Genesis 35:4

Genesis 35:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.

Context of Genesis 35:4

2So Jacob said to his family and those who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods which you have, wash yourselves until you are ritually clean, and change your clothes. 3Then let’s go to Bethel. I will make an altar there to God, who answered me when I was troubled and who has been with me wherever I’ve gone.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that they had in their possession as well as the earrings that they had on. Jacob buried these things under the oak tree near Shechem. 5As they moved on, God made the people of the cities that were all around them terrified so that no one pursued them. 6Jacob and all the people who were with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.

Genesis 35:4 word by word

וַיִּתְּנ֣וּ אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֗ב אֵ֣ת כָּל־אֱלֹהֵ֤י הַנֵּכָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיָדָ֔ם וְאֶת־הַנְּזָמִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּטְמֹ֤ן אֹתָם֙ יַעֲקֹ֔ב תַּ֥חַת הָאֵלָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִם־שְׁכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And they gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• unto Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• all the strangeנֵכָרnêkâr · foreignH5236
• godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• in their handיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027
• earringsנֶ֫זֶםnezem · ringH5141
• in their earsאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · earH241
• hidטָמַןţâman · to hideH2934
• them under the oakאֵלָה'êlâh · oakH424
• by Shechemשְׁכֶםshekem · ShechemH7927

Cross-references for Genesis 35:4

• Exodus 32:2Aaron said to them, “Have your wives, sons, and daughters take off the gold earrings they are wearing, and bring them to me.”
• Judges 8:24Then Gideon said to them, “Do me a favor. Each of you give me the earrings from your loot.” (Their enemies, the Ishmaelites, wore gold earrings.)
• Hosea 2:13I will punish her for all the times she burned incense as an offering to other gods—the Baals. She put on her rings and jewelry, and she chased after her lovers. She forgot me,” declares the Lord.
• Exodus 32:20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it, ground it into powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.
• Deuteronomy 7:5But this is what you must do to these people: Tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah, and burn their idols.
• Isaiah 2:20On that day people will throw to the moles and the bats the silver and gold idols that they made for themselves to worship.
• Isaiah 30:22Then you will dishonor your silver-plated idols and your gold-covered statues. You will throw them away like clothing ruined by stains. You will say to them, “Get out!”
• Joshua 24:25That day Joshua made an agreement for the people and set up laws and rules for them at Shechem.
• Judges 9:6All the citizens from Shechem and Beth Millo united. They went to the oak tree that was still standing in Shechem and proclaimed Abimelech king.

Commentaries on Genesis 35:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And - ear-rings which were in their ears - Whether these rings were in the ears of the gods, or in those of Jacob's family, we may rest assured that they were not mere ornaments, but served for superstitious purposes. Ear-rings were certainly worn as amulets and charms, first consecrated to some god, or formed under some constellation, on which magical characters and images were drawn. A very ancient and beautiful one of this kind brought from Egypt, cut…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-29Verses 1-29 - The Death of Isaac 8. דברה deborâh Deborah, “bee.” בּכוּת אלּון 'alôn -bākût Allon-bakuth, “oak of weeping.” 16. כברה kı̂brâh “length stretch.” A certain but unknown distance, a stadium or furlong (Josephus) a hippodrome (Septuagint) which was somewhat longer, a mile (Kimchi). אפרת 'ephrâth Ephrath, “fruitful or ashy.” 18. בן־אוני ben -'ônı̂y Ben-oni, “son of my pain.” בנימין bı̂nyāmı̂yn Binjamin, “son of the right hand.” 19. לחם בית…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-4Jacob vowed to fully devote himself to the Lord (28:20–22). To establish this devotion, his family had to get rid of all pagan idols and stop worshiping other gods. God allows no rivals. Only the Lord could be their God (compare Joshua 5:1–9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods ... and earrings--Strange gods, the "seraphim" (compare Ge 31:30), as well, perhaps, as other idols acquired among the Shechemite spoil--earrings of various forms, sizes, and materials, which are universally worn in the East, and, then as now, connected with incantation and idolatry (compare Ho 2:13). The decided tone which Jacob now assumed was the probable cause of the alacrity with which those favorite…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 35:4

• Altar
• Beth-El
• Ear-Ring
• Iconoclasm
• Idolatry
• Jacob
• Jewels
• Oak
• Polytheism
• Teraphim

In the dictionaries

• Jacob
• Shechem
• Jacob, Israel
• Strange Gods
• Change
• Earrings
• Elm
• Hard
• Jotham
• Meonenim

Commentaries on Genesis 35

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings