◄ 416. El Beth-el ►
Lexical Summary
El Beth-el: El Bethel

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: [from H410 (אֵל - God) and H1008 (בֵּיתּ ־ אֵל - Bethel)]

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

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
El-beth-el

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

see HEBREW 'el

see HEBREW Beyth-'El

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from el and Betheel
Definition
"the God of Bethel," an altar of Jacob
NASB Translation
El-bethel (1).

Topical Lexicon
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.

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