7
He builtוַיִּבֶןthereשָׁםan altarמִזְבֵּחַand calledוַיִּקְרָאthe placeלַמָּקוֹםEl-bethel,אֵל בֵּית אֵלbecauseכִּיthereשָׁםElohimהָאֱלֹהִיםhad revealed himselfנִגְלוּto himאֵלָיוwhen he fledבְּבָרְחוֹfromמִפְּנֵיhis brother.אָחִיו
Genesis 35:7
Study it in the app“He built there an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there Elohim had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 35:7, word by word
- He builtיִּבֶןyiven
build
To raise a house, a city or an altar, setting stone on stone.
Where else “yiven” appears- an altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbeach
altar
Altar: a structure of stone or earth on which sacrifices are offered to God.
Where else “mizbeach” appears- and calledיִּקְרָאyikra
call
To raise the voice to someone so that he comes, or to invite him.
Where else “yikra” appears- the placeמָּקוֹםmakom
place
A place, a spot.
Where else “makom” appears- El-bethelאֵלel
El, God, god
"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".
Where else “el” appears- El-bethelבֵּיתbet
Bethel
See it on the mapWhere else “bet” appears- Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohim” appears- had revealed himselfנִגְלוּniglu
reveal
To make known, show openly.
Where else “niglu” appears- when he fledבָרְחvarch
flee
To run away to save oneself from a danger or from someone.
Where else “varch” appears- fromפְּנֵיpene
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “pene” appears- his brotherאָחִיachi
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “achi” appears
Places in this verse
Bethel ?
Today: possibly Beitin, West Bank
A city in the hills about 11 miles (17 km) north of Jerusalem; the location is approximate.
There Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven and named the place Bethel, "house of God" (Gen 28:19). Jeroboam set up a golden calf there (1 Kgs 12:29).
The context
6Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan (that is, Bethel), he and all the people who were with him.
7 · This verse (above)
8Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried below Bethel under the oak; so he called its name Allon-bacuth.
To study Genesis 35 in a group
1. What it says
What did Elohim tell Jacob to do at Bethel, and what did his household leave behind (vv. 1-4)?
2. What it means
What does it show about Jacob that he asks his household to put away the foreign gods (vv. 2-3)?
3. How I live it
What gets in the way of your trust in Elohim, and could you leave it behind?