SEV Biblia, Chapter 28:19
Y llamó el nombre de aquel lugar Bet-el, bien que Luz era el nombre de la ciudad primero.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Genesis 28:19
Verse 19. He called the name of that place Beth-el] That is, the house of God; for in consequence of his having anointed the stone, and thus consecrated it to God, he considered it as becoming henceforth his peculiar residence; see on the preceding verse. This word should be always pronounced as two distinct syllables, each strongly accented, Beth-El. Was called Luz at the first.] The Hebrew has zwl µlwa Ulam Luz, which the Roman edition of the Septuagint translates oulamlouz Oulamlouz; the Alexandrian MS., oulammouv Oulammaus; the Aldine, oulammaouv Oulammaous; Symmachus, lammaouv Lammaous; and some others, oulam Oulam. The Hebrew µlwa ulam is sometimes a particle signifying as, just as; hence it may signify that the place was called Beth-El, as it was formerly called Luz. As Luz signifies an almond, almond or hazel tree, this place probably had its name from a number of such trees growing in that region. Many of the ancients confounded this city with Jerusalem, to which they attribute the eight following names, which are all expressed in this verse:-
Solyma, Luza, Bethel, Hierosolyma, Jebus, AElia, Urbs sacra, Hierusalem dicitur atque Salem.
Solyma, Luz, Beth-El, Hierosolyma, Jebus, AElia, The holy city is call'd, as also Jerusalem and Salem.
From Beth-El came the Baetylia, Bethyllia, baitulia, or animated stones, so celebrated in antiquity, and to which Divine honours were paid. The tradition of Jacob anointing this stone, and calling the place Beth-El, gave rise to all the superstitious accounts of the Baetylia or consecrated stones, which we find in Sanchoniathon and others. These became abused to idolatrous purposes, and hence God strongly prohibits them, Lev. xxvi. 1; and it is very likely that stones of this kind were the most ancient objects of idolatrous worship; these were afterwards formed into beautiful human figures, male and female, when the art of sculpture became tolerably perfected, and hence the origin of idolatry as far as it refers to the worshipping of images, for these, being consecrated by anointing, &c., were supposed immediately to become instinct with the power and energy of some divinity. Hence, then, the Bactylia or living stones of the ancient Phoenicians, &c. As oil is an emblem of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, so those who receive this anointing are considered as being alive unto God, and are expressly called by St. Peter living stones, 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. May not the apostle have reference to those living stones or Baetyllia of antiquity, and thus correct the notion by showing that these rather represented the true worshippers of God, who were consecrated to his service and made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and that these alone could be properly called the living stone, out of which the true spiritual temple is composed?
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 16-19 - God manifested himself and his favour, to Jacob, when he was asleep The Spirit, like the wind, blows when and where it listeth, and God' grace, like the dew, tarrieth not for the sons of men. Jacob sought to improve the visit God had made him. Wherever we are, in the city or in the desert, in the house or in the field, in the shop or in the street we may keep up our intercourse with Heaven, if it is not our own fault But the more we see of God, the more cause we see for holy tremblin before him.
Original Hebrew
ויקרא 7121 את 853 שׁם 8034 המקום 4725 ההוא 1931 בית אל 1008 ואולם 199 לוז 3870 שׁם 8034 העיר 5892 לראשׁנה׃ 7223
