King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, [having] Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.
Complete Jewish Bible:
He left that place, went to the hill east of Beit-El and pitched his tent. With Beit-El to the west and ‘Ai to the east, he built an altar there and called on the name of Adonai.
Berean Standard Bible:
From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD.
American Standard Version:
And he removed from thence unto the mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto Jehovah, and called upon the name of Jehovah.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And he removed{H6275} from thence unto a mountain{H2022} on the east{H6924} of Bethel{H1008}, and pitched{H5186} his tent{H168}, having Bethel{H1008} on the west{H3220}, and Hai{H5857} on the east{H6924}: and there he builded{H1129} an altar{H4196} unto the LORD{H3068}, and called{H7121} upon the name{H8034} of the LORD{H3068}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Genesis 4:26
- And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
Nehemiah 11:31
- The children also of Benjamin from Geba [dwelt] at Michmash, and Aija, and Bethel, and [in] their villages,
Genesis 21:33
- ¶ And [Abraham] planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
Genesis 13:4
- Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
1 Corinthians 1:2
- Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called [to be] saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
Genesis 28:19
- And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city [was called] Luz at the first.
Joshua 8:17
- And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 12:8
1. Themes:
- Faith and Obedience: Abraham's move to the mountain east of Bethel demonstrates his faith in God's promise and his obedience to God's command to leave his country and family.
- Worship and Covenant Relationship: By building an altar and calling upon the name of the Lord, Abraham is engaging in worship and reinforcing his covenant relationship with God.
- God's Presence: The act of calling on the name of the Lord suggests that Abraham experienced God's presence in this place and acknowledged it through worship.
2. Historical Context:
- Patriarchal Era: This event occurs during the time of the patriarchs, a period where God began to establish a relationship with specific individuals, such as Abraham, to lay the foundation for His chosen people, Israel.
- Abraham's Migration: Genesis 12 marks the beginning of Abraham's journey to the land that God would show him, which is later identified as Canaan. This journey is a central narrative in the establishment of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants.
- Geographical Significance: Bethel, meaning "House of God," and Hai (or Ai) are significant locations in the land of Canaan. Bethel becomes a sacred site where Jacob later dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven (Genesis 28). The mention of these places anchors the narrative in the geography of the promised land.
In summary, Genesis 12:8 reflects themes of faith, obedience, worship, and divine-human relationship within the historical context of Abraham's migration to Canaan, setting the stage for the unfolding narrative of God's covenant with the patriarchs.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H6275
There are 9 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָתַק
Transliteration: ʻâthaq
Pronunciation: aw-thak'
Description: a primitive root; to remove (intransitive or transitive) figuratively, to grow old; specifically, to transcribe; copy out, leave off, become (wax) old, remove. - Strong's Number: H2022
There are 485 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: הַר
Transliteration: har
Pronunciation: har
Description: a shortened form of הָרָר; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively); hill (country), mount(-ain), [idiom] promotion. - Strong's Number: H6924
There are 83 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קֶדֶם
Transliteration: qedem
Pronunciation: keh'-dem
Description: or קֵדְמָה; from קָדַם; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward); aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, [idiom] ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare קִדְמָה. - Strong's Number: H1008
There are 63 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּית־אֵל
Transliteration: Bêyth-ʼÊl
Pronunciation: bayth-ale'
Description: from בַּיִת and אֵל; house of God; Beth-El, a place in Palestine; Beth-el. - Strong's Number: H5186
There are 207 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נָטָה
Transliteration: nâṭâh
Pronunciation: naw-taw'
Description: a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application; [phrase] afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield. - Strong's Number: H168
There are 369 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֹהֶל
Transliteration: ʼôhel
Pronunciation: o'-hel
Description: from אָהַל; a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance); covering, (dwelling) (place), home, tabernacle, tent. - Strong's Number: H3220
There are 339 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָם
Transliteration: yâm
Pronunciation: yawm
Description: from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south; sea ([idiom] -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward). - Strong's Number: H5857
There are 34 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עַי
Transliteration: ʻAy
Pronunciation: ah'ee
Description: or (feminine) עַיָּא; (Nehemiah 11:31), or עַיָּת; (Isaiah 10:28), for עִי; Ai, Aja or Ajath, a place in Palestine; Ai, Aija, Aijath, Hai. - Strong's Number: H1129
There are 345 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בָּנָה
Transliteration: bânâh
Pronunciation: baw-naw'
Description: a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively); (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely. - Strong's Number: H4196
There are 338 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מִזְבֵּחַ
Transliteration: mizbêach
Pronunciation: miz-bay'-akh
Description: from זָבַח; an altar; altar. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H7121
There are 689 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: קָרָא
Transliteration: qârâʼ
Pronunciation: kaw-raw'
Description: a primitive root (rather identical with קָרָא through the idea of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications); bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say. - Strong's Number: H8034
There are 771 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֵׁם
Transliteration: shêm
Pronunciation: shame
Description: a primitive word (perhaps rather from through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare שָׁמַיִם); an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character; [phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.