Genesis 28:17-19
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
17 He was afraid and said: “How awesome this place is! This is nothing else but the house of God, the gateway to heaven!” 18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head, set it up as a sacred pillar,[a] and poured oil on top of it.(A) 19 He named that place Bethel,[b] whereas the former name of the town had been Luz.(B)
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- 28:18 Sacred pillar: in Hebrew, masseba, a stone which might vary in shape and size, set upright and usually intended for some religious purpose. The custom of erecting such sacred pillars in Palestine went back to its pre-Israelite period; but since their polytheistic associations were often retained, later Israelite religion forbade their erection (Lv 26:1; Dt 16:22) and ordered the destruction of those that were associated with other religions (Ex 34:13; Dt 12:3).
- 28:19 Bethel: i.e., “house of God”; the reference is to the house of God in v. 17.
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