Genesis 35:19
ESV
So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem),
NIV
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
NASB
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
CSB
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem ).
NLT
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
KJV
And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
NKJV
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
What does Genesis 35:19 mean?
Scripture is exceedingly brief in this section. No explanation is given of how Jacob reacted to Rachel's death (Genesis 35:16–18). Given his great love for her (Genesis 29:20), it's reasonable to assume this was especially devastating. The trauma of her passing may have contributed to Jacob's excessive favoritism towards Rachel's other son, Joseph (Genesis 37:3).Rachel is buried along the road to Ephrath, the region where Bethlehem would be later (Ruth 1:2; Micah 5:2). This situates the birth of Benjamin near Bethlehem and Jerusalem, a region his descendants would later come to possess (Joshua 18:21–28). It also helps to explain Matthew's reference to Rachel when depicting Herod's slaughter of infants from that area (Matthew 2:16–18). Matthew, in turn, was citing the words of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:15).
