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)
Jacob doesn't just tell them to get rid of idols; he calls them "foreign gods." This highlights that these aren't just random trinkets, but objects belonging to other peoples, revealing a deeper impurity within his own household that needs cleansing before they can approach God.
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)
Following a traumatic and violent incident in Shechem involving his sons and the city's inhabitants, God calls Jacob to return to Bethel to recommit to Him. In preparation for this sacred journey and encounter, Jacob instructs his entire household, including servants and perhaps even the captives from Shechem, to purge themselves of all idolatrous practices, symbolizing a renewed devotion to the one true God. This command sets the stage for Jacob's reaffirmation of his covenant with God at Bethel.
Jacob's call to his household is stark: 'Put away the foreign gods.' What does this mean for us today?
Jacob's command isn't just about physical idols. It's about anything that takes the place of God in our lives.
What are 'Foreign Gods'?
When Jacob says 'the gods of the stranger,' he's highlighting that these loyalties are not from the true God and don't align with His ways.
Jacob didn't just say 'get rid of the idols.' He added specific instructions for purification and changing clothes. Why?
The call to 'be clean and change your garments' goes beyond mere hygiene. It's about symbolizing a profound internal transformation.
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Symbolic Actions, Real Change:
This highlights that true worship involves both a change of heart and a visible commitment to that 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 directive from Jacob highlights a crucial moment of spiritual cleansing and commitment before re-engaging with God's promises. It shows that even as God's chosen family, remnants of surrounding idolatry had infiltrated their lives, necessitating a decisive break before proceeding further in their journey of faith and toward fulfilling God's covenant.
c. 1750 BC
Jacob's Time in Haran
Jacob served Laban in Haran for twenty years, during which time he acquired wealth, married Leah and Rachel, and had many children and servants. Some of these servants, and possibly Rachel, brought household idols with them.
c. 1730 BC
Jacob's Return Journey
Jacob fled from Laban and began his journey back to Canaan. During this time, Rachel stole her father's idols, showing a continued adherence to the worship of foreign gods within Jacob's household.
c. 1730 BC
Confrontation at Shechem
Jacob and his family settled near Shechem. The city's inhabitants were later attacked and massacred by Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, after their sister Dinah was violated.
c. 1730 BC— this verse
God's Call to Bethel
Following the violence at Shechem and the resulting fear and insecurity, God appeared to Jacob and commanded him to go to Bethel and build an altar.
c. 1730 BC
Jacob's Purification of His Household
In response to God's command, Jacob instructs his entire household to put away foreign gods, purify themselves, and change their clothes before journeying to Bethel.
c. 1730 BC
Re-establishment at Bethel
Jacob and his family arrive at Bethel, where he builds an altar and God reaffirms His covenant promises, changing Jacob's name to Israel.
This passage directly echoes Jacob's command, showing Joshua telling the Israelites to put away foreign gods and serve the Lord, highlighting the enduring struggle against idolatry.
Exodus 19:10Here, God instructs Moses to have the Israelites purify themselves and change their garments before His appearance at Mount Sinai, mirroring the symbolic actions Jacob commanded for approaching God.
1 Samuel 7:3Samuel tells the Israelites to put away their foreign gods and serve the Lord only, demonstrating that this call for purification from idolatry was a recurring theme throughout Israel's history.
Isaiah 1:16The prophet Isaiah calls for washing and making oneself clean, urging people to put away evil deeds, which parallels Jacob's command for outward purification as a symbol of inner cleansing.
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 doesn't just tell them to get rid of idols; he calls them "foreign gods." This highlights that these aren't just random trinkets, but objects belonging to other peoples, revealing a deeper impurity within his own household that needs cleansing before they can approach God.
Following a traumatic and violent incident in Shechem involving his sons and the city's inhabitants, God calls Jacob to return to Bethel to recommit to Him. In preparation for this sacred journey and encounter, Jacob instructs his entire household, including servants and perhaps even the captives from Shechem, to purge themselves of all idolatrous practices, symbolizing a renewed devotion to the one true God. This command sets the stage for Jacob's reaffirmation of his covenant with God at Bethel.
Following a traumatic and violent incident in Shechem involving his sons and the city's inhabitants, God calls Jacob to return to Bethel to recommit to Him. In preparation for this sacred journey and encounter, Jacob instructs his entire household, including servants and perhaps even the captives from Shechem, to purge themselves of all idolatrous practices, symbolizing a renewed devotion to the one true God. This command sets the stage for Jacob's reaffirmation of his covenant with God at Bethel.
"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 doesn't just tell them to get rid of idols; he calls them "foreign gods." This highlights that these aren't just random trinkets, but objects belonging to other peoples, revealing a deeper im…
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Last reviewed October 2026