Genesis 12:8

Later on, Abram and his mob left Shekem, and they went south to the hill country that was on the east side of a town called Bethel, and they camped between Bethel and another town called Ayi. Bethel was to the west of his camp and Ayi was to the east. Then Abram piled up stones there to make another special table, and he burned animals on it to show respect to God. He prayed to God, and he called God by his special name Yahweh.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

7God showed himself to Abram there, and God said to him, “I will give this country to your son, and to all the people that will be born into his family later on.” So Abram piled up stones to make a table with a flat top. It was a special place for him to burn animals to show right respect to God.

9After that, Abram and his mob kept going south to the dry desert country.

Read all of Genesis 12

Cross References

Genesis 4:26Seth grew up, and he had a son too, and he gave him the name Enosh. At that time people started to call God by his special name Yahweh when they showed respect to him.

Genesis 13:4That was the place where Abram built a special stone table to burn animals, to show respect to God. After Abram got back there, he prayed to God, and he called God by his special name Yahweh.

Genesis 26:25Then Isaac wanted to show respect to God, so he piled up stones to make a table with a flat top. It was a special place for him to burn animals to show right respect to God. Then Isaac prayed to God, and he called God by his special name Yahweh. After that, Isaac set up his camp, and he sent his workers to go and dig a water-hole.

Genesis 31:25The next day, Laban and his relatives caught up to Jacob. Jacob and his mob were in that hill country. That’s where they set up their tents. So Laban and his relatives, they set up their tents in that place too.

Genesis 35:15And Jacob gave a name to that place where God talked to him. He called that place Bethel. That name means God’s house.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 12:7-10

Abram's Devotion. ( b. c. 1921.) 6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord , who appeared unto him. 8 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… Read the whole commentary →

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Study Genesis 12:8