So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The earrings weren't just jewelry; they were likely worn as amulets or charms, directly connected to superstitious practices and possibly bearing images of idols. Jacob didn't just discard these items; he buried them, signifying a deep desire to sever ties with the idolatry his household had embraced.
So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a brutal act of violence in the city of Shechem that has brought shame upon his family, Jacob is commanded by God to return to Bethel and re-establish his covenant there. In obedience, Jacob instructs his household to purge themselves of all foreign gods and ornaments, which they then give to him. Jacob personally buries these idols and jewelry, likely symbols of their past entanglements with paganism, under an oak tree near Shechem.
Jacob had settled down, perhaps a little too comfortably, near Shechem. But God's call to Bethel demanded a drastic house-cleaning. What are we holding onto that God wants us to let go of?
Jacob's family had accumulated 'strange gods' and associated jewelry. These weren't just trinkets; they represented a compromise with the pagan culture around them.
Embracing the Pagan
The Divine Ultimatum
God's command to go to Bethel wasn't just a relocation; it was a call back to purity and faithfulness. Jacob had to confront the foreign practices that had crept into his household, likely through his wives and the spoils of Shechem. The willingness of his family to give up these items, even the earrings, shows a deep-seated fear of God, especially after the recent traumatic events. It wasn't just Jacob's decision; it was a household repentance.
Jacob didn't destroy the idols and earrings; he hid them. What does this act reveal about his faith and the nature of sin?
Jacob's decision to bury the idols and earrings under the oak tree near Shechem is significant. It wasn't a public destruction, but a private disposal.
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A Pragmatic Faith?
The Danger of Lingering Attachments
Understand the original words
elah · Hebrew Noun
A large, prominent tree often associated with significant historical or religious events in the Old Testament, sometimes serving as a landmark for covenantal actions.
The act of hiding these idols and amulets signifies Jacob's decisive break from the idolatrous practices that had infiltrated his family, driven by a renewed commitment to God after the traumatic events at Shechem.
c. 1800 BC
Jacob's Covenant with Laban
Jacob flees his brother Esau and makes a covenant with Laban at Mizpah. He later works for Laban for twenty years, fathering twelve sons and one daughter.
c. 1780 BC— this verse
Raid on 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 the plunder of the city.
c. 1780 BC
Jacob's Return to Bethel
Following the incident at Shechem and a divine command, Jacob purifies his household and leads them to Bethel to re-establish his covenant with God.
c. 1770 BC
Death of Isaac
Jacob's father, Isaac, dies at the age of 180 and is buried by his sons, Jacob and Esau, marking the end of a patriarchal era.
Joshua also sets up a memorial stone under a great tree after renewing the covenant, mirroring Jacob's act of burying idolatrous objects under a tree as a significant act of devotion.
Judges 9:37This passage refers to the 'plain of Meonenim' (oak of enchanters) near Shechem, suggesting the very tree Jacob used became associated with superstitious practices, highlighting the lingering power of idolatry.
Hosea 2:13Hosea condemns Israel for their idolatry, specifically mentioning how they 'decorated themselves with earrings and jewels' for their lovers (Baal), connecting personal adornments to pagan worship, just as the earrings were likely used.
Exodus 32:2-4During the golden calf incident, the Israelites gave their earrings to Aaron, which were then melted down to create an idol, demonstrating how personal adornments could be repurposed for idolatrous worship.
Micah 5:13-14Micah prophesies a future judgment against idolatrous practices, including the destruction of 'graven images' and 'standing images,' echoing the need to remove and conceal such objects from the people.
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…
pooleGenesis 35:4: "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."
Either because they had been abused to idolatry and superstition at Shechem, or elsewhere, and therefore were to be destroyed according to God’s command, now signified to Jacob, and afterwards delivered to his posterity, Deu 7:5 12:3 ; or for fear they should be so abused. For the Scripture seems to insinu…
The earrings weren't just jewelry; they were likely worn as amulets or charms, directly connected to superstitious practices and possibly bearing images of idols. Jacob didn't just discard these items; he buried them, signifying a deep desire to sever ties with the idolatry his household had embraced.
Following a brutal act of violence in the city of Shechem that has brought shame upon his family, Jacob is commanded by God to return to Bethel and re-establish his covenant there. In obedience, Jacob instructs his household to purge themselves of all foreign gods and ornaments, which they then give to him. Jacob personally buries these idols and jewelry, likely symbols of their past entanglements with paganism, under an oak tree near Shechem.
Following a brutal act of violence in the city of Shechem that has brought shame upon his family, Jacob is commanded by God to return to Bethel and re-establish his covenant there. In obedience, Jacob instructs his household to purge themselves of all foreign gods and ornaments, which they then give to him. Jacob personally buries these idols and jewelry, likely symbols of their past entanglements with paganism, under an oak tree near Shechem.
"So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem." — The earrings weren't just jewelry; they were likely worn as amulets or charms, directly connected to superstitious practices and possibly bearing images of idols. Jacob didn't just discard these item…
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Last reviewed October 2026