Bereshis 35:7

7 And he built there a Mizbe’ach, and called the makom (place) El Beit-El; because there HaElohim appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of achiv.

Bereshis 35:7 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 35:7

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.

Bereshis 35:7 In-Context

5 And they journeyed; and the chittat Elohim (terror of G-d) was upon the cities that were around them, and they did not pursue after the Bnei Ya’akov.

6 So Ya’akov came to Luz, which is in Eretz Kena’an, that is, Beit-El, he and kol haAm that were with him.

7 And he built there a Mizbe’ach, and called the makom (place) El Beit-El; because there HaElohim appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of achiv.

8 But Devorah meineket Rivkah died, and she was buried under an alon (oak) below Beit-El; and shmo was called Alon Bachut.

9 And Elohim appeared unto Ya’akov again, when he returned from Padan Aram, and made a brocha upon him.