Genesis 35:4 · Bible study
Genesis 35:4 Commentary: Why Bury Instead of Destroy?
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Commentators question why Jacob buried foreign gods and earrings under an oak instead of destroying them. Was it a failure or proper disposal?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jacob’s household surrenders foreign gods and earrings; Jacob buries them under an oak as part of purification before journeying to Bethel.
- Key words: foreign gods (אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר, deities of foreignness); rings (נְּזָמִים, earrings or nose rings worn as amulets); hid (וַיִּטְמֹן, buried, concealed with intention).
- Main debate: Did Jacob act rightly by burying the idols, or should he have destroyed them (as later law required)? Calvin sees infirmity; others see a culturally appropriate disposal.
- Theological theme: Purification of the household as prerequisite for covenant worship; the cost of exclusive loyalty to God.
- Best use: A sermon or lesson on repentance, the hidden nature of idolatry, and the need for concrete actions to break with sin.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they gave unto Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hand, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And they give unto Jacob all the gods of the stranger that are in their hand, and the rings that are in their ears, and Jacob hideth them under the oak which is by Shechem;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they gave to Jacob all the strangegods that were in their hand, and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the terebinth that [is] by Shechem.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Así dieron á Jacob todos los dioses ajenos que había en poder de ellos, y los zarzillos que estaban en sus orejas; y Jacob los escondió debajo de una encina, que estaba junto á Sichêm.
Assim deram a Jacó todos os deuses alheios que havia em poder deles, e os brincos que estavam em suas orelhas; e Jacó os escondeu debaixo de um carvalho, que estava junto a Siquém.
Ils donnèrent à Jacob tous les dieux étrangers qui étaient entre leurs mains, et les anneaux qui étaient à leurs oreilles. Jacob les enfouit sous le térébinthe qui est près de Sichem.
Da gaben sie ihm alle fremden Götter, die unter ihren Händen waren, und ihre Ohrenspangen; und er vergrub sie unter einer Eiche, die neben Sichem stand.
Toen gaven zij Jakob al die vreemde goden, die in hun hand waren, en de oorsierselen, die aan hun oren waren, en Jakob verborg ze onder den eikeboom, die bij Sichem is.
Ed essi dettero a Giacobbe tutti gli dei stranieri ch’erano nelle loro mani e gli anelli che avevano agli orecchi; e Giacobbe li nascose sotto la quercia ch’è presso a Sichem.
A oddali Jakóbowi wszystkie bogi cudze, które mieli, i nausznice, które były na uszach ich, i zakopał je Jakób pod onym dębem, który był niedaleko Sychem.
И отдали Иакову всех богов чужих, бывших в руках их, и серьги, бывшие в ушах у них, и закопал их Иаков под дубом, который близ Сихема. [И оставил их безвестными даже до нынешнего дня.]
他們就把 外邦人 的神像 和 他們耳朵上 的 環子 交 給 雅各；雅各 都藏 在 示劍 那裡 的橡樹 底下。
Then they gave to Jacob all the strange gods which they had, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob put them away under the holy tree at Shechem.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 35:4
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the basic sequence: Jacob’s household surrendered all foreign gods and earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem. The earrings were not simply ornaments. Adam Clarke describes them as amulets or charms, engraved with magical symbols and consecrated to pagan deities, a view echoed by the Cambridge Bible, which notes they were “worn as charms.” Matthew Henry and Keil & Delitzsch see the burial as part of a larger purification before the family’s journey to Bethel to fulfill Jacob’s vow. But on the question of why Jacob chose burial instead of destruction (as later figures like Moses and Hezekiah did), commentators diverge. John Calvin views it as a sign of Jacob’s infirmity, a lack of thoroughness that God nevertheless accepted. Gill and Keil, by contrast, suggest Jacob may have broken the idols first, and that burial under a sacred oak was a fitting way to remove them from circulation. No one defends the idols; the point of contention is whether Jacob’s method was adequate or flawed. The consensus holds that the act itself, purging the household, was essential and right.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Jacob’s infirmity / incomplete obedience: Calvin and JFB argue that burying instead of destroying shows a lack of zeal; later Scripture commands burning and grinding (Deuteronomy 7:5; Exodus 32:20). The fact that Jacob hid them under a tree might have left them recoverable.
- Appropriate ritual disposal: Keil and Gill note that Jacob likely broke the idols first, and that burial under a sacred oak was a culturally understood way of removing them from use. The text nowhere condemns Jacob, and his journey to Bethel proceeds with God’s blessing.
What is clear: Jacob purged his household of idolatrous objects before proceeding to Bethel to worship God, fulfilling his long-delayed vow.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the earrings | They were more than ornaments; they carried religious or superstitious significance (amulets, charms, or inscribed with idol symbols). | Clarke and Cambridge specify they were talismans used in idolatry. Others (e.g., Keil) leave open the possibility they were simply typical earrings worn by the family, but given the context of foreign gods, they were likely tainted. |
| Jacob’s act of burying vs. destroying | Jacob removed the idols from his household. He did not keep them or redistribute them. The burying was a final act of disposal. | Calvin and JFB interpret the burial as a failure of nerve, Jacob should have burned or ground them, as later commandments require. Keil and Gill suggest he may have broken them first, and that burial under a sacred tree was a fitting removal. |
| Significance of the oak | The oak (or terebinth) near Shechem was a well-known landmark, associated with earlier patriarchs (Abraham) and later covenant ceremonies (Joshua). | Cambridge and Poole connect it to Joshua’s oak and the idolatry later confronted there. Gill and others note that oaks were often considered sacred and thus a place where no one would dig up the idols. Calvin does not comment on the tree’s significance, focusing on the inadequacy of hiding. |
| Jacob’s leadership in this episode | Jacob gave a direct command for the whole household to purify themselves. The family obeyed promptly. | Was Jacob strong or weak? Calvin says the fear of danger (after the Shechem massacre) motivated both his command and the family’s compliance. Others (Henry, Keil) see it as a genuine spiritual renewal, Jacob finally dealing with the idols he had tolerated for years. |
| Connection to later destruction commands | The text does not explicitly condemn Jacob, and he moves forward to worship at Bethel. God accepts his action. | Some traditions (Reformed, via Calvin) see this as a partial obedience that later scripture corrects. Others (e.g., Wesley, Clarke) find no criticism implicit, viewing the burial as appropriate for the time and culture. The question remains whether Jacob set a good example for Israel. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Genesis 35 sits at a hinge in Jacob’s story. The preceding chapter (Genesis 34) recounts the rape of Dinah and the violent revenge of Simeon and Levi, which left Jacob’s family vulnerable to attack from surrounding Canaanite cities. In verse 1, God commands Jacob to go up to Bethel and build an altar there, a call both to fulfill the vow Jacob made years earlier (Genesis 28:20-22) and to move his household to safety. Bethel was the place where Jacob had first encountered God in a dream.
The items surrendered in verse 4 reflect the religious world Jacob’s family inhabited. The “foreign gods” likely include the teraphim (household idols) that Rachel stole from Laban (Genesis 31:19), as well as objects taken as plunder from Shechem. The earrings were not mere jewelry. Across the ancient Near East, earrings (and nose rings) were often worn as amulets, inscribed with symbols of local deities and believed to offer magical protection. Adam Clarke points to a surviving example from Egypt: a cornelian earring too small for a human finger, engraved with “strange characters and images.” The Cambridge Bible links such rings to the “earrings of enchantments” condemned in Hosea 2:13.
Jacob buries these objects under “the oak” (or terebinth) near Shechem. This particular tree had a long sacred history: Abraham had camped there (Genesis 12:6), and Joshua would later set up a covenant stone under the same oak (Joshua 24:26). By burying the idols at its roots, Jacob put them in a place associated with divine encounter, and likely out of reach for anyone who might retrieve them. The oak itself was a landmark, a visible monument to the family’s decision to leave idolatry behind.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Masoretic Text is stable across manuscript witnesses. The Septuagint (LXX) renders the Hebrew closely, and the Vulgate follows the same sense. No alternative readings affect the interpretive question of why Jacob buried rather than destroyed the idols.
Reception History
Christian interpreters have long debated Jacob’s action here. John Calvin (16th century) saw the burial as evidence of Jacob’s “infirmity” and lack of thoroughness, a defect that God nevertheless overlooked. The Geneva Bible notes likely follow a similar line. On the other hand, Matthew Henry (18th century) treats the episode as a model of family reformation: the idols are removed, and the household prepares for worship. Adam Clarke (Methodist, 19th century) supplies a parallel from Augustine (Epistle 73) describing ear amulets worn “for the service of demons,” emphasizing the seriousness of what Jacob was removing. Jewish tradition, reflected in a note by Gill, tells of an idol in the form of a dove that later Samaritans unearthed and set on Mount Gerizim, a story that underscores the danger of merely burying rather than destroying. The oak itself became a remembered site; Joshua later used the same tree for a covenant renewal ceremony (Joshua 24:26), linking Jacob’s burial of idols to Israel’s ongoing struggle with idolatry.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Purification before worship. Jacob does not go to Bethel until the idols are gone. God’s call to come near is also a call to let go.
- Small objects, big allegiances. The earrings were small, but they represented devotion to other powers. Sin often hides in what we treat as harmless.
- Burial as finality. Jacob hides the idols under an oak, out of sight and, he hopes, out of use. Repentance sometimes requires making it hard to return to old ways.
Five-point outline
- The context of danger (Dinah’s crisis) prepares the family to hear Jacob’s call.
- Jacob’s command to “put away foreign gods” addresses hidden as well as visible loyalties.
- The earrings show that idolatry can be woven into daily life and fashion.
- Burial under a sacred tree creates a lasting memorial of the family’s decision.
- The result: “the terror of God” protects them on the journey (verse 5).
Illustration hooks
- A couple clearing out a garage finds old boxes of items from a past relationship or a former lifestyle. Deciding not just to put them in the attic but to throw them away feels like a real break.
- A church discovers that a decorative banner uses symbols originally tied to a local cult. The congregation must decide: keep it as art, or remove it entirely.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it enough to “hide” sin, or must it be destroyed? What does true repentance require?
- Why does the Bible record Jacob’s incomplete action without condemning it?
- How do I identify the “foreign gods” in my own life, things I treat as harmless but that divide my heart?
Leading a Discussion
This verse describes a family preparing to meet God. After years of delay, Jacob finally leads his household to purge everything connected to other gods. The earrings may have seemed like mere ornaments, but they were bound up with superstition and idolatry. The question for small groups is not just “What did they give up?” but “What do we hold on to that competes with God?”
Discussion questions
- Read Genesis 35:1-4. Why does God call Jacob to Bethel now, after so many years?
- What do the “foreign gods” and “earrings” tell us about the spiritual state of Jacob’s household?
- Jacob buries the idols instead of burning or smashing them. Does that bother you? Why do you think he did that?
- Compare this with Exodus 32:20 and Deuteronomy 7:5. What difference do you see in how later leaders handled idols?
- In your own life, what “small” things could be taking the place of your wholehearted devotion to God?
- How can we help each other identify and remove such things, without becoming judgmental?
- What does it mean to leave something “buried” for good? How do we prevent ourselves from digging it back up?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 32:2 | Aaron said to them, “Take off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.” |
| Exodus 32:4 | He received what they handed him, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molded calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” |
| Exodus 32:20 | He took the calf which they had made, and burned it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it. |
| Deuteronomy 7:5 | But you shall deal with them like this: you shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their engraved images with fire. |
| Deuteronomy 7:25 | You shall burn the engraved images of their gods with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourself, lest you be snared in it; for it is an abomination to Yahweh your God. |
| Joshua 24:25 | So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. |
| Joshua 24:26 | Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh. |
| Judges 8:24 | Gideon said to them, “I do have a request: that you would each give me the earrings of his plunder.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that these ear-rings were not simple jewelry but superstitious amulets. They had been consecrated to pagan gods and engraved with magical symbols, worn to serve demons rather than for ornament. He cites Augustine to support this view.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that fear of danger, not willing obedience, drove Jacob's household to surrender their idols. Suffering shakes people out of spiritual slumber, because superstition is stubborn in times of ease. He also observes that Jacob buried the idols instead of destroying them, which reflects his earlier weakness and incomplete reform.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator identifies the earrings not as simple jewelry but as pagan amulets or charms bearing symbols of foreign gods. This detail exposes the depth of idolatry still present among Jacob's household. The same oak at Shechem later becomes the site where Joshua confronts Israel's worship of strange gods.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The notes highlight how the people handed over not only their foreign gods but also their earrings, which were also associated with pagan worship. Jacob then buried everything under an oak at Shechem, marking a decisive, visible break from idolatry before moving forward in
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that the earrings given to Jacob were not ordinary jewelry but superstitious objects worn by idolaters, possibly bearing images of their gods. He also observes that Jacob buried the idols underground rather than melting them, implying they were made of common materials like wood or stone, not gold or silver.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that Jacob demanded not only foreign gods but also earrings, which in the East were linked to incantation and idolatry. The family surrendered them readily due to Jacob's firm stance. He buried them under a sacred oak, a place no one would dare disturb.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights that Jacob allowed ten years to pass before fulfilling his vow at Bethel, having tolerated foreign gods in his household out of weak consideration for his wives. God's command stirred him to finally put away those idols, purify his family, and bury the objects under a sacred tree. Only after this decisive turning to the Lord did God's protective terror fall on the surrounding cities.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Jacob's decade-long delay in fulfilling his Bethel vow was not neglect but necessary caution, waiting for full security from Esau and then from the Shechemite crisis. The call to Bethel now combines duty with danger: his overdue vow and his sons' violence make departure urgent. The household's purification from idols and fanaticism must precede thanksgiving.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that time had dulled Jacob's memory of his Bethel vow. Though God had given Jacob far more than promised, Jacob built an altar in Canaan but neglected the one he owed at Bethel, showing how easily present blessings erase past commitments.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that Jacob did not simply collect the foreign gods and earrings but buried them out of sight, likely in a place unknown to the people. This ensured the objects could not later be retrieved and reused, showing a decisive break with idolatry that removed both the temptation and the opportunity to return.