SG Heritage Dictionary

Bethel [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. A place of worship; a hallowed spot.

2. A chapel for dissenters.

3. A house of worship for seamen.

Bethel Encyclopedia Britannica

BETHEL(i.e., in Hebrew, the “House of God”), originally called Luz, an ancient city of Palestine, on the borders of the tribe of Benjamin, eleven English miles north of Jerusalem. Of the origin of its new name two accounts are given in Genesis, both of them, however, connecting it with the history of Jacob After the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites Bethel became a resting-place of the ark, and at a later date it was chosen as a royal residence and a seat of idolatrous worship by several of the renegade kings. Tt seems to have continued to flourish down into the Christian era, some remains still existing of its ecclesiastical buildings. Its ruins, which now bear the name of Beitin, occupy about three or four acres.

9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 3, p. 617
[130 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]

Bethel Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

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.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary
[65 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

61 KJV and 66 BSB verses contain “bethel” — showing the first 20. Show all 67 verses (searchable)

Genesis 12:8

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.

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.

Genesis 13:3

And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;

From the Negev he journeyed from place to place toward Bethel, until he came to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been pitched,

Genesis 28:19

And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

and he called that place Bethel, though previously the city had been named Luz.

Genesis 31:13

I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”

Genesis 35:1

And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

Genesis 35:3

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 was with me in the way which I went.

Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Genesis 35:6

So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

So Jacob and everyone with him arrived in Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.

Genesis 35:7

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.

There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother.

Genesis 35:8

But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth.

Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bachuth.

Genesis 35:15

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

Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

Genesis 35:16

And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.

Joshua 7:2

And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

Joshua 8:9

Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.

Joshua 8:12

And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.

Joshua 8:17

And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.

Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.

Joshua 12:9

The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;

the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is near Bethel, one;

Joshua 12:16

The king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;

the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;

Joshua 16:1

And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout mount Bethel,

The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel.

Joshua 16:2

And goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of Archi to Ataroth,

It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz) and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth.

Joshua 18:13

And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Ataroth-adar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Beth-horon.

From there the border crossed over to the southern slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth-addar on the hill south of Lower Beth-horon.