Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 35:15/רמב"ן על בראשית ל״ה:ט״ו

אוַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶת שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם בֵּית אֵל יִקְרָאֶנּוּ כֵּן פַּעַם אַחַר פַּעַם לְהוֹדִיעַ כִּי הַדָּבָר אֱמֶת וְנָכוֹן, כִּי הוּא בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְשָׁם הַשְּׁכִינָה תָּמִיד, וְכֵן עִנְיַן שֵׁם בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע:

1AND JACOB CALLED THE NAME OF THE PLACE…BETH-EL (HOUSE OF G-D). He called it so time after time [since he had previously²⁰⁵ called it by that name]. This is to inform us that it is truthfully and properly a House of G-d, and there the Divine Presence will ever be. The same was true with the name of Beer-sheba, [which was so called by both Abraham and Isaac.²⁰⁶, 21:31; 26:33. Here too it could not refer to naming the city but rather to calling it by its name.]