Lexical Summary Betheel: Bethel Original Word: בֵּית־אֵל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Beth-el From bayith and 'el; house of God; Beth-El, a place in Palestine -- Beth-el. see HEBREW bayith see HEBREW 'el NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bayith and el Definition "house of God," a city in Ephraim, also a place in S. Judah NASB Translation Bethel (71). Brown-Driver-Briggs ֵבּיתְאֵל71 proper name, of a location Bethel (so read, not בֵּיתאֵֿל as Joshua 7:2 + according to see d. H; compare Baer Genesis 12:8; house of God, or house of El) — 1 ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identification with Luz (former name) Genesis 28:19; Genesis 35:6; Joshua 18:13; Judges 1:23; apparently distinguished from Luz Joshua 16:2 (yet compare Di); name connected with vision of Jacob when journeying to Paddan-Aram (JE) Genesis 28:19; Genesis 35:7 (where אֵל ֵבּיתְאֵל, but ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Ol strike out אֵל; Di maintains); compare Hosea 12:5; when journeying from P.-A. Hos 35:15 (P); name apparently given first to a stone (Genesis 28:18; 35:14) compare WeSkizzen iii. 70; הַר ֵבּיתְאֵל 1 Samuel 13:2; later important place of worship 1 Samuel 10:3 עָלָה אֶלֿ הָאֱלֹהִים בֵּיתְאֵל; abode of prophet 1 Kings 13:11; 2 Kings 2:3; Jeroboam set up one of the golden calves at Bethel 1 Kings 12:29f. compare also 1 Kings 13:1f; 2 Kings 10:29; 2 Kings 23:15; Jeremiah 48:13 see further 2 Kings 17:28; 2 Kings 23:15 Th proposes on internal grounds, בֵּית אַל house of nothingness, or אָלָה ׳בּ house of execration; אָלָה ׳בּ also RenHist. iii. 185; in prophets Amos 3:14; Amos 4:4; Amos 5:5 (twice in verse); Amos 5:6; Amos 7:10,13; Hosea 10:15; note especially Amos 5:5 ביתאל יִהְיֶה לְאָ֑וֶן, & בֵּית אָוֶן (house of iniquity) as substitute for ביתאל Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8; Hosea 10:5 (עֶגְלוֺת בית און); — modern Beitîn RobBR i. 448 f. GuérinJudée iii. 14-27 compare BdPal 215 Surveyii. 305. 2 place in south country of Judah, not far from Beersheba & Ziklag 1 Samuel 30:27 compare We Dr; = ᵑ0 כסיל Joshua 15:30 (text error; ᵐ5 Βαιθηλ); also בְּתוּל Joshua 19:4, בְּתוּאֵל 1 Chronicles 4:30. Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting and Identification Bethel lay on the north–south ridge road about twelve miles (nineteen kilometers) north of Jerusalem, close to Ai on the east and to Ramah on the south. Sitting at the border of Benjamin and Ephraim (Joshua 18:13; Judges 4:5), the town controlled one of the main approaches from the Jordan Valley up to the central hill country. Archaeology has long identified the site with modern Beitin, a strategic location that explains its frequent appearance in military narratives. Patriarchal Encounters and Covenant Memory Bethel first appears in the journeys of Abram, who “pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 12:8). The city becomes still more significant in Jacob’s life. Fleeing Esau, Jacob dreams of the staircase reaching to heaven, hears the reaffirmed Abrahamic promises, and consecrates the spot with a pillar and vow (Genesis 28:10-22). On his return, the Lord commands, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there, and build an altar to the God who appeared to you” (Genesis 35:1). Jacob obeys, buries foreign gods, and again receives covenant promises (Genesis 35:9-15). In the patriarchal narratives Bethel thus functions as a marker that God is present, faithful, and intent on purifying His chosen people. Worship Center in the Conquest and Settlement Following the conquest, Bethel falls within Benjamin’s lot yet is strongly associated with Ephraimite territory (Joshua 18:13). Men from Bethel assist Joshua’s reconnaissance of Ai (Joshua 8:17), and the town appears repeatedly in Judges as a place where “the Israelites went up and wept before the Lord” (Judges 20:26). The Ark of the Covenant is temporarily located there (Judges 20:27), and the phrasing “the house of God” underscores continuity with Jacob’s encounters. Prophetic Leadership in the Pre-Monarchic Period Deborah held court “under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel” (Judges 4:5). Later, Samuel travels annually on circuit “to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places” (1 Samuel 7:16). These accounts reveal Bethel as an accepted venue for seeking divine guidance long before the temple was built in Jerusalem. Royal Schism and Cultic Corruption The spiritual status of Bethel changes drastically under Jeroboam I, who installs one of his two golden calves there: “And he set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan” (1 Kings 12:29). From that moment Bethel becomes synonymous with apostasy. The anonymous “man of God from Judah” denounces the altar (1 Kings 13), and a prophetic son of Jehu later destroys its shrine (2 Kings 23:15). Nevertheless idolatrous worship persists for centuries, illustrating the tenacity of false religion once it gains political sanction. Prophetic Oracles of Warning and Judgment Amos, ministering to the northern kingdom, repeatedly singles out Bethel: Hosea joins the indictment, calling the city “Beth-aven” (house of wickedness) in Hosea 10:5. Though Bethel had begun as a place of profound revelation, the prophets expose how a corrupted shrine cannot cloak covenant infidelity. Bethel in Exile and Restoration Horizons After the Assyrian deportation, one of the exiled priests returns and settles in Bethel to teach the transplanted peoples “how they should fear the Lord” (2 Kings 17:28). Yet syncretism continues. In the post-exilic era, emissaries from Bethel inquire about fasting (Zechariah 7:2-3), suggesting that the town retained religious aspirations, even if memories of its earlier glory had dimmed. Theological Themes 1. Divine Initiative: At Bethel God repeatedly appears unbidden (Genesis 28; 35; 1 Kings 13), underscoring grace. Ministry Applications • Personal Altars: Like Jacob, believers today can raise memorials of gratitude, ensuring that life-changing encounters with God are not forgotten. Key References Genesis 12:8; 28:10-22; 35:1-15 Joshua 8:17; 18:13 Judges 4:5; 20:18-27 1 Kings 12:29; 13:1-32 2 Kings 2:1-3; 17:28; 23:15-19 Amos 3:14; 4:4; 5:4-6; 7:13 Hosea 10:5-8; 10:15 Forms and Transliterations אֵ֑ל אֵ֔ל אֵ֖ל אֵ֗ל אֵ֛ל אֵ֤ל אֵֽל׃ אֵל֙ אֵל֮ אל אל׃ ’êl elLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 12:8 HEB: מִקֶּ֛דֶם לְבֵֽית־ אֵ֖ל וַיֵּ֣ט אָהֳלֹ֑ה NAS: on the east of Bethel, and pitched KJV: on the east of Bethel, and pitched INT: to the mountain the east of Bethel and pitched his tent Genesis 12:8 Genesis 13:3 Genesis 13:3 Genesis 28:19 Genesis 31:13 Genesis 35:1 Genesis 35:3 Genesis 35:6 Genesis 35:7 Genesis 35:8 Genesis 35:15 Genesis 35:16 Joshua 7:2 Joshua 8:9 Joshua 8:12 Joshua 8:17 Joshua 12:9 Joshua 12:16 Joshua 16:1 Joshua 16:2 Joshua 18:13 Joshua 18:22 Judges 1:22 Judges 1:23 72 Occurrences |
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