And he built there an altar
As he was bid to do, and as he promised he would, ( Genesis 35:1
Genesis
35:3 ) ; and called the place Elbethel;
the God of Bethel; a title which God takes to himself, ( Genesis
31:13 ) ; or rather the sense is, that he called the place
with respect God, or because of his appearance to him there,
Bethel, confirming the name he had before given it, ( Genesis
36:19 ) ; see ( Genesis
35:15 ) ; as the following reason shows: because there
God appeared;
or the divine Persons, for both words are plural that are used;
the Targum of Jonathan has it, the angels of God, and so Aben
Ezra interprets it; but here, no doubt, the divine Being is
meant, who appeared unto him;
to Jacob in this place, as he went to Mesopotamia, and comforted
and encouraged him with many promises; when he fled from
the face of his brother;
his brother Esau, who was wroth with him, and sought to take away
his life, and therefore was forced to flee for it.