Genesis 35:21
in Genesis 35Israel again set out and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
KJV
And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.
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This verse in Genesis 35
Commentary
6 notes on this verse(Verse 21.) And Israel advanced and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. The Hebrews believe that this place is where the temple was later built, and the tower of Eder signifies the tower of the flock, that is, the congregation and assembly. This is also testified to by the prophet Micah, saying: And you, O cloudy tower of the flock, daughter of Zion (Micah 4:8), and so on. At that time, Jacob set up his tents across the place where the temple was later built.
This site's exposition
pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder
on Genesis 35:21-22
Eder is the tower of the flock, which Micah 4:8 addresses as the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, and Jerome reports that the Hebrews placed this spot where the temple was later built. Reuben then sleeps with his father's concubine Bilhah, and the whole recorded response is that Israel heard about it. Genesis 49:4 tells the firstborn he will not excel.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He also, as his fathers, sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, and was not long in a place. Immediately after the story of Rachel's death he is here called Israel (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
He that has this rule over his own spirit is better than the mighty. Israel, a prince with God, yet dwells in tents; the city is reserved for him in the other world.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And Israel journeyed,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Tower of Edar - Literally, the tower of the flock, and so translated Mic 4:8. It is supposed that this tower was about a mile from Bethlehem, and to have been the place where the angels appeared to the shepherds. The Targum of Jonathan expressly says: “It is the place in which the King Messiah shall be manifested in the end of days.” By the tower of the flock we may understand a place built by the shepherds near to some well, for the convenience of watering their flocks, and keeping watch over them by night.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּסַּ֖ע | vaiyisa' | and he set out | H5265 → | 146 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיֵּ֣ט | vaiyet | and he pitched | H5186 → | 214 times |
| אָֽהֳל֔וֹ | ʾoholo | tent his | H168 → | 345 times |
| מֵהָ֖לְאָה | mehalah | from beyond | H1973 → | |
| לְמִגְדַּל־ | lemigdal- | <to> Migdal | H4029 → | |
| עֵֽדֶר׃ | ʾeder | Eder | H4029 → |
וַיִּסַּ֖עand he set out
vaiyisa'H5265 →146 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיֵּ֣טand he pitched
vaiyetH5186 →214 times
אָֽהֳל֔וֹtent his
ʾoholoH168 →345 times
מֵהָ֖לְאָהfrom beyond
mehalahH1973 →
לְמִגְדַּל־<to> Migdal
lemigdal-H4029 →
עֵֽדֶר׃Eder
ʾederH4029 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Micah 4:8And you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion—the former dominion will be restored to you; sovereignty will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 1:26
I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as at the beginning. After that you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”
- Revelation 22:5
There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and…
- Zechariah 9:10
And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be broken. Then He will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will extend…
- Obadiah 1:21
The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion to rule over the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will belong to the LORD.
- Zechariah 9:12
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare that I will restore to you double.
- Isaiah 1:26
Through
Luke 2:8And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
it leads to
- Psalms 78:70–71
He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds;
- Genesis 31:39–40
I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night.
- John 10:8–12
All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
- Psalms 78:70–71
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.