4547. 'And I will make there an altar to the God' means the holiness by which interior things are enveloped. This is clear from the meaning of 'making an altar to God' as the holiness of worship, dealt with above in 4541. The reason for saying 'by which interior things are enveloped' is that the altar was to be made in Bethel, to which place 'there' refers here, and 'Bethel' means the natural by which interior things are enveloped, see above in 4539.

4541. 'And make there an altar to the God who appeared to you' means that which is holy there. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as the chief representative of the Lord, dealt with in 921, 2777, 2811, 4489. This being so, the holiness of worship is meant by 'making an altar to God'.