So Rebekah's nagging ploy worked because Isaac sent for Jacob and told him to go pick a wife from among his uncle Laban's children, otherwise your mother will kill herself.
Esau found out how much his parents hated the Hittites (also referred to as the Canaanites) and promptly married one of Ishmael's daughters for good measure. Her name was Mahalath. This was 'in addition to the wives he already had.'
Polygamy, in case anyone was wondering, is a-okay according to the bible.
On the way to Paddan Aram Jacob 'stopped for the night because the sun had set.' Could be one of the stupidest phrases I've ever read. He rested his head on a comfortable stone and had a dream that heaven's gates were opened and a tall staircase descended from there upon which a dazzling array of angels were commuting up and down.
Above the staircase was god. God told Jacob that he was going to give Jacob the land where he was sleeping, famine or no famine, and that he would watch over him wherever he went. He made other familiar promises, like the increase of offspring and the peoples of the earth being blessed through him blah blah blah. Maybe god thought it was okay all the bad shit Jacob had done to his brother. All the lying and cheating and coniving. Yeah, come to think of it, that would totally be god's style.
Jacob woke up probably with an AH! Looking around himself, paranoid. Then saying aloud to no one, wow, so god. . . is. . . so there is a . . . okay. . .
He put his stone pillow on a handy nearby pillar, and consecrated it with oil. Just to hedge his bets.
Jacob vowed, okay, well, if god really does bring me back safely, and gives me food and clothes and stuff, then I guess I will believe in him. And I'll gladly give back one tenth to god what god has given me. But only if I make it home safely! And also, I want a pony.
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