And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
What does Genesis 35:7 mean?
The comfort the saints have in holy ordinances, is not so much from Beth-el, the house of God, as from El-beth-el, the God of the house. The ordinances are empty things, if we do not meet with God in them.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 35:6-8 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 35:7
And he built there an altar,....
Key words
- built
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And he built there an altar,.
- altar
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And he built there an altar,.
Context in Genesis 35
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Genesis 35 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the family line through Isaac and Jacob. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.
Glossary
- Bethel Place
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House of God. (1. ) A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz ( Gen. 28:19 ). Modern identification: Beitin.
- El-bethel Place
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Biblical altar. Modern identification: Beitin.