Movatterモバイル変換

Original Word:אֵל בֵּית־אֵל
Part of Speech:Proper Name Location
Transliteration:El Beyth-'El
Pronunciation:el bayth-EL
Phonetic Spelling:(ale bayth-ale')
KJV: El-beth-el
NASB:El-bethel
Word Origin:[fromH410 (אֵל - God) andH1008 (בֵּיתּ ־ אֵל - Bethel)]

1. the God of Bethel
2. El-Bethel, the title given to a consecrated spot by Jacob

El-beth-el

From'el andBeyth-'El; the God of Bethel; El-Bethel, the title given to a consecrated spot by Jacob -- El-beth-el.

see HEBREW'el

see HEBREWBeyth-'El

Word Origin
fromel andBetheel
Definition
"the God of Bethel," an altar of Jacob
NASB Translation
El-bethel (1).

Name and Meaning

El-beth-el (אֵל בֵּית־אֵל) literally means “God of the House of God.” The compound expression links the generic Semitic term for deity (’El) with the place-name Bethel, the site where Jacob first encountered the LORD in a dream (Genesis 28:10-22). As such, the title emphasizes that the true God is Himself the defining presence of the sanctuary.

Biblical Setting

After decades in Paddan-aram, Jacob obeyed the divine summons to return to Canaan. When he reached Bethel he “built an altar there and called that place El-beth-el, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to him when he fled from his brother” (Genesis 35:7). Although the Masoretic text treats אֵל and בֵּית־אֵל as two words, the phrase functions as a single commemorative name. No separate lexical occurrences are catalogued elsewhere in the Old Testament, underscoring the uniqueness of this altar-name.

Theological Significance

1. Memorial of Divine Revelation: By naming the site El-beth-el, Jacob testified that Bethel’s sanctity derived solely from God’s self-disclosure. The altar therefore marked both place and Presence.
2. Renewal of Covenant Grace:Genesis 35 records the LORD’s reaffirmation of the Abrahamic promises (Genesis 35:9-12). The title El-beth-el frames that renewal, reminding Israel that covenant blessings flow from personal encounter with the living God.
3. Contrast with Idolatry: Later prophets castigated Bethel for degenerating into a center of calf worship (Amos 7:13;Hosea 10:5). The original name El-beth-el implicitly indicts such apostasy by recalling Bethel’s rightful focus—the one true God.

Bethel in Redemptive History

• Patriarchal Stage: Bethel becomes a pillar-site (Genesis 28:18-22) and an altar-site (Genesis 35:7). Both events bracket Jacob’s pilgrimage and bookend the narrative of God’s faithfulness.
• National Stage: When Israel split, Bethel lay in the northern kingdom. Jeroboam I’s golden calf (1 Kings 12:28-33) perverted its heritage, prompting prophetic warnings (Amos 3:14). El-beth-el thus serves as a touchstone for both privilege and responsibility.
• Eschatological Hope: Prophets such as Hosea (Hosea 12:4-6) call the nation back to the Bethel experience—seeking the LORD as Jacob did. The original altar-name anticipates a day when worship in spirit and truth will replace idolatrous substitutes.

New Testament Echoes and Principles

Though the term El-beth-el itself is absent from the New Testament, its themes resonate. Jesus identifies Himself as the fulfillment of Jacob’s ladder, “the Son of Man ascending and descending” (John 1:51), making the Presence of God accessible wherever He is acknowledged (John 4:21-24). The Church becomes “the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19-22), a living Bethel indwelt by the Spirit, so that believers continually meet El-beth-el in Christ.

Application for Faith and Ministry

• Worship centers on God, not place. The most sacred locale loses significance if God’s Presence is ignored; conversely, every gathering of believers becomes Bethel when the Lord is exalted.
• Spiritual milestones merit commemoration. Jacob’s altar reminds today’s disciples to memorialize God’s interventions, strengthening faith for future obedience.
• Covenant renewal is lifelong. Believers, like Jacob, must periodically return to foundational encounters with God, casting away foreign “idols” (Genesis 35:2-4) that threaten devotion.
• Prophetic accountability accompanies privilege. The history of Bethel warns churches and ministries that losing sight of El-beth-el invites judgment; fidelity keeps blessing.

El-beth-el thus stands as a singular Old Testament witness that the “House of God” is only authentic when wholly centered on the God of the House.

Interlinear Greek •Interlinear Hebrew •Strong's Numbers •Englishman's Greek Concordance •Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •Parallel Texts