The second part of Jacob’s vow or promise is this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. The text makes clear that the stone and not the place generally is to be God’s house. The sense of God’s house is “a place for worshiping God,” “a place to pray to God.” Accordingly we may translate this sentence, for example, “This stone I have set up as a marker will be the place where people come to worship you.”

And of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee completes the three promises or vows made by Jacob to God. The regular practice of the tithe, which came much later, is discussed in Deut 14.22-29; 26.12-15. In some languages to give a tenth requires saying something like “Out of every ten things you give me I will give back one to you.” In other languages this is best expressed by using the idea of dividing everything into ten parts; for example, “I will divide everything that you give me into ten heaps, and give one heap back to you.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .