וַיָּבֹא֩ יַעֲקֹ֨ב שָׁלֵ֜ם עִ֣יר שְׁכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן בְּבֹא֖וֹ מִפַּדַּ֣ן אֲרָ֑ם וַיִּ֖חַן אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י הָעִֽיר׃
Jacob arrived safe in the city of Shechem that is in the land of Canaan—having come thus from Paddan-aram—and he encamped before the city.
Genesis 33:18 (Revised JPS, 2023)
Genesis 33:18 makes a point to say that Jacob arrived “safe” (hebrew: “in peace”), and this is meant to link us back to Genesis 28:20-21, where Jacob makes a vow to God.
וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃
Jacob then made a vow, saying, “If God remains with me, protecting me on this journey that I am making, and giving me bread to eat and clothing to wear,
וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וְהָיָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה לִ֖י לֵאלֹהִֽים׃
and I return safe to my father’s house—the ETERNAL shall be my God.
Genesis 28:20-21 (Revised JPS, 2023)
The vow states that if Jacob returns to the land of his father (Canaan) “in peace,” then the Eternal shall be his God.
Here, the text is telling us that God has fullfilled his part. It is now Jacob’s turn to uphold his end of the vow.
וַיַּצֶּב־שָׁ֖ם מִזְבֵּ֑חַ וַיִּ֨קְרָא־ל֔וֹ אֵ֖ל אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {ס}
He set up an altar there, and called it El-elohe-yisrael.
In verse 20, Jacob does as he said he would. By this time, Jacob has been given the name “Israel.” In the building the alter to God, he names it, “El Elohe Yisrael,” or “El, God of Israel.”