Genesis 35:7

Plain English Version

Then Jacob piled up stones to make a table with a flat top, so that he could burn animals to show respect to God. And Jacob gave that place a new name. He called it El Bethel. That name means God is in Bethel. A long time before this, when Jacob ran away from his brother Esau, God came and talked to Jacob in that place. That’s the reason why Jacob gave it that name.

Cross References

Genesis 12:7

God showed himself to Abram there, and God said to him, “I will give this country to your son, and to all the people that will be born into his family later on.” So Abram piled up stones to make a table with a flat top. It was a special place for him to burn animals to show right respect to God.

Genesis 12:8

Later on, Abram and his mob left Shekem, and they went south to the hill country that was on the east side of a town called Bethel, and they camped between Bethel and another town called Ayi. Bethel was to the west of his camp and Ayi was to the east. Then Abram piled up stones there to make another special table, and he burned animals on it to show respect to God. He prayed to God, and he called God by his special name Yahweh.

Genesis 28:10

This is the story about what happened to Jacob next, after his father Isaac sent him away to find a wife. Jacob left his home in Beersheba, and he started to go towards the town called Haran, in Paddan Aram country.

Genesis 28:13

Then Jacob saw God standing near him. And God talked to Jacob. He said, “I am God, my name is Yahweh. I am the one that looked after your grand-father Abraham and your father Isaac. I’m making you a promise about this country where you are sleeping right now. I will give all this country to you and to the people that will be born into your family later on.

Genesis 28:17

So Jacob got frightened. He said, “This place frightens me. I know for sure that God lives here. This place joins up with heaven.”

Genesis 28:19

And Jacob named that place Bethel. That name means God’s house. At that time, the town nearby was called Luz. But later, people called that town Bethel.

Genesis 29:1

Then Jacob left that place, and he kept on walking towards the east, until he got to Paddan Aram country.

Genesis 31:13

I am God. A long time ago, I came to you at the place called Bethel. That’s the place where you poured olive oil on top of a stone to show that it was a special place, and you made promises to me. Now leave this country straight away, and go back to your home country.” ’ ”

Genesis 35:1

Then God said to Jacob, “Leave this place, and go to that special place called Bethel. Remember, a long time ago, you ran away from your brother Esau, and you went to that place, and I came to you there. Now I want you to go and live in that place, and I want you to pile up stones there, to make a special table. Then I want you to burn animals on that special table, to show respect to me, because I am God.”

Genesis 35:15

And Jacob gave a name to that place where God talked to him. He called that place Bethel. That name means God’s house.