Genesis 28:1
28:1 And Isaac called Jacob, and {a} blessed him, and charged
     him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the
     daughters of Canaan.

     (a) This second blessing was to confirm Jacob's faith, lest
         he should think that his father had given it without
         God's leading.

Genesis 28:4
28:4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy
     seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein
     thou art a {b} stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.

     (b) The godly fathers were continually reminded that they
         were but strangers in this world: so that they would
         lift up their eyes to the heavens where they have a
         certain dwelling.

Genesis 28:9
28:9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which
     he had Mahalath the daughter of {c} Ishmael Abraham's son,
     the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

     (c) Thinking by this to have reconciled himself to his
         father, but all in vain: for he does not take away the
         cause of the evil.

Genesis 28:12
28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a {d} ladder set up on the
      earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the
      angels of God ascending and descending on it.

      (d) Christ is the ladder by which God and man are joined
          together, and by whom the angels minister to us: all
          graces are given to us by him, and we ascend to heaven
          by him.

Genesis 28:13
28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I [am] the
      LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the
      land whereon thou liest, to thee {e} will I give it, and
      to thy seed;

      (e) He felt the force of this promise only by faith: for
          all his life he was a stranger in this land.

Genesis 28:17
28:17 And he was {f} afraid, and said, How dreadful [is] this
      place! this [is] none other but the house of God, and this
      [is] the gate of heaven.

      (f) He was touched with a godly fear and reverence.

Genesis 28:18
28:18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone
      that he had put [for] his pillows, and {g} set it up [for]
      a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

      (g) To be a reminder of the vision shown to him.

Genesis 28:20
28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If {h} God will be with me,
      and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me
      bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

      (h) He does not bind God under this condition, but
          acknowledges his infirmity, and promises to be
          thankful.