{
  "id": "dict_001612",
  "term": "El-Elohe-Israel",
  "slug": "el-elohe-israel",
  "letter": "E",
  "entry_type": "biblical_proper_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "The name Jacob gave to an altar at Shechem, meaning “God, the God of Israel” or “El is the God of Israel” (Gen. 33:20). It is a personal confession that the God who had preserved Jacob was truly his covenant God.",
  "simple_one_line": "An altar name meaning “God, the God of Israel,” given by Jacob after his return to the land.",
  "tooltip_text": "Jacob named an altar El-Elohe-Israel to confess that the Lord was truly his God after bringing him safely back to Canaan.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Jacob",
    "Israel",
    "altars",
    "Shechem",
    "names of God"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Bethel",
    "El Bethel",
    "Adonai",
    "El Shaddai"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "El-Elohe-Israel is the altar name Jacob gave after returning safely to the land of Canaan. The phrase expresses worship and gratitude, identifying the Lord as the God of Israel who had faithfully guided and protected Jacob.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A one-time altar name in Genesis 33:20.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Given by Jacob near Shechem",
    "Expresses worship and covenant confession",
    "Highlights God's faithfulness to Israel's patriarch",
    "Should be read in its immediate narrative setting"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "El-Elohe-Israel is the altar name Jacob gave after his return to Canaan (Gen. 33:20). The phrase is commonly rendered “God, the God of Israel,” and functions as Jacob's confession that the Lord had proved Himself to be his God. Because the expression appears in a specific narrative setting and names an altar, it should be treated as a biblical proper name rather than as a broad doctrinal category.",
  "description_academic_full": "El-Elohe-Israel is the name Jacob assigned to an altar near Shechem after God had safely brought him back into the land (Gen. 33:18-20). The phrase is usually translated “God, the God of Israel,” though the sense may also be rendered, “El is the God of Israel.” In context, the name is a worshipful confession: the God who had met Jacob, renamed him Israel, and preserved him on his journey was truly his God. The altar thus marks gratitude, covenant faithfulness, and public acknowledgment of the Lord's care. Because the title occurs only in this setting and is tied to an altar, it should not be pressed beyond what the text clearly says.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Jacob returned from Paddan-aram, reconciled with Esau, and settled near Shechem. There he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel, publicly confessing the God who had protected him and fulfilled His promises (Gen. 33:18-20).",
  "background_historical_context": "In the patriarchal period, altar naming often served as a memorial of divine encounter or deliverance. Jacob's act fits the broader pattern of marked places of worship and remembrance in Genesis.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In ancient Israel, personal and place names often carried theological meaning. Jacob's altar name would have functioned as a testimony that his life and future belonged to the God who had renamed him Israel.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Genesis 33:18-20"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Genesis 32:28",
    "Genesis 35:1-7"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew: אֵל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (El ʾElohe Yisra'el). The phrase is usually understood as “God, the God of Israel” or “El is the God of Israel.”",
  "theological_significance": "The name underscores God's covenant faithfulness, Jacob's response of worship, and the connection between God's promise and Israel's identity. It is a testimony name, not a new revelation of deity beyond Scripture's broader teaching.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a naming act, the altar functions as a public sign that meaning is anchored in God's prior action. Jacob does not create God by naming the altar; he confesses in words what God has already shown in history.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not overstate the phrase as though it establishes a separate doctrine or divine title detached from Genesis 33. Its meaning should be drawn from the narrative and from Jacob's life as a whole.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters understand the phrase as an altar name expressing Jacob's confession that the God of Israel is truly his God. Minor translation differences affect wording more than meaning.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry should be read as a narrative altar name and confession of faith, not as a standalone doctrine of God or a proof-text for speculative theological systems.",
  "practical_significance": "Believers may note Jacob's example of public gratitude, memorial worship, and confession that the Lord who preserves His people is worthy of acknowledgment.",
  "meta_description": "El-Elohe-Israel is the altar name Jacob gave near Shechem, meaning “God, the God of Israel,” expressing worship and covenant confession.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/el-elohe-israel/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/el-elohe-israel.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}