Reference: Bethel
American
House of God, the name of a city west of Hai, on the confines of the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin, Ge 12:8; 28:10-22, and occupying the spot where Jacob slept and had his memorable dream, the name he then gave it superseding the old name Luz, Jg 1:23. Thirty years after, he again pitched his tent there, Ge 35:1-15. It was captured by Joshua, and given to Benjamin, Jos 12:9; 18:22. The Ephraimites, however, expelled the Canaanites, Jg 1:22-26. Here the ark of the covenant, and probably the tabernacle, long remained, Jg 20:26; 1Sa 10:3. Samuel held his court here in turn, 1Sa 7:16. After Solomon, it became a seat of gross idolatry; Jeroboam choosing it as the place for one of his golden calves, from the sacredness previously attached to it, 1Ki 12:29. The prophets were charged with messages against Bethel, 1Ki 13:1-2; Jer 48:13; Am 3:14; 7:10. The first of these was fulfilled by Josiah, 2Ki 23:13; and the others in the later desolation of Bethel, where nothing but ruins can now be found. Its site was identified by Dr. Robinson, in the place now called Beitin. It is twelve miles from Jerusalem towards Shechem, on the southern side of a hill, with a narrow and fertile valley on the east, and the long-traveled road on the west. At the bottom of the hill are the remains of a vast stone reservoir, of an ancient Hebrew age.
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And he went from there 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 built an altar unto the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.
And Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he found a certain place and slept there all night because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and lay down in that place to sleep. read more. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it and said, I AM the God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land upon which thou dost lie, to thee will I give it and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt multiply to the west and to the east and to the Aquilon and to the Negev; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee and will keep thee in all places where thou goest and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, since the name of that city was called Luz at first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and clothing to put on so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the LORD be my God; and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth part unto thee.
And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou didst flee from the face of Esau, thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments: read more. And let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me in the way which I have gone. So they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their power and all their earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And there he built an altar and called the place Elbethel because there God had appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother. Then Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak, and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Padanaram and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name, and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, a nation and a company of nations (Gentiles) shall come out of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I have given to Abraham and to Isaac, to thee will I give it and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering upon it, and he poured oil upon it. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.
And also those of the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them. And those of the house of Joseph put spies in Bethel (Now the name of the city before was Luz).
And those of the house of Joseph put spies in Bethel (Now the name of the city before was Luz). And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee mercy. read more. And when he showed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man go and all his family. And the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and called the name of it Luz, which is its name unto this day.
Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places.
And, behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel; and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, O altar, altar, thus hath the LORD said: Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
Likewise, the king defiled the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon, the king of Israel, had built unto Ashtoreth, the abomination of the Zidonians, and unto Chemosh, the abomination of the Moabites, and unto Milcom, the abomination of the sons of Ammon.
And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.
that in the day that I shall visit the rebellions of Israel upon him, I will also visit upon the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground.
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words.
Easton
house of God.
(1.) A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz (Ge 28:19). The name Bethel was at first apparently given to the sanctuary in the neighbourhood of Luz, and was not given to the city itself till after its conquest by the tribe of Ephraim. When Abram entered Canaan he formed his second encampment between Bethel and Hai (Ge 12:8); and on his return from Egypt he came back to it, and again "called upon the name of the Lord" (Ge 13:4). Here Jacob, on his way from Beersheba to Haran, had a vision of the angels of God ascending and descending on the ladder whose top reached unto heaven (Ge 28:10,19); and on his return he again visited this place, "where God talked with him" (Ge 35:1-15), and there he "built an altar, and called the place El-beth-el" (q.v.). To this second occasion of God's speaking with Jacob at Bethel, Hosea (Ho 12:4-5) makes reference.
In troublous times the people went to Bethel to ask counsel of God (Jg 20:18,31; 21:2). Here the ark of the covenant was kept for a long time under the care of Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron (Jg 20:26-28). Here also Samuel held in rotation his court of justice (1Sa 7:16). It was included in Israel after the kingdom was divided, and it became one of the seats of the worship of the golden calf (1Ki 12:28-33; 13:1). Hence the prophet Hosea (Ho 4:15; 5:8; 10:5,8) calls it in contempt Beth-aven, i.e., "house of idols." Bethel remained an abode of priests even after the kingdom of Israel was desolated by the king of Assyria (2Ki 17:28-29). At length all traces of the idolatries were extirpated by Josiah, king of Judah (2Ki 23:15-18); and the place was still in existence after the Captivity (Ezr 2:28; Ne 7:32). It has been identified with the ruins of Beitin, a small village amid extensive ruins some 9 miles south of Shiloh.
(2.) Mount Bethel was a hilly district near Bethel (Jos 16:1; 1Sa 13:2).
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And he went from there 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 built an altar unto the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.
unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
And he called the name of that place Bethel, since the name of that city was called Luz at first.
And he called the name of that place Bethel, since the name of that city was called Luz at first.
And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou didst flee from the face of Esau, thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments: read more. And let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me in the way which I have gone. So they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their power and all their earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And there he built an altar and called the place Elbethel because there God had appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother. Then Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak, and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Padanaram and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name, and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, a nation and a company of nations (Gentiles) shall come out of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I have given to Abraham and to Isaac, to thee will I give it and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering upon it, and he poured oil upon it. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.
And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel that did not go out after Israel; and because they pursued after Israel, they left the city open.
And the lot of the sons of Joseph fell from the Jordan of Jericho unto the water of Jericho towards the east to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho to Mount Bethel,
Then the sons of Israel arose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the sons of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.
Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. And the sons of Israel enquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, read more. and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thy hand.
And the sons of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to smite of the people and kill as at the other times in the highways, one of which goes up to the house of God and the other to Gibeah by the field, and they killed about thirty men of Israel.
And the people came to the house of God and abode there until the evening before God and lifted up their voices and wept sore
And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places.
And having taken counsel, the king made two calves of gold and said unto the people, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel and the other he put in Dan. read more. And this became an occasion for sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made a house of high places and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. Then Jeroboam ordained a solemnity in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah; and he sacrificed upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made. He also ordered in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he sacrificed upon the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month which he had devised of his own heart, and made a feast unto the sons of Israel; and he climbed up on the altar to burn incense.
And, behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel; and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the LORD. However each nation made gods of their own and put them in the houses of the high places which those of Samaria had made, each nation in their city in which they dwelt.
Likewise, the altar that was at Bethel and the high place which Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, had made: both that altar and the high place he broke down and burned the high place and stamped it small to powder and burned the grove. And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount and sent and took the bones out of the sepulchres and burned them upon the altar and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who had proclaimed these words. read more. Then he said, What title is this that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel. And he said, Let him alone; let no one move his bones. So his bones were saved along with the bones of the prophet that had come out of Samaria.
The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three.
Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah be guilty; and do not come unto Gilgal, neither go up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD lives,
Blow ye the shofar in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah; sound the drum in Bethaven; after thee, O Benjamin.
The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn because of the calf, and the religious persons thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, which shall be made to vanish away.
And the altars of Aven shall be destroyed, the sin of Israel: the thorn and the thistle shall grow upon their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.
yea, he dominated the angel and prevailed; he wept and made supplication unto him; he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us; but the LORD is God of the hosts; the LORD is his memorial.
Fausets
("house of God".)
1. Abram pitched his tent on a mountain E. of Bethel, abounding in pasture (Ge 12:8; 13:3). The city, near the place, then bore the Canaanite name Luz. Bethel is the name given by anticipation to the place; appropriately so, as Abram virtually made it the "house of God." It was expressly so named by Jacob, when he had the vision of the heavenly ladder, on his way from his father at Beersheba to Harsh (Ge 28:19; 31:13). He set up a pillar, and anointed it with oil, to mark the place where God spoke with him. Bethel, the place, is expressly distinguished from Luz, the old Canaanite city. "Jacob called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of that city was called Luz at the first" (Jos 16:1-2). The naming of Bethel Jacob repeated more publicly on his return home, 20 years later, with his family purified of idols, when God again appeared to him, and confirmed his change of name to Israel (Ge 35:1-15; 32:28).
Bethel belonged by lot to Benjamin, but was falcon by Ephraim (Bethel being on his southern border) through the treachery of an inhabitant (Jg 1:22-26). It was about 12 miles N. of Jerusalem. In Jg 20:26 translate for "the house of God" Bethel. During the civil war with Benjamin the tribes took the ark thither to consult God (compare 1Sa 10:3). It was one of Samuel's towns of circuit for judging (1Sa 7:16). One of Jeroboam's two sanctuaries for the calf worship, selected doubtless because of its religious associations (1 Kings 12-13). There the prophet from Judah foretold the overthrow of the calf altar by Josiah. Abijah, king of Judah, took Bethel from Jeroboam (2Ch 13:19), but it was soon recovered by Israel. Under Ahab the Baal worship at Samaria and Jezreel drew off attention from the calf worship at Bethel. This accounts for a school of prophets of Jehovah being there in Elijah's time (2Ki 2:2-3).
The existence of "bears," two, near the town, implies that Bethel was then less frequented (2Ki 2:23-25). Under Jehu, who restored the calf worship, and Jeroboam II his great grandson, Bethel comes again into prominence (2Ki 10:29). Bethel became the king's chapel" (sanctuary) "the king's court" ("house of the kingdom") (Am 7:13; 3:14-15). More altars, besides the original one were erected. "Summer and winter houses" too, and "great houses" and "houses of ivory." After the overthrow of Israel, the king of Assyria sent one of the Israelite priests to settle at Bethel, and teach the new settlers from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, "the manner of the god of the land," and "how they should fear Jehovah" (2Ki 17:27-28). Josiah, as foretold, defiled the altar with dead men's bones, but disturbed not the sepulchre of the prophet of Judab when he discerned its title. It was ordered by God that the votaries of the calf worship at Bethel never dared to violate the sepulchre and title of the prophet who denounced their idol. The worship of Jehovah and of the calves had been all along strangely blended. (See BETHAVEN.)
Among those returning from captivity were men of Bethel (Ezr 2:28; Ne 7:32; 11:31.) The ruins, covering three or four acres, still bear a like name, Beitin, on a low bill, between two wadies, which unite in the main valley of es-Suweinit, toward the S.E. Bethel still abounds in stones such as Jacob used for his pillow and afterward for a sanctuary. On the round mount S.E. of Bethel. Abram doubtless built the altar, and afterwards stood with Lot when giving him his choice of the land (Ge 12:7; 13:10). E. of this mount stands the ruin Tel er Rijmah, "the mound of the heap," answering to Ai or Hai. Ritter makes Medinet Gai answer to Ai.
2. A town in southern Judah (Jos 12:16; 1Sa 30:27). Bethel in Jos 19:4 answers to Chesil in Jos 15:30. Bethuel, 1Ch 4:30. Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho under the curse (1Ki 16:34).
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And the LORD appeared unto Abram and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land, and there he built an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
And the LORD appeared unto Abram and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land, and there he built an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. And he went from there 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 built an altar unto the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.
And he went from there 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 built an altar unto the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.
And he retraced his journeys from the side of the Negev even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai,
And he retraced his journeys from the side of the Negev even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai,
And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of the Jordan that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as a garden of the LORD like the land of Egypt as thou comest unto Zoar.
And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of the Jordan that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as a garden of the LORD like the land of Egypt as thou comest unto Zoar.
And he called the name of that place Bethel, since the name of that city was called Luz at first.
And he called the name of that place Bethel, since the name of that city was called Luz at first.
I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the pillar and where thou didst vow a vow unto me. Now arise, go out from this land and return unto the land of thy nature.
I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the pillar and where thou didst vow a vow unto me. Now arise, go out from this land and return unto the land of thy nature.
And he said, Thy name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast fought with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
And he said, Thy name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast fought with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou didst flee from the face of Esau, thy brother.
And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou didst flee from the face of Esau, thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments:
Then Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments: And let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me in the way which I have gone.
And let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me in the way which I have gone. So they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their power and all their earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
So they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their power and all their earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.
And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And there he built an altar and called the place Elbethel because there God had appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother.
And there he built an altar and called the place Elbethel because there God had appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother. Then Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak, and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.
Then Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak, and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Padanaram and blessed him.
And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Padanaram and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name, and he called his name Israel.
And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name, and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, a nation and a company of nations (Gentiles) shall come out of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
And God said unto him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, a nation and a company of nations (Gentiles) shall come out of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I have given to Abraham and to Isaac, to thee will I give it and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
and the land which I have given to Abraham and to Isaac, to thee will I give it and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering upon it, and he poured oil upon it.
And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering upon it, and he poured oil upon it. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.
And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.
And the lot of the sons of Joseph fell from the Jordan of Jericho unto the water of Jericho towards the east to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho to Mount Bethel,
And the lot of the sons of Joseph fell from the Jordan of Jericho unto the water of Jericho towards the east to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho to Mount Bethel, and from Bethel going to Luz and passing the border of Archi in Ataroth,
And also those of the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
And also those of the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them. And those of the house of Joseph put spies in Bethel (Now the name of the city before was Luz).
And those of the house of Joseph put spies in Bethel (Now the name of the city before was Luz). And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee mercy.
And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee mercy. And when he showed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man go and all his family.
And when he showed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man go and all his family. And the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and called the name of it Luz, which is its name unto this day.
And the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and called the name of it Luz, which is its name unto this day.
Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places.
And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places.
Then shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and three men going up to God to Bethel shall meet thee, one carrying three kids and another carrying three loaves of bread and another carrying a bottle of wine.
Then shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and three men going up to God to Bethel shall meet thee, one carrying three kids and another carrying three loaves of bread and another carrying a bottle of wine.
In his time Hiel, the Bethelite, rebuilt Jericho. He laid the foundation thereof in Abiram, his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he had spoken by Joshua the son of Nun.
In his time Hiel, the Bethelite, rebuilt Jericho. He laid the foundation thereof in Abiram, his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he had spoken by Joshua the son of Nun.
And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; be silent.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; be silent.
Then he went up from there unto Bethel, and as he was going up by the way, the young men of the city came forth and mocked him, saying, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
Then he went up from there unto Bethel, and as he was going up by the way, the young men of the city came forth and mocked him, saying, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two bears came forth out of the forest and tore apart forty-two young men of them.
And he turned back and looked on them and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two bears came forth out of the forest and tore apart forty-two young men of them. And he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.
However with all this, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin with the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.
However with all this, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin with the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry there one of the priests whom ye brought from there; and let them go and dwell there and teach them the judgment of the God of the land.
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry there one of the priests whom ye brought from there; and let them go and dwell there and teach them the judgment of the God of the land. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns and Jeshanah with its towns and Ephron with its towns.
And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns and Jeshanah with its towns and Ephron with its towns.
The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three.
The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three.
The sons of Benjamin from Geba dwelt in Michmash and Aija and Bethel and in their villages
The sons of Benjamin from Geba dwelt in Michmash and Aija and Bethel and in their villages
that in the day that I shall visit the rebellions of Israel upon him, I will also visit upon the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground.
that in the day that I shall visit the rebellions of Israel upon him, I will also visit upon the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. And I will smite the winter house with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and many houses shall be cut off, said the LORD.
And I will smite the winter house with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and many houses shall be cut off, said the LORD.
but do not prophesy any more in Bethel: for it is the king's sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.
but do not prophesy any more in Bethel: for it is the king's sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.
Hastings
1. On a rocky knoll beside the great road to the north, about 12 miles from Jerusalem, stands the modern Beil
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And he went from there 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 built an altar unto the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.
And he found a certain place and slept there all night because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and lay down in that place to sleep.
and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth part unto thee.
And also those of the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
This Deborah dwelt under a palm tree between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim, and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Then the sons of Israel arose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the sons of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.
And it came to pass as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering that the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and crushed them, and they were smitten before Israel.
Then shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and three men going up to God to Bethel shall meet thee, one carrying three kids and another carrying three loaves of bread and another carrying a bottle of wine.
Then Jeroboam ordained a solemnity in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah; and he sacrificed upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made. He also ordered in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
And Elisha said, As the LORD of the hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee.
Then enter in and shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons and pour out into all those vessels, and as each one is full, set it aside.
And the king of Syria said, Go, depart, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
However each nation made gods of their own and put them in the houses of the high places which those of Samaria had made, each nation in their city in which they dwelt.
And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns and Jeshanah with its towns and Ephron with its towns.
The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three.
Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah be guilty; and do not come unto Gilgal, neither go up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD lives,
Blow ye the shofar in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah; sound the drum in Bethaven; after thee, O Benjamin.
Morish
Beth'-el
1. Name, signifying 'house of God,' given to the place where God first appeared to Jacob in a dream. It led him to say, "Surely the Lord is in this place . . . . this is none other but the house of God . . . . and he called the name of that place Beth-el." Ge 28:16-19. God thus gave to Jacob the apprehension that the house of God on earth
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And Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. read more. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, since the name of that city was called Luz at first.
I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the pillar and where thou didst vow a vow unto me. Now arise, go out from this land and return unto the land of thy nature.
And he said, Thy name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast fought with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Why dost thou ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou didst flee from the face of Esau, thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments: read more. And let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me in the way which I have gone. So they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their power and all their earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And there he built an altar and called the place Elbethel because there God had appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother. Then Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak, and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Padanaram and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name, and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply, a nation and a company of nations (Gentiles) shall come out of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; and the land which I have given to Abraham and to Isaac, to thee will I give it and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering upon it, and he poured oil upon it. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel. And they journeyed from Bethel, and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath when Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.
And the lot of the sons of Joseph fell from the Jordan of Jericho unto the water of Jericho towards the east to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho to Mount Bethel,
And also those of the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
Then they said, Behold, there is a solemn feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is towards the Aquilon from Bethel and towards the rising of the sun from the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and towards the Negev from Lebonah.
to those who were in Bethel and to those who were in Ramoth towards the Negev and to those who were in Jattir
And he set the one in Bethel and the other he put in Dan. And this became an occasion for sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. read more. And he made a house of high places and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. Then Jeroboam ordained a solemnity in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the solemnity that was celebrated in Judah; and he sacrificed upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made. He also ordered in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. So he sacrificed upon the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the month which he had devised of his own heart, and made a feast unto the sons of Israel; and he climbed up on the altar to burn incense.
And, behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel; and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, O altar, altar, thus hath the LORD said: Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. read more. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes with the burnt fat that are upon it shall be poured out. And when King Jeroboam heard the word of the man of God, who had cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes with the burnt fat were poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. Then the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again and became as it was before. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a gift. But the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place, for so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread nor drink water nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel. Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken unto the king. And their father said unto them, What way did he go? And his sons showed him the way the man of God had gone, who had come from Judah. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass, and he rode thereon and went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that didst come from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee nor go in with thee; neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place, for it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. And the other said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art, and an angel spoke unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back, and he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus hath the LORD said, Forasmuch as thou hast rebelled against the mouth of the LORD and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, but didst come back and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. And when he had eaten of the bread and after he had drunk, the prophet that had brought him back saddled an ass for him, and as he went, a lion met him by the way and slew him, and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, and the lion also stood by the carcase. And, behold, men passed by and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that had brought him back from the way heard of it, he said, It is the man of God, who rebelled against the word of the LORD; therefore, the LORD has delivered him unto the lion, who has torn him and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spoke unto him. And he spoke to his sons, saying, Saddle me an ass. And they saddled it for him. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase; the lion had not eaten the carcase nor torn the ass. And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God and laid it upon the ass and brought it back. And the old prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him. And he laid his carcase in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. For that which he proclaimed by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places, which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; be silent.
And the king commanded Hilkiah, the high priest, and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that had been made for Baal and for the grove and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and caused their dust to be carried unto Bethel.
Likewise, the altar that was at Bethel and the high place which Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, had made: both that altar and the high place he broke down and burned the high place and stamped it small to powder and burned the grove.
Then he said, What title is this that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.
And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.
The men of Bethel and Ai, two hundred and twenty-three.
The sons of Benjamin from Geba dwelt in Michmash and Aija and Bethel and in their villages
So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness; in the morning the king of Israel shall utterly be cut off.
yea, he dominated the angel and prevailed; he wept and made supplication unto him; he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us;
that in the day that I shall visit the rebellions of Israel upon him, I will also visit upon the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground.
Go to Bethel, and transgress; at Gilgal increase the rebellion; and bring your sacrifices early in the morning and your tithes every three years:
but do not seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and do not pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought.
but do not seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and do not pass to Beersheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nought. Seek the LORD, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph and devour it, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.
Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words.
but do not prophesy any more in Bethel: for it is the king's sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.
Smith
Beth'el
(the house of God) well known city and holy place of central Palestine, about 12 mlles north of Jerusalem. If we are to accept the precise definition of
the name of Bethel would appear to have existed at this spot even before the arrival of Abram in Canaan.
Bethel was the scene of Jacob's vision.
Jacob lived there.
The original name was Luz.
After the conquest Bethel is frequently heard of. In the troubled times when there was no king in Israel, it was to Bethel that the people went up in their distress to ask counsel of God.
Authorized Version, "house of God." Here was the ark of the covenant.
Later it is named as one of the holy cities to which Samuel went on circuit.
Here Jeroboab placed one of the two calves of gold. Toward the end of Jeroboam's life Bethel fell into the hands of Judah.
Elijah visited Bethel, and we hear of "sons of the prophets" as resident there.
But after the destruction of Baal worship by Jehu Bethel comes once more into view.
After the desolation of the northern kingdom by the king of Assyria, Bethel still remained an abode of priests.
In later times Bethel is named only once under the scarcely-altered name of Beitin. Its ruins still lie on the righthand side of the road from Jerusalem to Nablus.
2. A town in the south part of Judah, named in
and 1Sam 30:27 In
the place appears under the name of CHESIL, BETHUL and BETHUEL. Hiel the Bethelite is recorded as the rebuilder of Jericho.
See Chesil
See Bethul
See Bethuel
3. In
and 1Sam 13:2 Mount Bethel, a hilly section near Beth-el, is referred to.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And he went from there 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 built an altar unto the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.
And he went from there 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 built an altar unto the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.
And he retraced his journeys from the side of the Negev even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai, unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
And he found a certain place and slept there all night because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. read more. And, behold, the LORD stood above it and said, I AM the God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac; the land upon which thou dost lie, to thee will I give it and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt multiply to the west and to the east and to the Aquilon and to the Negev; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee and will keep thee in all places where thou goest and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awakened out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, since the name of that city was called Luz at first.
I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the pillar and where thou didst vow a vow unto me. Now arise, go out from this land and return unto the land of thy nature.
And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou didst flee from the face of Esau, thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments: read more. And let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me in the way which I have gone. So they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their power and all their earrings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And there he built an altar and called the place Elbethel because there God had appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother. Then Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak, and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.
And the lot of the sons of Joseph fell from the Jordan of Jericho unto the water of Jericho towards the east to the wilderness that goes up from Jericho to Mount Bethel,
And also those of the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them. And those of the house of Joseph put spies in Bethel (Now the name of the city before was Luz).
Then the sons of Israel arose and went up to the house of God and asked counsel of God and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the sons of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.
Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
Then all the sons of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. And the sons of Israel enquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, read more. and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the sons of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thy hand.
And the sons of Benjamin went out against the people and were drawn away from the city, and they began to smite of the people and kill as at the other times in the highways, one of which goes up to the house of God and the other to Gibeah by the field, and they killed about thirty men of Israel.
And the people came to the house of God and abode there until the evening before God and lifted up their voices and wept sore
And it came to pass on the next day that the people rose early and built an altar there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places.
Saul chose three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in Mount Bethel and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and of the rest of the people he sent each one to his tent.
to those who were in Bethel and to those who were in Ramoth towards the Negev and to those who were in Jattir
In his time Hiel, the Bethelite, rebuilt Jericho. He laid the foundation thereof in Abiram, his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he had spoken by Joshua the son of Nun.
And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD has sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today? And he said, Yes, I know it; be silent.
However with all this, Jehu did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin with the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry there one of the priests whom ye brought from there; and let them go and dwell there and teach them the judgment of the God of the land. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns and Jeshanah with its towns and Ephron with its towns.
Watsons
BETHEL, a city which lay to the west of Ai, about eight miles to the north of Jerusalem, in the confines of the tribe of Ephraim and Benjamin. Here Jacob slept and had his vision. The name of this city had formerly been Luz, which signifies an almond, and was probably so called from the number of almond trees which grew in those parts. See JACOB.