He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on Yahweh’s name.
Parallel translations
- KJV 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.
- BSB 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.
- 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.
- NASB Then he proceeded from there to the mountain 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.
- NLT After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Abram pitched his tent near Bethel, built an altar, and called on Yahweh's name. He lives as a worshiping pilgrim in the land.
Overview
Moving on to the hills between Bethel and Ai, Abram again builds an altar and publicly calls on the Lord's name. His tent-dwelling marks him as a sojourner, while his altars mark him as a worshiper. This rhythm of pilgrimage and worship characterizes the life of faith, awaiting a permanent city whose builder is God (Heb 11:9-10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Gen 4:26A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name.
- Neh 11:31The children of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, and at Bethel and its towns,
- Gen 21:33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called there on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God.
- Gen 13:4to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on Yahweh’s name.
- Gen 28:19He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
- 1 Cor 1:2to the assembly of God which is at Corinth; those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours:
- Gen 35:3Let us arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went.”
- Acts 2:21It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
- Josh 8:17There was not a man left in Ai or Beth El who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel.
- Joel 2:32It will happen that whoever will call on Yahweh’s name shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as Yahweh has said, and among the remnant, those whom Yahweh calls.
- Josh 7:2Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the land.” The men went up and spied out Ai.
- Gen 35:15–16Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him “Bethel”.
- Josh 8:3So Joshua arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by night.
- Ps 116:4Then I called on Yahweh’s name: “Yahweh, I beg you, deliver my soul.”
- Rom 10:12–14For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.
- Josh 18:22Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel,
- Isa 10:28He has come to Aiath. He has passed through Migron. At Michmash he stores his baggage.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 12:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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