El - beth - el - אל בית אל the strong God, the house of the strong God. But the first אל el is wanting in one of De Rossi's MSS., as it is also in the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and some copies of the Arabic. The sentence reads much better without it, and much more consistent with the parallel passages. read more
Verse 7 7.And he built there an altar. It has been already stated why it behaved the holy fathers, wherever they came, to have an altar of their own, distinct from those of other nations; namely, to make it manifest that they did not worship gods of various kinds, a practice to which the world was then everywhere addicted, but that they had a God peculiar to themselves. For although God is worshipped with the mind, yet an external confession is the inseparable companion of faith. Besides, all... read more
Bethel revisited. I. JACOB 'S JOURNEY TO BETHEL . 1. The occasion of the journey. The crime of his sons had made it necessary that Jacob should leave Shechem and its neighborhood; but it is doubtful if in the circumstances Jacob would have thought of going to Bethel without an express invitation from Heaven, which, however, he got. 2. The object of the journey. This was stated by the Divine communication which Jacob received to be the fulfillment of the vow which... read more
God with us. Jacob's settlement with his family at Bethel. This was a solemn renewal of the covenant to the patriarch at the end of his pilgrimage. It was the occasion for a new dedication of himself and his household by vows and offerings, and by separation of themselves from all heathen things and thoughts around the newly-erected altar El-Bethel . I. REVELATION the basis of faith. God went up from him after he had spoken with him, and there he set up a pillar of stone, and... read more
And he built there an altar ,—thus redeeming his vow (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:4 )— and called the place El-beth-el :— i.e. God of Bethel. Not he called the place of God, or the place sacred to God, Bethel, nor he called the altar (Keil, Kalisch, Gerlach, &c.;), but he called the place where the altar was El-beth-el; i.e. either he devoted the place as sacred to the El of Bethel (Rosenmüller), or he gave to the place the name of (so. the place of) the El of Bethel, reading the first El... read more
- The Death of Isaac8. דברה deborâh, Deborah, “bee.” בּכוּת אלּון 'alôn-bākût, Allon-bakuth, “oak of weeping.”16. כברה kı̂brâh, “length stretch.” A certain but unknown distance, a stadium or furlong (Josephus) a hippodrome (Septuagint) which was somewhat longer, a mile (Kimchi). אפרת 'ephrâth, Ephrath, “fruitful or ashy.”18. בן־אוני ben-'ônı̂y, Ben-oni, “son of my pain.” בנימין bı̂nyāmı̂yn, Binjamin, “son of the right hand.”19. לחם בית bēyt-lechem, Beth-lechem, “house of bread.”21. עדר... read more
Genesis 35:7. He built an altar And, no doubt, offered sacrifice upon it, perhaps the tenth of his cattle, according to his vow, I will give the tenth unto thee. And he called the place That is, the altar, El-Beth-el The God of Beth-el. As when he made a thankful acknowledgment of the honour God had done him in calling him Israel, he worshipped God by the name of El-elohe-Israel; so now he was making a grateful recognition of God’s former favour at Beth-el, he worships God by... read more
Back in Canaan (33:18-35:15)From Succoth Jacob later moved with his household across the Jordan River into Canaan itself and settled in Shechem. By buying a piece of land, he gained permanent possession of part of the land God had promised to him and his descendants (18-20; cf. 23:1-20; 28:1-5).When the son of a local headman raped Jacob’s daughter Dinah, the headman suggested to Jacob that his son marry Dinah, and that Jacob’s sons marry the local Canaanite women (34:1-12). Jacob’s sons agreed... read more
El-Beth-el = GOD of the House of GOD. appeared: or revealed Himself. his brother. Some Manuscripts, with Samaritan Pentateuch, The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, Septuagint, Syriac, read "Esau his brother". read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 35:7
And he built there an altar ,.... As he was bid to do, and as he promised he would, Genesis 35:1 , and called the place Elbethel ; the God of Bethel; a title which God takes to himself, Genesis 31:13 ; or rather the sense is, that he called the place with respect God, or because of his appearance to him there, Bethel, confirming the name he had before given it, Genesis 36:19 ; see Genesis 35:15 ; as the following reason shows: because there God appeared ; or the divine... read more