Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 35:5 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 5. 5And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
As Jacob's household travels, a terror from God falls on the surrounding cities, so they do not pursue Jacob's sons. God supplies the protection Jacob feared the family lacked.
Read It With
- Genesis 35:1–15
Read 34:30–31 with 35:1–7. Jacob feared neighboring peoples would gather and destroy the household; God commands departure and prevents pursuit. This protects the family without calling the sons' violence good.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Divine protection directly answers Jacob's fear that surrounding peoples might destroy the household.
Read Genesis 35:5–7 together
Why these verses belong together: Divine protection allows the household to reach Bethel, where Jacob builds and names the altar.
Verse 5. 5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
Verse 6. 6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Beth-el, he and all the people that were with him.
Verse 7. 7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
What Remains True
God's protection is not the same as moral approval of every action taken by the people he protects.
How It Can Shape Life
- Seek safety after conflict without interpreting escape from consequences as proof that every prior decision was righteous.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 35:1–15 — Jacob Returns to Bethel and God Renews the PromiseSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, unit boundary, Bethel return, purification, protection, Deborah, name confirmation, promises, worship, and intratextual movement.
Exact location: Genesis 35:1–15 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 28:10–22; 32:24–32; 34:25–31; 35:16–29; and 49:1–28
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Hebrew action sequence, ritual language, divine titles, promise wording, place-names, and lexical uncertainty.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 35:1–15; forms and syntax for arise, dwell, put away, purify, terror, appeared, Israel, El Shaddai, assembly, kings, pillar, drink offering, oil, and Bethel
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Translation comparison for foreign gods, purification, earrings, terror, El-bethel, Israel, El Shaddai, assembly, ancestry language, offerings, and place naming.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 35 and translator notes on verses 1–15
Open NET Genesis 35 ↗