And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”
- BSB When Jacob woke up, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was unaware of it.”
- 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 5:15And the captain of the LORD’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
- Exod 3:5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
- Exod 15:11Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
- 1 Sam 3:4–7That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
- Job 33:14For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
- Job 9:11Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
- Ps 68:35O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
- Isa 8:13Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
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.