Why did Jacob name the place Bethel in Genesis 35:15? Setting the Scene Genesis 35 opens with God instructing Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau” (Genesis 35:1). Jacob obeys, purges his household of foreign gods, and journeys to the very spot where the Lord had first revealed Himself decades earlier. The Meaning of “Bethel” • Hebrew beit (house) + el (God) = “House of God” • The name identifies the location as a dwelling place of God’s presence rather than a mere geographic landmark. Jacob’s Encounter With God • God appears, reiterating the promises of fruitfulness, nationhood, and land (Genesis 35:9–12). • Jacob responds by setting up a pillar, pouring out a drink offering, and anointing it with oil (Genesis 35:14). • Scripture sums it up: “Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him Bethel” (Genesis 35:15). Why Jacob Renamed the Site • To mark the reality that God literally spoke with him there. • To memorialize fulfilled promises—God had protected Jacob during exile and now brought him safely home (cf. Genesis 28:20-22; 31:13). • To renew his earlier vow: the place where he once said, “This stone… shall be God’s house” (Genesis 28:22) is now permanently labeled as such. • To teach his household—who witnessed the cleansing of idols—that their God is the only true God who meets with His people. • To anchor future generations of Israel to the site of divine revelation (later seen in Judges 20:18, 1 Samuel 10:3). Connections to Prior Events (Genesis 28) • First visit: fleeing Esau, Jacob dreamed of the ladder, awoke in awe, and called the place Bethel (Genesis 28:12-19). • Second visit: returning in victory, he erects a new altar and reaffirms the name. • These bookends highlight God’s unbroken faithfulness from exile to restoration. Significance for Israel’s History • Bethel stands alongside places like Shechem and Shiloh as early centers of worship. • Abram once pitched his tent and built an altar near Bethel (Genesis 12:8), linking patriarchal worship across generations. • Later, prophets confronted idolatry at Bethel (1 Kings 13:1-3; Amos 7:13), underscoring the tension between God’s intended holiness for the site and human compromise. Personal Takeaways Today • God’s promises are concrete and location-anchored, reminding believers that His interventions are real and historical. • Naming spiritual milestones helps households remember God’s faithfulness. • Clearing out idols precedes deeper encounters with the Lord, just as Jacob’s family discarded theirs before arriving at Bethel. |
    |