuity: The pillar remains known ‘to this day.’
- Connection: Rachel’s tomb later appears in the story of Samuel (1 Samuel 10:2).
- Hope: Even in tragedy, God’s plan advances through Joseph and Benjamin.
Illustration hooks
- A family cemetery plot with a weathered headstone that tells a story of love and loss.
- A roadside memorial that makes a community pause and remember.
- The practice of placing stones on Jewish graves as a sign that someone visited and honored the deceased.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does the Bible include such a specific detail about a grave marker?
- How should Christians memorialize loved ones without being morbid?
- What does Jacob’s grief teach us about trusting God in the midst of sorrow?
Leading a Discussion
This verse appears at a critical moment in Jacob’s story. Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin, but Jacob honors her with a lasting memorial. The small group should examine how the text presents grief, memory, and hope. The phrase ‘to this day’ connects the original event to the time of the author, reminding us that God’s people tell stories that endure.
Discussion questions
- Read Genesis 35:16, 20 aloud. What details in the surrounding verses add weight to verse 20?
- Why does the narrator include the note that the pillar remains ‘to this day’? What effect does that have on the reader?
- How does Jacob’s act of setting up a pillar compare with his earlier pillar at Bethel (35:14)? What does each honor?
- Rachel’s tomb is mentioned again in 1 Samuel 10:2 as a landmark for Benjamin. How does that show God’s faithfulness to Jacob’s family?
- In what ways do we create ‘pillars’ of remembrance in our own lives, physical or otherwise?
- How does this passage speak to the experience of losing someone suddenly or in the midst of expected joy?
- What hope does the story of Rachel’s death and Benjamin’s birth offer for those who grieve?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 35:9 | God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him. |
| Genesis 35:14 | Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it. |
| I Samuel 10:2 | When you have departed from me today, then you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb, on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will tell you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found; and behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do for my son?”’ |
| II Samuel 18:17 | They took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, each to his own tent. |
| II Samuel 18:18 | Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king’s valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name. It is called Absalom’s monument, to this day. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke suggests this pillar may be the origin of funeral monuments, tracing a progression from simple stone heaps to ornate structures. He notes that Jacob likely used a single stone, possibly inscribed with a hieroglyphic device, and that the present "Rachel's pillar" is a much later construction.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary suggests that Rachel's death at Benjamin's birth may symbolize the new tribe Benjamin replacing her own tribal heritage. It warns against drawing too sharp a line between personal history and tribal meaning, since family events can carry symbolic significance. Jacob’s own story essentially ends with Rachel’s death.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible note highlights that the pillar Jacob set on Rachel's grave was still standing when this account was written. The phrase "unto this day" testifies to the enduring memory of her burial place, a visible landmark that confirmed the tradition.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the pillar Jacob set on Rachel's grave stood as a known landmark into the times of Moses and Samuel. However, he observes that the present monument seen by travelers is clearly a modern Turkish structure, not the one Jacob originally erected.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
jfb points out that the location of Rachel's tomb has been continuously remembered and matches the biblical account. He notes that while the original marker was a pyramid of stones, the present-day monument was built by Muslims.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch observes that Jacob changed the name Rachel gave her dying child, Ben-oni or son of my pain, to Benjamin. Drawing on Arabic, they interpret Benjamin as son of good fortune, meaning Jacob saw the birth as compensation for losing his beloved wife. They also note the command to dwell at Bethel did not require a permanent stay there.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads Rachel's death as a sacrificial triumph: she names her son Benoni, son of my pain, but the emphasis falls on "son" as the gain won through her dying. Jacob renames him Benjamin, son of the right hand, marking the rest and strength Rachel's sacrifice secured for him. The soul's departure confirms its conscious existence beyond death.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the midwife's hollow encouragement and the deeper truth that only God speaks with authority to calm fear. He observes that Rachel's hard labor brought life to her son but cost her own life, a reminder that human comforts often fail when eternal hope is needed.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights that Jacob marked both his joys and his sorrows with pillars, setting one at Bethel for God's promise and one on Rachel's grave. He sees Providence in this site later falling within Benjamin's territory, and notes that remembering both kinds of events can benefit the person and inform others.