Jerome : (Chapter 28, verse 19) And he called the name of that place Bethel, but previously its name was Luz. From what he had said above: How awesome is this place, it is nothing but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven: now he gives the place a name, and he calls it Bethel, which means the house of God. The place was previously called Luz, which means nut or almond. Therefore, some foolishly think that the Hebrew word Ulam is the name of a city, when Ulam actually means previously. Therefore, the order of the reading is as follows: And he called the name of that place Bethel, and before it was called Luz, a city. All the ancient scriptures are full of the word 'ulam', or 'Elam', which signifies nothing else but before, or previously, or threshold, or gateposts. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis Augustine of Hippo : HOUSE OF GOD. — And Jacob called the name of that place, the House of God; and the name of the city before was Ulamluz . There is no problem in this text if it is understood that he slept next to the city. But if it is in the city, it seems astonishing that he could erect a monument there. The fact that Jacob made a vow if God helped him in his comings and goings and promised to pay tithing to the House of God that was to be in that place (Cf. Gen. 28:20-22), it is a prophecy about the house of God, where he himself, upon returning, offered sacrifices to God, is the prophetic proclamation of the house of God, where he himself offered a sacrifice to the Lord. He does not call this stone God, but the House of God, to signify that there was to be a house consecrated to the Lord. [ — QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 84 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)