Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 28:20
Vowed a vow - A vow is a solemn, holy promise, by which a man bound himself to do certain things in a particular way, time, etc., and for power to accomplish which he depended on God; hence all vows were made with prayer. If God will be with me, etc. - Jacob seems to make this vow rather for his posterity than for himself, as we may learn from Genesis 28:13-15 ; for he particularly refers to the promises which God had made to him, which concerned the multiplication of his offspring,... read more
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 28:19
He called the name of that place Beth-el - That is, the house of God; for in consequence of his having anointed the stone, and thus consecrated it to God, he considered it as becoming henceforth his peculiar residence; see on the preceding verse. This word should be always pronounced as two distinct syllables, each strongly accented, Beth-El. Was called Luz at the first - The Hebrew has לוז אולם Ulam Luz , which the Roman edition of the Septuagint translates Ουλαμλουζ Oulamlouz ;... read more