Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Isaac explicitly directs Jacob to seek a wife from his mother's family, emphasizing the importance of marrying within their lineage. This instruction highlights a concern for preserving the covenant promises, a concern that Esau's marriage choices had previously jeopardized.
Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Jacob's deception of Isaac to receive the patriarchal blessing, his mother Rebekah urges him to flee to her family in Paddan-aram to escape his brother Esau's wrath. Isaac blesses Jacob, reiterating the covenant promises made to Abraham, and explicitly charges him to marry a woman from their extended family, not from the Canaanites. Jacob then departs for Paddan-aram, commencing a journey that will profoundly shape his life and faith.
Why is Isaac's command to Jacob so specific and urgent? It's more than just a marriage arrangement; it's a divine assignment with eternal implications.
Isaac's instruction to Jacob isn't merely parental advice; it's a divine mandate. "Arise, go to Paddan-aram... and take as your wife..."
Why Paddan-aram? Why Bethuel's house? This wasn't a random selection, but a deliberate move to reconnect with their spiritual heritage.
The directive to go to Paddan-aram and specifically to the house of Bethuel, Jacob's mother's father, is strategic.
Ask a follow-up
Jacob's urgent departure to Paddan-aram wasn't just about finding a wife; it was a direct consequence of his deception and the resulting conflict with Esau, a moment where God stepped in to reaffirm His covenant promises to Jacob in his vulnerable flight.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham settles in Canaan
Abraham, called by God, leaves Ur and settles in Canaan, establishing a covenant relationship with God.
c. 1750 BC
Isaac's marriage to Rebekah
Abraham's servant is sent to Paddan-aram to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham's relatives, bringing Rebekah back to Canaan.
c. 1720 BC
Birth of Jacob and Esau
Isaac and Rebekah's twin sons, Jacob and Esau, are born. Their contrasting natures foreshadow future conflict.
c. 1700 BC— this verse
Jacob obtains the birthright and blessing
Jacob deceives Isaac to receive the patriarchal blessing intended for Esau, leading to Esau's intense hatred.
c. 1700 BC
Jacob flees to Paddan-aram
Fearing Esau's wrath, Jacob flees to Paddan-aram to find refuge with his mother's family, as instructed by Isaac.
c. 1680 BC
Jacob's dream at Bethel
While fleeing, Jacob has a divine encounter in a dream at Bethel, where God reaffirms the covenant promises to him.
This passage mirrors Isaac's instructions to Jacob by showing Abraham sending his servant to find a wife from his relatives in Paddan-aram, highlighting the importance of maintaining the covenant line through marriage within the family.
Genesis 27:42-43These verses explain the immediate context for Jacob's departure: Esau's anger after Jacob stole the blessing, prompting Rebekah to send Jacob away to Paddan-aram for his safety, thus linking the marriage command to familial conflict and protection.
Genesis 28:10-17This passage describes Jacob's vision at Bethel immediately after leaving home, where God reaffirms His promises to him, directly connecting the command to marry into his mother's family with divine reassurance and purpose for his life.
Genesis 29:15-28This narrative shows Jacob fulfilling the instruction by marrying Laban's daughters, but also reveals the deceptive dealings he faced, illustrating the complexities and trials that arose from this family marriage.
Deuteronomy 25:5-6This law echoes the principle behind Jacob's marriage, emphasizing the importance of a man marrying within his family line to preserve his family name and inheritance, showing a continuity of this cultural and theological value.
calvinGenesis 28:1-22: "And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan."
When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;
Et vidit Esau quod benedixisset Ishac Iahacob, et misisset eum in Padan Aram, ut caperet sibi inde uxorem: et benedicendo…
ellicottGenesis 28:2: "Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother."
(2) Padan-aram. —See Note on Genesis 25:20 . Throughout this verse Isaac shows a much more intimate acquaintance with the family at Haran than was possessed by Abraham. (Comp. Genesis 24:4 .) And though we gather from Genesis 28:5 that Bethuel was now dead, yet it is evident that he was a person of more importance than is supposed…
Isaac explicitly directs Jacob to seek a wife from his mother's family, emphasizing the importance of marrying within their lineage. This instruction highlights a concern for preserving the covenant promises, a concern that Esau's marriage choices had previously jeopardized.
Following Jacob's deception of Isaac to receive the patriarchal blessing, his mother Rebekah urges him to flee to her family in Paddan-aram to escape his brother Esau's wrath. Isaac blesses Jacob, reiterating the covenant promises made to Abraham, and explicitly charges him to marry a woman from their extended family, not from the Canaanites. Jacob then departs for Paddan-aram, commencing a journey that will profoundly shape his life and faith.
Following Jacob's deception of Isaac to receive the patriarchal blessing, his mother Rebekah urges him to flee to her family in Paddan-aram to escape his brother Esau's wrath. Isaac blesses Jacob, reiterating the covenant promises made to Abraham, and explicitly charges him to marry a woman from their extended family, not from the Canaanites. Jacob then departs for Paddan-aram, commencing a journey that will profoundly shape his life and faith.
"Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother." — Isaac explicitly directs Jacob to seek a wife from his mother's family, emphasizing the importance of marrying within their lineage. This instruction highlights a concern for preserving the covenant…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026