Genesis 35 · Verse 2

Genesis 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:

Genesis 35:2, King James Version

Genesis 35:2 in other translations

BSB	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.
WEB	Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
ASV	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:
YLT	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;
DARBY	And Jacob said to his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strangegods that are among you, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments;
BBE	Then Jacob said to all his people, Put away the strange gods which are among you, and make yourselves clean, and put on a change of clothing:
Webster	Then Jacob said to 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:

What does Genesis 35:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

2. Then Jacob said unto his household ... Put away the strange gods that are among you--Hebrew, "gods of the stranger," of foreign nations. Jacob had brought, in his service, a number of Mesopotamian retainers, who were addicted to superstitious practices; and there is some reason to fear that the same high testimony as to the religious superintendence of his household could not have been borne of him as was done of Abraham (Ge 18:19). He might have been too negligent hitherto in winking at these evils in his servants; or, perhaps, it was not till his arrival in Canaan, that he had learnt, for the first time, that one nearer and dearer to him was secretly infected with the same corruption (Ge 31:34). Be that as it may, he resolved on an immediate and thorough reformation of his household; and in commanding them to put away the strange gods, he added, be clean, and change your garments--as if some defilement, from contact with idolatry, should still remain about them. In the law of Moses, many ceremonial purifications were ordained and observed by persons who had contracted certain defilements, and without the observance of which, they were reckoned unclean and unfit to join in the social worship of God. These bodily purifications were purely figurative; and as sacrifices were offered before the law, so also were external purifications, as appears from the words of Jacob; hence it would seem that types and symbols were used from the fall of man, representing and teaching the two great doctrines of revealed truth--namely, the atonement of Christ and the sanctification of our nature.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 2 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 have already been supposed to be astrological tables, or something of this kind, called by Laban his gods, because by them he supposed he could predict future events, and that they referred to certain astral and planetary intelligences, by whose influences sublunary things were regulated. But it is more natural to suppose that these gods found now in Jacob's family were images of silver, gold, or curious workmanship, which were found among the spoils of the city of Shechem. Lest these should become incitements to idolatry, Jacob orders them to be put away. Be clean, and change your garments - Personal or outward purification, as emblematical of the sanctification of the soul, has been in use among all the true worshippers of God from the beginning of the world. In many cases the law of Moses more solemnly enjoined rites and ceremonies which had been in use from the earliest ages. "A Hindoo considers those clothes defiled in which he has been employed in business, and always changes them before eating and worship." - Ward.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 35:1-5

Chapter Outline God commands Jacob to go to Beth-el, He puts away idols from his family. (1-5) Jacob builds an altar, Death of Deborah, God blesses Jacob. (6-15) Death of Rachel. (16-20) Reuben's crime, The death of Isaac. (21-29) Verses 1-5 Beth-el was forgotten. But as many as God loves, he will remind of neglected duties, one way or other, by conscience or by providences. When we have vowed a vow to God, it is…

Read the full comment on Genesis 35:1-5 →

Genesis 35:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559

יַעֲקֹב֙ya.'a.KoJacobH3290

אֶל\־'el-toH413

בֵּית֔וֹbei.Tohousehold hisH1004

וְאֶ֖לve.'Eland toH413

כָּל\־kol-allH3605

אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhoH834

עִמּ֑וֹi.Mo[were] with himH5973

הָסִ֜רוּha.Si.ruremoveH5493

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

אֱלֹהֵ֤י'e.lo.Hei[the] gods ofH430

הַנֵּכָר֙ha.ne.Khar<the> foreignnessH5236

אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834

בְּתֹכְכֶ֔םbe.to.khe.Khemin midst of youH8432

וְהִֽטַּהֲר֔וּve.hi.ta.ha.Ruand purify yourselvesH2891

וְהַחֲלִ֖יפוּve.ha.cha.Li.fuand changeH2498

שִׂמְלֹתֵיכֶֽם\׃sim.lo.tei.Khemclothes yourH8071

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 35:2

Exodus 19:14
And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
Exodus 19:10
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
Ezekiel 18:31
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Hebrews 10:22
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Joshua 24:23
Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.
2 Corinthians 7:1
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
1 Peter 2:1-2
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Genesis 18:19
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Ezekiel 36:25
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
1 Samuel 7:3
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

unto his.
18:19; Jos 24:15; Ps 101:2-7
strange.
31:19,34; Ex 20:3,4; 23:13; De 5:7; 6:14; 7:25; 11:28; 32:16; Jos 23:7
Jos 24:2,20,23; Jud 10:16; Ru 1:15; 1Sa 7:3; 2Sa 7:23; 2Ki 17:29
1Ch 16:26; Jer 5:7; 16:20; Da 5:4; Ac 19:26; 1Co 10:7; 2Co 6:15-17
Ga 4:8
clean.
22; 34:2,24,25; Ex 19:10,14; Le 15:5; 17:16; Nu 31:24; 2Ki 5:10,12,13
Job 1:5; Ps 51:2,7; Ec 5:1; Isa 1:16; 52:11; Jer 13:27; Eze 18:31
Eze 20:7; 36:25; Joh 13:10,11; 2Co 7:1; Heb 10:22; Jas 4:8
1Pe 2:1,2; Jude 1:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Genesis 35:1
And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth–el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
Genesis 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:
Genesis 35:3
And let us arise, and go up to Beth–el; 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.

Read all of Genesis 35

Genesis 35:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Entonces Jacob dijo á su familia y á todos los que con él estaban: Quitad los dioses ajenos que hay entre vosotros, y limpiaos, y mudad vuestros vestidos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et Jacob dit à sa maison et à tous ceux qui étaient avec lui: Ôtez les dieux étrangers qui sont au milieu de vous, et purifiez-vous, et changez vos vêtements;
German Elberfelder 1871	Da sprach Jakob zu seinem Hause und zu allen, die bei ihm waren: Tut die fremden Götter hinweg, die in eurer Mitte sind, und reiniget euch und wechselt eure Kleider;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Jacob vero convocata omni domo sua, ait: Abjicite deos alienos qui in medio vestri sunt, et mundamini, ac mutate vestimenta vestra.