Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:
(house of God). (1) City of Palestine, 12 mi. N. of Jerusalem (Gen. 12:8; 13:3-4); scene of Jacob’s vision, then called Luz (Gen. 28:11-19; 31:13; 35:1-8; Judg. 1:23); residence of “sons of the prophets” and priests (2 Kings 2:2-3; 17:27-28. Now Beitin. (2) A town in south Judah (Josh. 12:16; 1 Sam. 30:27); Chesil (Josh. 15:30); Rethul (Josh. 19:4); and Bethuel (1 Chron. 4:30). (3) Mount Bethel, near Bethel (Josh. 16.1; 1 Sam. 13:2).
Concise Bible Dictionary:
1. Name, signifying “house of God,”‘ given to the place where God first appeared to Jacob in a dream. It led him to say, “Surely the Lord is in this place.... this is none other but the house of God.... and he called the name of that place Beth-el” (Gen. 28:16-19). God thus gave to Jacob the apprehension that the house of God on earth—the gate of heaven—was to be connected with him and his seed, and afterward God acknowledged the place and the name, saying, “I am the God of Beth-el” (Gen. 31:13). To take Jacob out of a false position God bade him go up to Beth-el and dwell there, and Jacob felt he must take no idols there, so he told his household to put away the strange gods from among them, to be clean, and to change their garments. “He built there an altar and called the place El-beth-el;” and there God met him, revealed His name to him, and confirmed the change of his name to Israel (Compare Gen. 32:28-29), blessed him, and renewed His promises (Gen. 35:1-16).
It was afterward conquered and given to Benjamin (Josh. 12:9; Josh. 18:22; Judg. 1:22). Apparently the tabernacle was pitched at Shiloh near Bethel, for Israel went there to inquire of God, and Samuel told Saul that he should meet three men “going up to God to Beth-el” (Judg. 21:19; 1 Sam. 10:3). At the division of the kingdom Beth-el fell to Israel, and Jeroboam set up there one of the golden calves to prevent the Israelites going to Jerusalem to worship. An altar was erected and sacrifices offered to the idol; but it was condemned by a man of God, and the altar was rent (1 Kings 12:29-33; 1 Kings 13:1-32; Amos 7:10,13). There were sons of the prophets dwelling at Beth-el (2 Kings 2:3), but the idolatrous altar was not destroyed until the days of Josiah (2 Kings 23:4,15,17,19). Among those who returned from exile were men of Beth-el, and the place was again inhabited (Ezra 2:28; Neh. 7:32; Neh. 11:31). (See also Hos. 10:15; Hos. 12:4; Amos 3:14; Amos 4:4; Amos 5:5-6).
The city had been originally named Luz. It is now identified with Beitin, 31° 56’ N, 35° 14’ E, some 10 miles north of Jerusalem. It stands on a rocky ridge between two valleys, but has higher ground on each side except the south. Amos 5:5 said it should “come to naught,” and now amid the scattered ruins are about 20 houses roughly formed out of the old materials. MOUNT BETH-EL occurs in Joshua 16:1 and 1 Samuel 13:2. See BETH-AVEN.
2. This name, found in Joshua 12:16 (not that in Josh. 12:9) and 1 Sam. 30:27, is probably a different place from the preceding because of the names associated with it, and was farther south. It is probably the same as Bethul, Bethuel. In the latter reference the LXX (Vat.) read Baethsur.
Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:
Transliteration:
Beyth-’El
Meaning:
from 1004 and 410; house of God; Beth-El, a place in Palestine
Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:
house of God
Potts’ Bible Proper Names:
House of God:―a place in Palestine [BETHUEL], Gen. 12:8. {Domus Dei}