Verses 8 and 9 describe the next moves Abram makes in Canaan. For many translators these references to Abram moving on will provide the most natural points for the division of the narrative into episodes: the transitions to new episodes will come at the end of verse 5 or the beginning of verse 6, then at the beginning of verse 8, and the beginning of Gen 12.9.

Thence he removed …: Thence, somewhat archaic in English, means “from that place.” We may translate “From there he moved on…” (New Revised Standard Version) or “After building the altar Abram moved again….” Abram’s moves involved breaking camp, loading animals, and driving herds. Languages that have special terms for pastoral or nomadic moving will want to employ these.

Mountain refers to the mountainous region or hill country running from north to south through the central part of the country. The direction of Abram’s move is from north to south, and so Good News Translation says “He moved on south to the hill country….” Bethel was a town about 32 kilometers (20 miles) north of Jerusalem. Ai was another town a very short distance east of Bethel.

Pitched his tent: pitched should be translated by a verb used for setting up a tent or putting up a temporary shelter. For tent see 9.21.

With Bethel on the west and Ai on the east may require restating; for example, “… between the towns of Bethel and Ai. To the west of his camp was Bethel and to the east was Ai.” West in Hebrew is “the sea,” a reference to the Mediterranean, which lies along the west side of the country. In some languages these directions will be given as “Bethel was where the sun goes down, and Ai was where the sun rises.” For background information on these towns, translators should consult a Bible dictionary.

And there is better expressed by Good News Translation as “There also,” as this is the second altar Abram built. For an altar to the LORD, see Gen 12.7.

And called on the name of the LORD occurs also in 4.26. See there for discussion.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .