Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 12:8
8From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to the Lord there, 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 passed through the land to the site of Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.) 7The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to the Lord there, and he called on the name of the Lord. 9Then Abram journeyed by stages to the Negev. 10There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while because the famine in the land 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he removedעָתַק‛âthaq · to proceedH6275
- from thence unto a mountainהַרhar · mountain: hill countryH2022
- on the eastקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: eastH6924
- of Beth–elבֵּֽיתְ־אֵלbêyth-'êl · BethelH1008
- and pitchedנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- his tentאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
- on the westיָםyâm · sea: westH3220
- and Haiעַי‛ay ‛ayâ' ‛ayâth · AiH5857
- and there he buildedבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- an altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- upon the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
Cross-references for Genesis 12:8
- Genesis 28:19and named the place Bethel, though previously the city was named Luz.
- Genesis 35:3We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me everywhere I have gone.”
- Joshua 8:17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city exposed while they pursued Israel.
- Joshua 18:22Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
- Nehemiah 11:31Benjamin’s descendants: from Geba, Michmash, Aija, and Bethel and its surrounding villages,
- Joshua 7:2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and scout the land.” So the men went up and scouted Ai.
- Joshua 8:3So Joshua and all the troops set out to attack Ai. Joshua selected thirty thousand of his best soldiers and sent them out at night.
- Isaiah 10:28Assyria has come to Aiath and has gone through Migron, storing their equipment at Michmash.
- Genesis 4:26A son was born to Seth also, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.
- Genesis 13:4to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of the Lord there.
- Genesis 21:33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
- Psalms 116:4Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!”
- Joel 2:32Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the Lord promised, among the survivors the Lord calls.
- Acts 2:21Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
- Romans 10:12since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him.
- 1 Corinthians 1:2To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord — both 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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