Genesis 35:2
So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jacob's command to "put away the foreign gods" isn't just about outward idols, but also a recognition that his family, and even the servants acquired in Shechem, were steeped in foreign spiritual practices that needed to be cleansed. This wasn't just an order for his immediate household but a spiritual house-cleaning for everyone connected to him, preparing them for communion with the one true God.
Following a brutal act of violence by his sons and the subsequent flight from the city of Shechem, Jacob and his household are divinely instructed to return to Bethel to worship God. In preparation for this sacred journey and to present themselves before God, Jacob commands his entire household to remove all idols and emblems of foreign worship, purify themselves, and change their garments as outward signs of their inward commitment.
Jacob's command is sharp and immediate: 'Put away the strange gods.' Why such a strong reaction, and what do these 'gods' represent for us today?
Jacob's directive in Genesis 35:2 isn't just about physical idols. The 'strange gods' or 'gods of the stranger' could refer to Laban's teraphim that Rachel stole, idols acquired from the spoils of Shechem, or even the lingering superstitions of his Mesopotamian servants. Regardless of their origin, their presence signified divided loyalty.
A Challenge to Exclusive Worship
Jacob didn't just demand the idols be removed; he also commanded purification and a change of clothes. What do these outward actions signify?
The command to 'be clean' and 'change your garments' goes beyond mere hygiene. These were powerful symbolic acts meant to prepare Jacob's household for encountering God at Bethel.
Visible Signs of Invisible Change
Understand the original words
taher · Hebrew Verb
To make clean or ceremonially holy. In a biblical context, it involves removing impurities or idols to prepare for an encounter with the holy presence of God.
elohei hannekar · Hebrew Noun phrase
Deities or idols of surrounding pagan nations that were worshipped instead of, or alongside, the true God. They represent spiritual adultery and rebellion against the covenant relationship with Yahweh.
This command from Jacob wasn't just about tidying up; it was a radical spiritual reset. It followed the violent destruction of Shechem, a traumatic event that left Jacob's family vulnerable and exposed. The 'strange gods' were likely a mix of idols brought from Mesopotamia, those acquired in Canaan, and possibly even objects from the spoils of Shechem. Jacob's call for purification and new garments symbolizes a sincere turning away from foreign worship and a preparation to meet God in a holy way, especially as they prepared to worship at Bethel, a place already sacred to him.
c. 1750 BC
Jacob flees Laban
Jacob flees his father-in-law Laban, taking many possessions and servants, some of whom may have brought their idols with them.
c. 1740 BC— this verse
Rape of Dinah and destruction of Shechem
Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, violently avenge the rape of their sister Dinah by the prince of Shechem, leading to the slaughter of the city's men and Jacob's subsequent fear of reprisal.
c. 1740 BC
Jacob ordered to Bethel
God commands Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar, prompting Jacob to first address idolatry within his household.
c. 1740 BC
Jacob's family purifies themselves
This passage shows a similar command for the Israelites to purify themselves and change their garments before encountering God at Mount Sinai, highlighting the consistent theme of ritual cleansing before divine presence.
Joshua 24:23Joshua echoes Jacob's command to 'put away the strange gods' and 'incline your heart unto the Lord,' demonstrating the ongoing struggle against idolatry within Israel and the importance of choosing exclusive devotion to God.
1 Samuel 7:3When Samuel calls Israel to repentance, he instructs them to 'put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth,' showing a parallel to Jacob's action in removing foreign gods and emphasizing the necessity of forsaking idolatry for spiritual renewal.
Romans 12:2This New Testament passage calls believers not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewal of their minds, paralleling Jacob's command for a complete inner and outer purification away from foreign influences.
2 Corinthians 6:17The apostle Paul urges believers to 'come out from them and be separate,' echoing the sentiment of Genesis 35:2 by commanding a decisive break from the defilements associated with the world and its false gods.
clarkeGenesis 35:2: "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:"
Put away the strange gods - אלהי הנכר elohey hannechar, the gods of the foreigners, which were among them. Jacob's servants were all Syrians, and no doubt were addicted less or more to idolatry and superstition. These gods might belong to them, or, as some have conjectured, they were the teraphim which Rachel stole; but these h…
calvinGenesis 35:1-29: "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."
Et filii Zilpah ancillae Leah, Gad et Aser. Isti sunt filii Iahacob, qui nati sunt in Padan Aram.
And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
Et venit Iahacob ad Ishac patrem suum in Mamre civitatem Arbah: h…
Jacob's command to "put away the foreign gods" isn't just about outward idols, but also a recognition that his family, and even the servants acquired in Shechem, were steeped in foreign spiritual practices that needed to be cleansed. This wasn't just an order for his immediate household but a spiritual house-cleaning for everyone connected to him, preparing them for communion with the one true God.
Following a brutal act of violence by his sons and the subsequent flight from the city of Shechem, Jacob and his household are divinely instructed to return to Bethel to worship God. In preparation for this sacred journey and to present themselves before God, Jacob commands his entire household to remove all idols and emblems of foreign worship, purify themselves, and change their garments as outward signs of their inward commitment.
Following a brutal act of violence by his sons and the subsequent flight from the city of Shechem, Jacob and his household are divinely instructed to return to Bethel to worship God. In preparation for this sacred journey and to present themselves before God, Jacob commands his entire household to remove all idols and emblems of foreign worship, purify themselves, and change their garments as outward signs of their inward commitment.
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Jacob instructs his household and servants to put away foreign gods, purify themselves, and change their garments before their journey to Bethel.
c. 1740 BC
Jacob's return to Bethel
Jacob and his family arrive at Bethel, where God reaffirms His covenant promises to Jacob and renames him Israel.
c. 1733 BC
Death of Isaac
Jacob's father Isaac dies. This event occurs later than the purification at Bethel but is often recounted in chronological sequence.
"So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments." — Jacob's command to "put away the foreign gods" isn't just about outward idols, but also a recognition that his family, and even the servants acquired in Shechem, were steeped in foreign spiritual pra…
