Genesis — Chapter 28

AND HE SAW IN HIS SLEEP A LADDER STANDING UPON THE EARTH, AND THE TOP THEREOF TOUCHING HEAVEN: THE ANGELS ALSO OF GOD ASCENDING AND DESCENDING BY IT. — Jacob's ladder at Bethel: one of the great theophanies of the Old Testament. The ladder touching earth and heaven = Christ, who joins earth and heaven, humanity and divinity, in His person (John 1:51: \"You shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man\"). The angels ascending and descending = the angels who minister to us through Christ as mediator. God standing above the ladder = the Father. Jacob at the foot = humanity. Lapide follows Chrysostom, Origen, Ambrose, and the Fathers in this interpretation. Morally: the ladder = the path of virtue by which the soul ascends to God, step by step; each rung = a virtue or degree of prayer.

AND TREMBLING, HE SAID: HOW TERRIBLE IS THIS PLACE! THIS IS NO OTHER BUT THE HOUSE OF GOD, AND THE GATE OF HEAVEN. — Bethel = \"House of God.\" Jacob's reverent response to the theophany: wonder, fear, and awe. He anoints the stone and makes a vow. Lapide: this is the first explicit vow in Scripture — made freely, conditionally, and piously. The anointing of the stone with oil prefigures the anointing of churches at their consecration (Rupert, Alcuin, Bede). The vow itself (v. 20-22) is conditional: \"If God be with me\" — not distrust but the manner of a vow, binding oneself contingently.