What was El Elohe?

El Elohe is a compound Hebrew name meaning “God, the God of Israel” (אֵל אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל — El Elohei Yisrael). It appears in Genesis 33:20, where Jacob sets up an altar after returning safely to the land of Canaan from his long exile in Paddan Aram. This name is not a person but a title and declaration of worship toward the one true God of Israel, reflecting both Jacob’s personal relationship with God and his public witness of God‘s covenant faithfulness.

“There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.”
— Genesis 33:20, NIV

This event follows Jacob’s reconciliation with Esau and his safe return to the Promised Land, marking a spiritual milestone in Jacob’s journey as he identifies not only with the God of his fathers but acknowledges God as his own.

Biblical Context and Cross References

• Genesis 28:10-22 – Jacob’s encounter with God at Bethel, where God confirmed the Abrahamic covenant with him.

• Genesis 32:22-32 – Jacob wrestles with God and is renamed Israel, meaning “he struggles with God.”

• Genesis 33:18–20 – Jacob arrives in Shechem and builds an altar, naming it El Elohe Israel.

• Exodus 3:6 – “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”

• Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

Explanation of What Happened

After his dramatic encounter with God at Peniel and the subsequent reconciliation with his estranged brother Esau, Jacob finally returns to Canaan and settles near Shechem. There, he purchases land and builds an altar, an act steeped in spiritual significance. This altar is the first recorded altar Jacob builds, and he names it El Elohe Israel, proclaiming that the God of his forefathers is now his God — the God of Israel, his new name given by God.

This moment reflects a significant step in Jacob’s spiritual maturity. Previously, Jacob had spoken of God as the “God of my father” (Genesis 31:5), but now he acknowledges God as his own. The name El Elohe Israel captures both God’s power (El) and His covenantal relationship with Israel (Jacob’s new God-given name).

Meaning for Today’s Christians

For modern believers, El Elohe Israel is a reminder of the personal nature of the one true God. God is not distant or merely the God of tradition or family; He desires a personal relationship with each of His people. Just as Jacob moved from knowing about God to claiming Him as his own, Christians are called to move from inherited faith to a personal and active relationship with the Lord through Jesus Christ.

This name also reinforces the idea of public testimony. Jacob did not merely internalize his faith; he built an altar and named it publicly to glorify God. In the same way, Christians are called to make their faith known — to proclaim God as my God, not only in private but also through visible obedience and worship.

How El Elohe Points to Jesus and the Gospel

The name El Elohe Israel emphasizes the relational and redemptive nature of God — a theme fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the perfect revelation of the God of Israel (John 14:9), and through Him, both Jews and Gentiles are brought into covenant with God.

Jacob’s building of the altar reflects a sacrificial system that would later be fulfilled in the ultimate altar of the cross. While Jacob built an altar to give thanks and worship, Jesus became both the altar and the sacrifice, reconciling sinners to God once and for all (Hebrews 10:10-12).

Moreover, Jesus was declared “King of Israel” (John 1:49) and referred to as “the Holy One of Israel” (Acts 3:14; Isaiah 41:14), affirming His divine identity as El Elohe Israel in human flesh. Through faith in Him, believers can also declare, like Jacob, that this God is not only “the God of Israel,” but my God.

Broader Biblical Themes

1. Covenant Fulfillment

Jacob’s altar reflects the ongoing fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob. This thread continues through Scripture, culminating in the New Covenant through Christ (Luke 22:20).

2. God’s Personal Revelation

The shift in Jacob’s language from “the God of my fathers” to “the God of Israel” demonstrates God’s desire to be known personally and intimately. Christianity is not a religion of rituals alone but of relationship.

3. Identity Transformation

The name Israel was given by God, signifying Jacob’s new identity. In Christ, believers are also given a new identity (2 Corinthians 5:17), becoming part of God’s family and bearing His name.

4. Worship and Witness

Jacob’s altar served both as an act of worship and a testimony to those around him. Worship, for believers, is both vertical (toward God) and horizontal (a witness to others).

Reflection Questions

1. Have you, like Jacob, moved from a secondhand faith to a personal relationship with God?

2. In what ways can you publicly acknowledge God as your God in your daily life?

3. How does your understanding of God‘s covenant faithfulness shape the way you worship Him?

4. What altars of remembrance or thanksgiving have you built in your own life to honor God’s work?

5. How does the title El Elohe Israel deepen your appreciation of Jesus as both the God of Israel and the Savior of the world?

El Elohe is more than an ancient title; it is a declaration of personal faith, divine power, covenantal love, and spiritual identity. Through it, we see the God of Scripture not as distant, but near — the same God who calls each of us to say, like Jacob, “He is my God.”