When Jacob woke up, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”
- KJV And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
- NKJV Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
- NASB Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “The Lord is certainly in this place, and I did not know it!”
- NLT Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jacob wakes and realizes that Yahweh was present in that place though he had not known it.
Overview
Jacob's awe reveals a new awareness of God's nearness in a place he had thought ordinary. His confession—that the Lord was there and he did not know it—humbles his assumptions and opens him to genuine reverence. God's presence is real whether or not we perceive it, and grace often awakens us to what was true all along.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Josh 5:15The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
- Exod 3:5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
- Exod 15:11Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You—majestic in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?
- 1 Sam 3:4–7Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”
- Job 33:14For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.
- Job 9:11Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; were He to move, I would not recognize Him.
- Ps 68:35O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!
- Isa 8:13The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 28:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.