TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
Complete Jewish Bible
Then Ya'akov said to his household and all the others with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods that you have with you, purify yourselves, and put on fresh clothes.
Berean Standard Bible
So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.
American Standard Version
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments:
World English Bible Messianic
Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then saide Iaakob vnto his houshold and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and clense your selues, and change your garments:
Young's Literal Translation
And Jacob saith unto his household, and unto all who are with him, `Turn aside the gods of the stranger which are in your midst, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments;
See on the biblical-era map
In the KJVVerse 1,014 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Genesis 35 verses 1–5
1 ¶ And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
Here, I. God reminds Jacob of his vow at Beth-el, and sends him thither to perform it, Gen 35:1. Jacob had said in the day of his distress, If I come again in peace, this stone shall be God's house, Gen 28:22. God had performed his part of the bargain, and had given Jacob more than bread to eat and raiment to put on - he had got an estate, and had become two bands; but, it should seem, he had forgotten his vow, or at least had too long deferred the performance of it. Seven or eight years it was now since he came to Canaan; he had purchased ground there, and had built an altar in remembrance of God's last appearance to him when he called him Israel (Gen 33:19, Gen 33:20); but still Beth-el is forgotten. Note, Time is apt to wear out the sense of mercies and the impressions made upon us by them; it should not be so, but so it is. God had exercised Jacob with a very sore affliction in his family (ch. 34), to see if this would bring his vow to his remembrance, and put him upon the performance of it, but it had not this effect; therefore God comes himself and puts him in mind of it: Arise, go to Beth-el. Note, 1. As many as God loves he will remind of neglected duties, one way or other, by conscience or by providences. 2. When we have vowed a vow to God, it is best not to defer the payment of it (Ecc 5:4), yet better late than never. God bade him go to Beth-el and dwell there, that is, not only go himself, but take his family with him, that they might join with him in his devotions. Note, In Beth-el, the house of God, we should desire to dwell, Psa 27:4. That should be our home, not our inn. God reminds him not expressly of his vow, but of the occasion of it: When thou fleddest from the face of Esau. Note, The remembrance of former afflictions should bring to mind the workings of our souls under them, Psa 66:13, Psa 66:14.
II. Jacob commands his household to prepare for this solemnity; not only for the journey and remove, but for the religious services that were to be performed, Gen 35:2, Gen 35:3. Note, 1. Before solemn ordinances, there must be solemn preparation. Wash you, make you clean, and then come, and let us reason together, Isa 1:16-18. 2. Masters of families should use their authority for the promoting of religion in their families. Not only we, but our houses also, should serve the Lord, Jos 24:15. Observe the commands he gives his household, like Abraham, Gen 18:19. (1.) They must put away the strange gods. Strange gods in Jacob's family! Strange things indeed! Could such a family, that was taught the good knowledge of the Lord, admit them? Could such a master, to whom God had appeared twice, and oftener, connive at them? Doubtless this was his infirmity. Note, Those that are good themselves cannot always have those about them so good as they should be. In those families where there is a face of religion, and an altar to God, yet many times there is much amiss, and more strange gods than one would suspect. In Jacob's family, Rachel had her ִֶַ, which, it is to be feared, she secretly made some superstitious use of. The captives of Shechem brought their gods along with them, and perhaps Jacob's sons took some with the plunder. However they came by them, now they must put them away. (2.) They must be clean, and change their garments; they must observe a due decorum, and make the best appearance they could. Simeon and Levi had their hands full of blood, it concerned them particularly to wash, and to put off their garments that were so stained. These were but ceremonies, signifying the purification and change of the heart. What are clean clothes, and new clothes, without a clean heart, and a new heart? Dr. Lightfoot, by their being clean, or washing themselves, understands Jacob's admission of the proselytes of Shechem and Syria into his religion by baptism, because circumcision had become odious. 3. They must go with him to Bethel, Gen 35:3. Note, Masters of families, when they go up to the house of God, should bring their families with them.
III. His family surrendered all they had that was idolatrous or superstitious, Gen 35:4. Perhaps, if Jacob had called for them sooner, they would sooner have parted with them, being convicted by their own consciences of the vanity of them. Note, Sometimes attempts for reformation succeed better than one could have expected, and people are not so obstinate against them as we feared. Jacob's servants, and even the retainers of his family, gave him all the strange gods, and the ear-rings they wore, either as charms or to the honour of their gods; they parted with all. Note, Reformation is not sincere if it be not universal. We hope they parted with them cheerfully, and without reluctance, as Ephraim did, when he said, What have I to do any more with idols? (Hos 14:8), or that people that said to their idols, Get you hence, Isa 30:22. Jacob took care to bury their images, we may suppose in some place unknown to them, that they might not afterwards find them and return to them. Note, We must be wholly separated from our sins, as we are from those that are dead and buried out of our sight, cast them to the moles and the bats, Isa 2:20.
IV. He removes without molestation from Shechem to Bethel, Gen 35:5. The terror of God was upon the cities. Though the Canaanites were much exasperated against the sons of Jacob for their barbarous usage of the Shechemites, yet they were so restrained by a divine power that they could not take this fair opportunity, which now offered itself, when they were upon their march, to avenge their neighbours' quarrel. Note, The way of duty is the way of safety. While there was sin in Jacob's house, he was afraid of his neighbours; but now that the strange gods were put away, and they were all going together to Bethel, his neighbours were afraid of him. When we are about God's work, we are under special protection. God is with us, while we are with him; and, if he be for us, who can be against us? See Exo 34:24, No man shall desire thy land, when thou goest up to appear before the Lord. God governs the world more by secret terrors on men's minds than we are aware of.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–5. Public domain.
Copy as
Cyril of AlexandriaAD 444
GLAPHYRA ON GENESIS, 5.4
After he was called by God, Jacob ascends to Bethel, that is, to the house of God (this is how the name Bethel is interpreted), offers sacrifices to God and is declared chief and master of the holy rites. He teaches his successors and descendants how they must enter the house of God. He orders the foreign gods to be rejected like dung and filth and to change the garments. It is fitting for us to do likewise when we are called before God, or enter the divine temple, especially in the time of the holy baptism. We, as if we drive away the foreign gods and part from such error, must assert, “I refuse you, Satan, and all your pomp and all your worship.” We also must change completely our garment by stripping off “the old self that is corrupt through deceitful lusts” and by clothing ourselves with “the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to image of its Creator.” The women who were with Jacob took off their earrings. And in fact women by entering the house of God without wearing any carnal ornament and with loose hair remove from their head any accusation of pride. That is why, I believe, those women took off the precious stones they wore in their ears.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Genesis 35:2 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Genesis 35:2 records Jacob's pivotal command to his entire household and all accompanying him, initiating a profound spiritual and ritual purification. This divine directive was a crucial preparatory step for their journey to Bethel, the sacred site where God had previously appeared to Jacob and where he was now divinely instructed to erect an altar, signifying a renewed covenant commitment and a decisive break from any lingering idolatrous practices within his camp.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary devices. The most prominent is Imperative Mood, as Jacob issues direct commands ("Put away," "be clean," "change"), conveying the urgency and non-negotiable nature of the purification. Symbolism is deeply embedded in the actions commanded: "strange gods" symbolize anything that displaces God in one's life; "being clean" symbolizes spiritual purity and preparedness; and "changing garments" symbolizes a complete transformation, a shedding of the old self and an embracing of a consecrated new identity. There is also an implicit Contrast between the defiled state of the household (due to the presence of idols and the events at Shechem) and the desired state of purity necessary for approaching the holy God at Bethel. These devices collectively underscore the gravity of the moment and the radical transformation required.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jacob's command in Genesis 35:2 encapsulates fundamental theological principles that resonate throughout the biblical narrative. It powerfully asserts God's absolute holiness and His demand for exclusive worship, establishing that syncretism—the blending of devotion to Yahweh with pagan practices—is an affront to His nature. The necessity of purification, both ritual and spiritual, before approaching the divine is a foundational truth, demonstrating that a holy God cannot be casually encountered while clinging to defilement. This passage also highlights the ongoing need for covenant faithfulness and renewal, as believers are continually called to reaffirm their loyalty to God and separate themselves from anything that compromises their devotion.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 35:2 offers timeless and profound lessons for believers today, emphasizing the enduring necessity of spiritual cleansing and singular devotion to God. We are called to engage in a continuous process of self-examination, identifying and decisively "putting away" any "strange gods" that may have infiltrated our lives. These modern idols are often not physical statues but anything that subtly or overtly takes precedence over God—be it wealth, career, relationships, self-image, comfort, or even spiritual pride. This involves a conscious commitment to repentance, seeking forgiveness for sin, and actively pursuing a life consecrated solely to God. Just as Jacob's household prepared for a physical encounter with God at Bethel, we are to prepare our hearts for God's presence in our daily lives, in corporate worship, and through His Word. This preparation entails consciously separating ourselves from worldly defilements, cultivating purity of heart, and striving to live in a manner worthy of His calling, reflecting His holiness in every aspect of our being.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What were these "strange gods" and why were they present in Jacob's household?
Answer: The "strange gods" (Hebrew: elohim nekar) were likely household idols or teraphim, small images or figurines used for various purposes in ancient Near Eastern cultures, including divination, protection, or as symbols of family inheritance rights. Their presence in Jacob's household, despite Jacob's personal faith in Yahweh, suggests a lingering syncretism within his extended family. This was not uncommon, as individuals often brought their former religious practices and objects into new contexts. A notable example is Rachel's theft of Laban's teraphim in Genesis 31:19, indicating that idolatry was a real and persistent challenge even within the patriarchal families. Jacob's command highlights the ongoing struggle to maintain monotheistic purity amidst pervasive polytheistic influences, underscoring the importance of decisive separation from all forms of idolatry.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Genesis 35:2, with its imperative call for purification and separation from idols before encountering God, finds its profound and ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While Jacob's household underwent ritual cleansing and changed garments as an outward sign of an inward commitment, Christ offers a far more profound and lasting purification. He is the ultimate High Priest who, through His perfect sacrifice on the cross, provides the means for true spiritual cleansing, washing away the defilement of sin once and for all (Hebrews 9:14). Believers are not merely called to change their garments but to "put off the old man with his deeds" and "put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:9-10). This transformation is not achieved through external rituals but through an internal regeneration wrought by the Holy Spirit, making us clean and righteous in Christ. He is the true "Bethel," the "house of God," where God fully dwells among His people, and through Him, we are granted access to the Father, cleansed and consecrated not by human effort but by divine grace (Ephesians 2:18).