On the “epiphany” in Genesis 35:9

וַיֵּרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹב֙ ע֔וֹד בְּבֹא֖וֹ מִפַּדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם וַיְבָ֖רֶךְ אֹתֽוֹ׃

God appeared again to* Jacob on his arrival from Paddan-aram. God blessed him,…

*Or “made contact with,” perhaps via an agent; cf. vv. 9–15 with 17.1–22, 18.1–33, and notes there.

(The above rendering—and footnote—come from the RJPS translation, an adaptation of the NJPS translation.)


The root of the highlighted verb is ראה with a Niphal stem. On the meaning of this verb when applied to a persona, and on its best rendering in English, see my comment at 12:7.

On the implication that the depicted communication occurs via an intermediary (an angel), see my comment at 17:22, as well as the passages cited in the footnote here.