Genesis 28:2

Gen 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.

Ver. 2. Arise, go to Padanaram.] Jacob was no sooner blest, but banished. So our Saviour was no sooner out of the water of baptism, and had heard, "This is my beloved Son," &c., but he was presently in the fire of temptation, and heard, "If thou be the Son," &c. {Mat 3:1-17; Mat 4:1-11} When Hezekiah had set all in good order, {2Ch 31:1-21} then up came Sennacherib with an army. {2Ch 32:1} God puts his people to it; and often, after sweetest feelings.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 2. Go to Padan-aram] This mission, in its spirit and design, is nearly the same as that in Ge 24:1-4, c., which see. There have been several ingenious conjectures concerning the retinue which Jacob had, or might have had, for his journey and by some he has been supposed to have been well attended. Of this nothing is mentioned here, and the reverse seems to be intimated elsewhere. It appears, from Ge 28:11, that he lodged in the open air, with a stone for his pillow; and from Ge 32:10, that he went on foot with his staff in his hand; nor is there even the most indirect mention of any attendants, nor is it probable there were any. He no doubt took provisions with him sufficient to carry him to the nearest encampment or village on the way, where he would naturally recruit his bread and water to carry him to the next stage, and so on. The oil that he poured on the pillar might be a little of that which he had brought for his own use, and can be no rational arguement of his having a stock of provisions, servants, camels, &c., for which it has been gravely brought. He had God alone with him.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. Arise, go to Padan-aram. In the first place, he commands him to take a wife from his maternal race. He might have sent for her by some one of his servants, as Rebekah had been brought to him; but perhaps he took this course to avoid the envy of Esau, who might regard it as a reproach if more solicitude were manifested about his brother’s marriage than about his own.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(2) Padan-aram.—See Note on Gen_25:20. Throughout this verse Isaac shows a much more intimate acquaintance with the family at Haran than was possessed by Abraham. (Comp. Gen_24:4.) And though we gather from Gen_28:5 that Bethuel was now dead, yet it is evident that he was a person of more importance than is supposed by the Rabbins, who ascribe to his feebleness or death the prominent part taken by Laban in his sister’s marriage. It was this greater knowledge which made Isaac send Jacob in person, and not a deputy. With a few trusty attendants he would journey till he reached the usual caravan route which led through Damascus to Haran. and would then attach himself to some trading company for escort and society.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. Paddan-aram] See note on Gen_25:20. This is the name given by P (cf. Gen_31:18, Gen_33:18, Gen_35:9; Gen_35:26, Gen_46:15) to the region which in the J narrative is called “Haran”: another indication of the literary distinctness of this passage from that which immediately precedes it: see Gen_27:43.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Arise, go to Padanaram,.... Of this place; see Gill on Gen 25:20; either he is bid to go directly, in haste and alone; perhaps by this time Rebekah had given Isaac some hint of the ill design of Esau against him, which made Isaac the more urgent upon him to be gone, as well as it was high time he had took to himself a wife:

to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; who though now dead in all probability, yet the house and family went by his name:

and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother: who had daughters unmarried, of which no doubt Isaac and Rebekah had knowledge, a correspondence being kept up between the two families, though at a great distance.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Take. Septuagint, "flee;" as if Isaac began at last to be apprized of Esau’s designs. Wisdom (x. 10) conducted the just when he fled from his brother’s wrath, &c. --- Thy uncle. He points out the house, but leaves the woman to his choice.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The house of Bethuel. See Gen 22:22-23; 25:20

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. Padan-aram — See on Gen_24:10.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Arise, go to Padan-aram, (vide Gen_14:10 Gen_25:20 Gen_27:43) to the house of Bethuel thy mother"s father. (vide Gen_14:24) If yet alive, Bethuel must have been very old, since he was Isaac"s cousin, and probably born many years before the son of Abrahamand take thee a wife from thence though Isaac"s wife was found for him, he does not think of imitating Abraham and dispatching Another,eliezer in search of a spouse for Rebekah s son. Probably he saw that Jacob could attend to that business sufficiently without assistance from othersof the daughters of Laban thy mother"s brother. (vide Gen_14:2-9) "Isaac appears to entertain no doubt of Jacob"s success, which might be the more probable since the same reason which kept Jacob from marrying in Canaan might prevent Laban"s daughters from being married in Haran, the worshippers of the Lord being few (Inglis).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

פדנה is the same as לפדן to Padan;

ביתה בתואל is the same as לבית בתואל to the house of Bethuel. To every word requiring a ל prefixed you may attach a ה as a suffix (Yevamot 13b).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

קום לך, the word קום is not to be understood literally as “rise!,” but as an instruction to go about the task to be fulfilled with speed, without delay. פדנה ארם, we explained this as meaning “to Charan.”

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.