Berean Standard Bible
Genesis 12:8
8From 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.
Genesis 12:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth–el, and pitched his tent, having Beth–el 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.
- New International Version (NIV)From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Context of Genesis 12:8
6Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 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. 9And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev. 10Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
Read all of Genesis 12Genesis 12:8 word by word
וַיַּעְתֵּ֨ק מִשָּׁ֜ם הָהָ֗רָה מִקֶּ֛דֶם לְבֵֽית־אֵ֖ל וַיֵּ֣ט אָהְָל֑וֹ בֵּֽית־אֵ֤ל מִיָּם֙ וְהָעַ֣י מִקֶּ֔דֶם וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֤ם מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- From thereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
- moved onעָתַק‛âthaq · to proceedH6275
- to the hill countryהַרhar · mountain: hill countryH2022
- eastקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: eastH6924
- ofבֵּֽיתְ־אֵלbêyth-'êl · BethelH1008
- and pitchedנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- his tentאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
- to the westיָםyâm · sea: westH3220
- and Aiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
- he builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- an altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- to the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and he calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- on the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for Genesis 12:8
- Genesis 28:19and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.
- Genesis 35:3Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”
- Joshua 8:17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.
- Joshua 18:22Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
- Nehemiah 11:31The descendants of Benjamin from Geba lived in Michmash, Aija, and Bethel with its villages;
- Joshua 7:2Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
- Joshua 8:3So Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out at night
- Isaiah 10:28Assyria has entered Aiath and passed through Migron, storing their supplies at Michmash.
- Genesis 4:26And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.
- Genesis 13:4to the site where he had built the altar. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
- Genesis 21:33And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God.
- Psalms 116:4Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, deliver my soul!”
- Joel 2:32And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.
- Acts 2:21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
- Romans 10:12For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,
- 1 Corinthians 1:2To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
Commentaries on Genesis 12:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Beth-el - The place which was afterwards called Beth-el by Jacob, for its first name was Luz. See Genesis 28:19. אל בית beith El literally signifies the house of God. And pitched his tent - and - builded an altar unto the Lord - Where Abram has a tent, there God must have an Altar, as he well knows there is no safety but under the Divine protection. How few who build houses ever think on the propriety and necessity of building an altar to their Maker! The…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-9Verses 1-9 - The Call of Abram 6. שׁכם shekem Shekem, “the upper part of the back.” Here it is the name of a person, the owner of this place, where afterward is built the town called at first Shekem, then Flavia Neapolis, and now Nablous. אלון 'ēlôn “the oak;” related: “be lasting, strong.” מורה môreh In Onkelos “plain;” Moreh, “archer, early rain, teacher.” Here the name of a man who owned the oak that marked the spot. In the Septuagint it is rendered…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-9Verses 6-9 Abram found the country peopled by Canaanites, who were bad neighbours. He journeyed, going on still. Sometimes it is the lot of good men to be unsettled, and often to remove into various states. Believers must look on themselves as strangers and sojourners in this world, He 11:8, 13, 14. But observe how much comfort Abram had in God. When he could have little satisfaction in converse with the Canaanites whom he found there, he had abundance of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8he called on the name of the LORD: Calling on the name (identity and character) of the Lord is central to worship and witness (compare 4:26; see Exodus 34:5–7). Abram needed to distinguish his sacrificial worship from that of the pagan Canaanites.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-201. Now the Lord had said unto Abram--It pleased God, who has often been found of them who sought Him not, to reveal Himself to Abraham perhaps by a miracle; and the conversion of Abraham is one of the most remarkable in Bible history. Get thee out of thy country--His being brought to the knowledge and worship of the true God had probably been a considerable time before. This call included two promises: the first, showing the land of his future posterity…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 12:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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