The Meaning of Genesis 12:8 Explained

Genesis 12:8

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.

YLT: And he removeth from thence towards a mountain at the east of Beth-El, and stretcheth out the tent (Beth-El at the west, and Hai at the east), and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah, and preacheth in the name of Jehovah.

Darby: And he removed thence towards the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel toward the west, and Ai toward the east; and there he built an altar to Jehovah, and called on the name of Jehovah.

ASV: And he removed from thence unto the mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Ai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto Jehovah, and called upon the name of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 12:8 Mean?

Study Notes

Beth-el
One of the sacred places of Canaan, meaning, house of God Genesis 28:1-22 , .
It is characteristic of all apostasy that Jeroboam chose this sacred place in which to erect an idol 1 Kings 12:28 ; 1 Kings 12:32 . (Cf) 1 Kings 13:1-5 and of divine judgment upon apostasy that God should decree the destruction of Bethel, despite its sacred memories; 1 Kings 13:1-5 ; 2 Kings 23:15-17 ; Amos 3:14 ; Amos 3:15 .
God never hesitates to cast aside that which no longer serves His purpose Revelation 2:5 ; Revelation 3:16 .

Verse Meaning

Abram proceeded south and encamped between Bethel and Ai (probably et Tell [1] ) just north of Salem (Jerusalem). Again he built an altar to worship Yahweh and called on His name in worship.

Context Summary

Genesis 12:1-9 - God's Call And Promise To Abram
God's commands are always associated with promises. Count the shalls and wills here. He does not give His reasons, but He is lavish of His promises. The keynote of Abram's life was Separation. Step by step, until country, kindred, Lot, worldly alliances and fleshly expedients were one by one cast aside and he stood alone with God! Though he knew not whither he went, the father of the faithful obeyed, and crossed the wide and perilous deserts. It was this absolute and unquestioning obedience that endeared him to God. Let us ever obey and step out, though it seems as though there were nought but seething mist. We shall find it solidify under the tread of faith. Read Romans 4:16; Hebrews 11:8. Notice the combination of the Tent and Altar. The tent-life is natural to the man whose portion is God; and where he pitches his tent he will rear his altar. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 12

1  God calls Abram, and blesses him with a promise of Christ
4  He departs with Lot from Haran, and comes to Canaan
6  He journeys through Canaan,
7  which is promised to him in a vision
10  He is driven by famine into Egypt
11  Fear makes him feign his wife to be his sister
14  Pharaoh, having taken her from him, is compelled to restore her
18  Pharaoh reproves Abram, whom he dismisses

What do the individual words in Genesis 12:8 mean?

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 and he built there an altar to Yahweh and called on the name of Yahweh
וַיַּעְתֵּ֨ק מִשָּׁ֜ם הָהָ֗רָה מִקֶּ֛דֶם לְבֵֽית־ אֵ֖ל וַיֵּ֣ט אָהֳלֹ֑ה‪‬ בֵּֽית־ אֵ֤ל מִיָּם֙ וְהָעַ֣י מִקֶּ֔דֶם וַיִּֽבֶן־ שָׁ֤ם מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה

וַיַּעְתֵּ֨ק  And  he  moved 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָתַק  
Sense: to move, proceed, advance, move on, become old, be removed.
מִשָּׁ֜ם  from  there 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
הָהָ֗רָה  to  the  mountain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
מִקֶּ֛דֶם  east 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.
אֵ֖ל  Bethel 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־אֵל  
Sense: ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name).
וַיֵּ֣ט  and  he  pitched 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
אָהֳלֹ֑ה‪‬  his  tent 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
אֵ֤ל  Bethel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית־אֵל  
Sense: ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name).
מִיָּם֙  on  the  west 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָם  
Sense: sea.
וְהָעַ֣י  and  Ai 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עַי 
Sense: a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the 2nd city taken on the invasion of Canaan.
מִקֶּ֔דֶם  on  the  east 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.
וַיִּֽבֶן־  and  he  built 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙  an  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
לַֽיהוָ֔ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיִּקְרָ֖א  and  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
בְּשֵׁ֥ם  on  the  name 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.