Genesis 35:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When the just man was liberated from both his fear and the local people, God once again demonstrates His extraordinary compassion toward him. The Scripture states, "God appeared" to Jacob after his return from Mesopotamia. Why is it specified, "after his return"? This detail is significant because God had previously revealed Himself to Jacob in that region when he was fleeing from his brother and making his way to Mesopotamia. Therefore, it is noted that just as God had appeared to him then, as he left that place, He now reveals Himself to him again upon his return, reaffirming the promises made to him at the time of his departure. This serves to prepare the righteous man to hold firmly to those promises and to remain steadfast in spirit until their fulfillment.

God manifested Himself once more, as some mistakenly believe this revelation occurred prior to Jacob's residence in Shechem. The terms "again" and "after his return" simply set this encounter apart from the initial revelation at Bethel, which bears a striking resemblance to the second in essence. The timing of this latter event is clear from the sequence in the Mosaic account.