Genesis 35:19

Gen 35:19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which [is] Bethlehem.

Ver. 20. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave.] To testify his love, and continue her remembrance. Dead friends may be lawfully thus honoured with monuments; modo vitetur luxus et superstitio. .

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.

Gen 35:19. Rachel was buried in the way to Ephrath — Not in the city, though it was near; for in ancient times their sepulchres were not in places of resort, but in places separated and out of the cities, Mat 27:60;

Luk 7:12. If the soul be at rest, the matter is not great where the body lies. In the place where the tree falls there let it lie.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

35:19 Jacob did not carry Rachel’s body to the family tomb at Machpelah (23:1-20; 25:9; 49:30; 50:13) but buried her in the territory that would be Benjamin’s (see Josh 18:21-28; 1 Sam 10:2).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem--The one, the old name; the other, the later name, signifying "house of bread."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

19. Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem)] The words, “the same is Beth-lehem,” create a difficulty; they occur also in Gen_48:7, and seem to be confirmed by Rth_4:11; Mic_5:2, “Bethlehem Ephrathah,” where the reference is to Bethlehem, S. of Jerusalem. But (1) judging from the present passage we should suppose that Rachel’s tomb was a little south of Bethel: (2) from Jer_31:15 it would appear that Rachel’s death and burial were connected with Ramah, a place 5 miles north of Jerusalem: (3) from 1Sa_10:2 we learn that Rachel’s sepulchre is in the border of Benjamin, i.e. north of Jerusalem. There is clearly, therefore, a discrepancy. Perhaps two traditions were current respecting the sepulchre; one placing it near Ramah, on the borders of Benjamin, south of Bethel; the other placing it near Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. The words, “the same is Beth-lehem,” look like a gloss, erroneously inserted into the text. “Ephrath,” by itself, was not an uncommon name. In all probability, if the words are an erroneous gloss, they are responsible for the Biblical discrepancy, and are accountable for the Christian tradition of Rachel’s tomb N. of Bethlehem.

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.

And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave,.... A sepulchral monument erected in memory of her; this according to Benjamin of Tudela (e) was made of twelve stones, according to the number of the sons of Jacob, and over it was a vault or roof, supported by four pillars:

that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day; it continued to the times of Moses, the writer of this history, and to the times of Samuel, as appears from Sa1 10:2; and even travellers of late times affirm it to be seen still, to the north of Bethlehem, on the right hand of the way as you go from Bethlehem to Jerusalem; but the present sepulchral monument, as Mr. Maundrel says (f), can be none of that which Jacob erected, for it appears plainly to be a modern Turkish structure. Near the grave are found some little black stones, which strangers pick up, and are fancied to be helpful to women, to give them an easier birth, the same the above traveller says resemble peas. The Jews that pass by it were used to engrave their names on the stones, of the pillars (g).

(e) ltinerar. p. 47. (f) Journey from Aleppo, &c. p. 87. (g) Benjamin. Itinerar. ib. Adrichom. Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 19. Bunting's Travels, p. 75.

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

In the way to Ephrath; not in the city, though that was near; for in ancient times their sepulchres were not in the places of resort, but in separated places, and out of cities. See Mat 27:60; Luk 7:12.

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

And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem or House of Bread, about seven miles south of Jerusalem. It afterwards became the birthplace of David (1Sa_16:18) and of Christ. (Mat_2:1) The assertion that this clause is a later interpolation (Lunge) is unfounded (Kalisch, Kurtz).

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