Genesis 28:19

28:19 He called that place Bethel, ¹  although the former name of the town was Luz.

Genesis 28:22

28:22 Then this stone ²  that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely ³  give you back a tenth of everything you give me.” ⁴ 

Genesis 35:1

The Return to Bethel

35:1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once ⁵  to Bethel ⁶  and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” ⁷ 

Genesis 35:3

35:3 Let us go up at once ⁸  to Bethel. Then I will make ⁹  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ¹⁰  and has been with me wherever I went.” ¹¹ 

Genesis 35:6-7

35:6 Jacob and all those who were with him arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel) ¹²  in the land of Canaan. ¹³  35:7 He built an altar there and named the place El Bethel ¹⁴  because there God had revealed himself ¹⁵  to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

[28:19]  ¹ tn The name Bethel means “house of God” in Hebrew (see v. 17).

[28:22]  ² tn The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/subject) is used to highlight the statement.

[28:22]  ³ tn The infinitive absolute is used before the finite verb for emphasis.

[28:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “and all which you give to me I will surely give a tenth of it to you.” The disjunctive clause structure (conjunction + noun/object) highlights this statement as well.

[35:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “arise, go up.” The first imperative gives the command a sense of urgency.

[35:1]  ⁶ map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:1]  ⁷ sn God is calling on Jacob to fulfill his vow he made when he fled from…Esau (see Gen 28:20-22).

[35:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

[35:3]  ⁹ tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

[35:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

[35:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).

[35:6]  ¹² map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.

[35:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “and Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan – it is Bethel – he and all the people who were with him.”

[35:7]  ¹⁴ sn The name El-Bethel means “God of Bethel.”

[35:7]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “revealed themselves.” The verb נִגְלוּ (niglu), translated “revealed himself,” is plural, even though one expects the singular form with the plural of majesty. Perhaps אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a numerical plural, referring both to God and the angelic beings that appeared to Jacob. See the note on the word “know” in Gen 3:5.