Genesis 12:8

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 walked through the land. He went as far as Shechem, to the special oak tree of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites lived in this land. 7The Lord appeared to Abram there. He said, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ So Abram built an altar in that place to worship the Lord. He did that because the Lord had appeared to him. Then Abram left Shechem. He went to the hills that are on the east of Bethel. He put up his tent in that place. Bethel was towards the west, and Ai was towards the east. Abram also built an altar there to worship the Lord. 9Then Abram took his tent and he left that place. He continued to travel towards the Negev. 10There was a famine in the land of Canaan. So Abram went to live in Egypt for some time, because the famine was very bad.

Genesis 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 28:19Jacob called that place Bethel. Before that, the name of the place had been Luz.
• Genesis 35:3Then we will go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to worship God. He is the one who answered me when I was in trouble. And he has been with me everywhere that I went.’
• Joshua 8:17No men remained in Ai or Bethel. They all chased after the Israelites. There was nobody left to keep the city safe.
• Joshua 18:22Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
• Nehemiah 11:31Some of Benjamin's descendants lived in Geba, Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages.
• Joshua 7:2Joshua sent some men to go from Jericho to Ai. That is a city near to Beth Aven, and east of Bethel. He said to the men, ‘Go up and look at the land near there secretly.’ So the men went to Ai to see what they could discover.
• Joshua 8:3So Joshua and the whole army marched towards Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 of the best soldiers and he sent some of them out at night time.
• Isaiah 10:28Assyria's army attacks Aiath! It marches through Migron. They store their things at Michmash.
• Genesis 4:26Later Seth had a son and he called him Enosh. At that time, people began to use the name of the Lord to worship him.
• Genesis 13:4It was where Abram had first built an altar to worship the Lord.
• Genesis 21:33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba. In that place, he worshipped the Lord who is God for ever.
• Psalms 116:4Then I called out to the Lord. I said, ‘Lord, please save my life!’
• Joel 2:32Everyone who asks the Lord for help will be safe. They will be safe if they believe in his name. The Lord will save the people on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. He has promised this to those people whom he has asked to come to him.
• Acts 2:21The Lord will save everyone who asks him to help them.” ’
• Romans 10:12It says ‘everyone’. There is no difference between Jews and Gentiles. There is the same Lord for all of them. He helps everyone who asks him with many good things.
• 1 Corinthians 1:2I am sending this letter to you, the people of God's church in Corinth. God has made you clean because you belong to Christ Jesus. He has chosen you to be his special people. So you join together with all people everywhere who worship our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is their Lord, as he is our Lord.

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

• Abraham
• Altar
• Beth-El
• Courage
• Family
• Hai
• High Places
• Prayer
• Religion
• Tent
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Ai
• Appear
• Bethel
• Fair
• Grievous
• Journey
• Moreh
• Noah
• Sojourn

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