Beth-el

How Nave’s arranged it

• 1. A city north of Jerusalem
• The ancient city adjacent to, and finally embraced in, was called LuzJoshua 18:13Judges 1:23–26
• Abraham estblishes an altar atGenesis 12:8Genesis 13:3Genesis 13:4
• The place where Jacob saw the vision of the ladderGenesis 28:10–22Genesis 31:13Hosea 12:4
• And builds an altar atGenesis 35:1–15
• Deborah dies atGenesis 35:8
• Conquered by Joshua with 12:16Joshua 8:17
• Conquered by the household of JosephJudges 1:22–26
• Allotted to BenjaminJoshua 18:13Joshua 18:22
• Court of justice held at
• By DeborahJudges 4:5
• By Samuel1 Samuel 7:16

The passages, in Bible order (37)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Genesis 12:8

   From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 12:82 voices

   “Where there is Bethel, that is, the house of God, there is also the altar. Where there is the altar, there is also the calling on the name of God. It is not by chance that he made such great progress. He hoped in the help of God. The athlete of God exercised and strengthened himself in adversity. He went into the desert.

   “Beth-el - The place which was afterwards called Beth-el by Jacob, for its first name was Luz. See Gen 28:19. בית אל beith El literally signifies the house of God. And pitched his tent - and - builded an altar unto the Lord - Where Abram has a tent, there God must have an Altar, as he well knows there is no safety but under the Divine protection. How few who build houses ever think on the propriety and necessity of building an altar to their Maker!

   Everything gathered on Genesis 12:8→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Genesis 13:3

   From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched,

   ›Commentary on Genesis 13:31 voice

   “And he went on in his journeys from the south,.... He took the same tour, went the same road, stopping at the same resting places, as when he went down to Egypt; having learned, as Jarchi observes, the way of the earth, that a man should not change his host. Though some, as Ben Gersom, understand it of his taking his journeys as were suitable for his cattle, as they were able to bear them, and not overdrive them, lest he should kill them, but made short stages, and frequently stopped and rested.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 13:3→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Genesis 13:4

   to the site where he had built the altar. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 13:42 voices

   “Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first,.... When he first came to that place, and before he went down to Egypt: it is not said he came to the altar, but "to the place", where it had stood, for it seems now to have been demolished, either having fallen of itself, being made of earth, or had been destroyed by the Canaanites, since Abram left it; or perhaps it might be pulled down by Abram himself before he went from thence, that it might not be used and polluted by the idolatrous Canaanites.

   “His altar was gone, so that he could not offer sacrifice; but he called on the name of the Lord, as he had done, ch. xii. All God's people are praying people. You may as soon find a living man without breath as a living Christian without prayer.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 13:4→

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4. Genesis 28:10–22

   Meanwhile Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran.

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Genesis 31:13

   I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Genesis 35:1–15

   Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

   ›Commentary on Genesis 35:1–151 voice

   “Seven or eight years it was now since he came to Canaan; he had purchased ground there, and had built an altar in remembrance of God's last appearance to him when he called him Israel ( ch. xxxiii. 19, 20 ); but still Beth-el is forgotten. Note, Time is apt to wear out the sense of mercies and the impressions made upon us by them; it should not be so, but so it is.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 35:1–15→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Genesis 35:8

   Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bachuth.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 35:82 voices

   “Rebekah probably was dead, but her old nurse (of whom mention is made chap. xxiv, 59,) survived her, and Jacob took her to his family. While they were at Beth-el she died, and died lamented, so much lamented, that the oak under which she was buried, was called Allon-bachuth, the oak of weeping.

   “(Verse 8) And Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, died and was buried near Bethel. If the nurse of Rebekah named Deborah is dead, as the Septuagint interpreters also translated here, and the Hebrew word is Meneketh: we cannot know why they put 'substantiam' there, 'nutricem' here.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 35:8→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Joshua 8:17

   Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.

   ›Commentary on Joshua 8:172 voices

   “It may be remarked, however, that the words, "or Beth-el," are not in the Septuagint, and are rejected by some eminent scholars, as an interpolation not found in the most ancient manuscripts.

   “There was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el - It is very likely that the principal strength of Beth-el had been previously brought into Ai, as the strongest place to make a stand in; Beth-el being but about three miles distant from Ai, and probably not greatly fortified. Therefore Ai contained on this occasion all the men of Beth-el - all the warriors of that city, as well as its own troops and inhabitants.

   Everything gathered on Joshua 8:17→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Joshua 18:13

   From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Joshua 18:22

    Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,

    ›Commentary on Joshua 18:221 voice

    “And Betharabah,.... Of the first of these; see Gill on Jos 15:6, and Zemaraim; one of the sons of Canaan was named Zemira, Gen 10:18; by whom this city Zemaraim might be built, or however have its name given it, in memory of him; there was a mountain of this name in the tribe of Ephraim, near to which this city might be, 2Ch 13:4. and Bethel; of the last of these; see Gill on Jos 7:2.

    Everything gathered on Joshua 18:22→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. Judges 1:22–26

    The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them.

    ›Commentary on Judges 1:22–261 voice

    “The house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel - That is, the tribe of Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh, who dwelt beyond Jordan. Beth-el was not taken by Joshua, though he took Ai, which was nigh to it. Instead of בית יוסף beith Yoseph, “the house of Joseph,” ten of Dr. Kennicott’s MSS. and six of De Rossi’s have בני יוסף beney Yoseph, “the children of Joseph;” and this is the reading of both the Septuagint and Arabic, as well as of two copies in the Hexapla of Origen.

    Everything gathered on Judges 1:22–26→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. Judges 1:23–26

    They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),

    ›Commentary on Judges 1:23–261 voice

    “And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel,.... To reconnoitre the place, to observe its passes and avenues, which were most accessible, and to examine the walls of it, where they were weakest and least defended: now the name of the city before was Luz; which signifies a "nut"; perhaps it was so called from large numbers of nut trees which grew near it; the Jews suggest as if it was like a nut, no entrance into it but through a cave or some subterraneous passage, see Gen 28:19.

    Everything gathered on Judges 1:23–26→

    Verse page →Original language →

13. Judges 4:5

    And she would sit under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, where the Israelites would go up to her for judgment.

    ›Commentary on Judges 4:52 voices

    “She dwelt - Rather, “she sat,” namely, to judge the people Jdg 4:10, but not in the usual place, “the gate” Rth 4:1-2; Pro 22:22. It suited her character, and the wild unsafe times better, that she should sit under a palm-tree in the secure heights of Mount Ephraim, between Ramah and Bethel (Jdg 20:33 note). This verse shows that the Judges exercised the civil as well as military functions of rulers 1Sa 7:15-17.

    “Because these nations have come as enemies against your people, let us hear what judgment the psalmist calls down upon them. "Deal with them as with Midian; as with Sisera." You have read the book of Judges; this is that Midian whom Gideon defeated. "As with Sisera and Jabin." Jabin and Sisera are the foes whom Deborah and Barak conquered. "At the torrent Kishon, who perished at Endor." Deborah and Barak destroyed Sisera, the general of the army. So much for what Scripture says; learn now what it means.

    Everything gathered on Judges 4:5→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. Judges 20:18

    The Israelites set out, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God, “Who of us shall go up first to fight against the Benjamites?” “Judah will be first,” the LORD replied.

    ›Commentary on Judges 20:181 voice

    “Went up to the house of God - Some think that a deputation was sent from Shiloh, where Phinehas the high priest was, to inquire, not concerning the expediency of the war, nor of its success, but which of the tribes should begin the attack. Having so much right on their side, they had no doubt of the justice of their cause. Having such a superiority of numbers, they had no doubt of success. See the note on Jdg 20:1. And the Lord said, Judah - But he did not say that they should conquer.

    Everything gathered on Judges 20:18→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. Judges 20:31

    The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

    Verse page →Original language →

16. Judges 21:2

    So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, lifting up their voices and weeping bitterly.

    ›Commentary on Judges 21:21 voice

    “The people came to the house of God - Literally, the people came בית־אל to Bethel; this is considered as the name of a place by the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Septuagint. And wept sore - Their revenge was satisfied, and now reflection brings them to contrition for what they had done.

    Everything gathered on Judges 21:2→

    Verse page →Original language →