Genesis 35:7
in Genesis 35There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el; because there God was revealed unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
KJV
And he built there an altar, and called the place El–beth–el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
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This verse in Genesis 35
Commentary
5 notes on this verseEl-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.
This site's exposition
a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities
on Genesis 35:5-7
Jacob had said at Genesis 34:30 that he and his household would be destroyed, and a terror from God answers that fear. The surrounding cities do not pursue. He builds the altar he was told to build and calls the place El-bethel, the God of the house of God.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
As when he made a thankful acknowledgement 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 the name of El-beth-el, the God of Beth-el, because there God appeared to him.
), and no doubt offered sacrifice upon it, perhaps the tenth of his cattle, according to his vow, I will give the tenth unto thee. With these sacrifices he joined praises for former mercies, particularly that which the sight of the place brought afresh to his remembrance; and he added prayers for the continuance of God's favour to him and his family.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And he built there an altar,....
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּ֤בֶן | vaiyiven | and he built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| שָׁם֙ | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| מִזְבֵּ֔חַ | mizbeach | an altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וַיִּקְרָא֙ | vaiyikra' | and he called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| לַמָּק֔וֹם | lamakom | <to> the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| אֵ֖ל | ʾel | El | H416 → | 3 times |
| בֵּֽית־ | beit- | Beth- | H416 → | 3 times |
| אֵ֑ל | ʾel | -el | H416 → | 3 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שָׁ֗ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| נִגְל֤וּ | niglu | they had revealed themselves | H1540 → | |
| אֵלָיו֙ | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בְּבָרְח֖וֹ | bevarecho | when fled he | H1272 → | 63 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֥י | mipenei | from before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| אָחִֽיו׃ | ʾachiv | brother his | H251 → | 630 times |
וַיִּ֤בֶןand he built
vaiyivenH1129 →376 times
שָׁם֙there
shamH8033 →834 times
מִזְבֵּ֔חַan altar
mizbeachH4196 →401 times
וַיִּקְרָא֙and he called
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
לַמָּק֔וֹם<to> the place
lamakomH4725 →401 times
אֵ֖לEl
ʾelH416 →3 times
בֵּֽית־Beth-
beit-H416 →3 times
אֵ֑ל-el
ʾelH416 →3 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
שָׁ֗םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
נִגְל֤וּthey had revealed themselves
nigluH1540 →
אֵלָיו֙to him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
בְּבָרְח֖וֹwhen fled he
bevarechoH1272 →63 times
מִפְּנֵ֥יfrom before
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
אָחִֽיו׃brother his
ʾachivH251 →630 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 17:15And Moses built an altar and named it The LORD Is My Banner.
it leads to
- Genesis 22:14
And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”
- Judges 6:24
So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
- Genesis 22:14
Through
Ezekiel 48:35The perimeter of the city will be 18,000 cubits, and from that day on the name of the city will be: THE LORD IS THERE.”
it leads to
- Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will…
- Zechariah 2:10
“Shout for joy and be glad, O Daughter of Zion, for I am coming to dwell among you,” declares the LORD.
- Revelation 21:3
Through
Genesis 28:13And there at the top the LORD was standing and saying, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the…
it leads to
- Genesis 13:15
for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.
- Genesis 35:12
The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”
- Genesis 48:3
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there He blessed me
- Genesis 13:15
Through
Genesis 35:3Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”
it leads to
- Genesis 31:3
Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 31:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.