El Beth el
“God of the House of God”
Summary
The name Jacob gave to the altar he built at Bethel upon his return to Canaan, meaning 'God of the House of God,' commemorating God's appearance to him when he fled from Esau.
☩The Naming
When Jacob returned to Canaan after his years with Laban, God commanded him to go to Bethel and build an altar there. Upon arriving, Jacob built the altar and named the place El-Beth-El—'the God of the House of God'—because there God had appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother Esau. The name 'Bethel' itself means 'House of God,' which Jacob had given to the place on his first visit when he saw the vision of the ladder reaching to heaven. Now, upon his return, he received a fuller revelation of God's name as 'Almighty' (El Shaddai), and he worshiped 'the God of Bethel' who had kept and prospered him through all his years of exile.
Related Verses1 mention
Genesis· 1 verse
References
- 1.George Morrish, "Elbethel," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).