Genesis 35:15

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

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

In Context

14Jacob knew that God talked to him there, and he wanted to show that it was a special place. So he got a stone, and he stood it up. He poured out some wine on top of that stone, and he poured some olive oil on it too.

16Jacob and his family left Bethel, and they started going towards the town called Efrath. At that time, Jacob’s wife Rachel had a baby growing inside her. And while they were still a long way from Efrath, the time came for Rachel to have her baby. A woman came to help Rachel have her baby, but Rachel had a lot of pain, and she had trouble having that baby. Then Rachel had her baby, but that pain was really bad. That woman said to her, “Don’t be frightened. You have another son.”

Read all of Genesis 35

Cross References

Genesis 35:1Then God said to Jacob, “Leave this place, and go to that special place called Bethel. Remember, a long time ago, you ran away from your brother Esau, and you went to that place, and I came to you there. Now I want you to go and live in that place, and I want you to pile up stones there, to make a special table. Then I want you to burn animals on that special table, to show respect to me, because I am God.”

Matthew Henry on Genesis 35:7-16

Jacob's Arrival at Bethel. ( b. c. 1732.) 6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Beth-el, he and all the people that were with him. 7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-Beth-el: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beth-el under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth. 9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him.… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 35:15