Genesis 35:4
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.

NASB 1995
So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.

NASB 1977
So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.

Legacy Standard Bible
So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.

Amplified Bible
So they gave Jacob all the [idols and images of the] foreign gods they had and the rings which were in their ears [worn as charms against evil], and Jacob buried them under the oak tree near Shechem.

Christian Standard Bible
Then they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and their earrings, and Jacob hid them under the oak near Shechem.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and their earrings, and Jacob hid them under the oak near Shechem.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
So everyone gave Jacob their idols and their earrings, and he buried them under the oak tree near Shechem.

English Revised Version
And they gave unto Jacob all the strange 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
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.

Good News Translation
So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that they had and also the earrings that they were wearing. He buried them beneath the oak tree near Shechem.

International Standard Version
So they handed over to Jacob all their foreign gods on which they had been depending, along with the rings that they were wearing on their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak that grew near Shechem.

Majority Standard Bible
So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.

NET Bible
So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem

New Heart English Bible
So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their possession, and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak that was near Shechem.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they gave to Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and the ear-rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

World English Bible
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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they give to Jacob all the gods of the stranger that [are] in their hand, and the rings that [are] in their ears, and Jacob hides them under the oak which [is] by Shechem;

Young's Literal Translation
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;

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will give to Jacob all the strange gods which are in their hand and the earrings which are in their ears, and Jacob will hide them under the turpentine tree which is in Shechem.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, they gave him all the foreign gods which they had, and the earrings which were in their ears. And then he buried them under the terebinth tree, which is beyond the city of Shechem.

New American Bible
They gave Jacob all the foreign gods in their possession and also the rings they had in their ears and Jacob buried them under the oak that is near Shechem.

New Revised Standard Version
So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak that was near Shechem.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So they gave to Jacob all the strange gods that were in their possession, and the earrings that were in their ears; and Jacob buried them under the oak which was by Shechem.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they gave to Yaquuv all their foreign gods that were in their hands and the earrings in their ears, and Yaquuv buried them under the Oak that was with Shekeem.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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 terebinth which was by Shechem.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they gave to Jacob the strange gods, which were in their hands, and the ear-rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the turpentine tree which is in Secima, and destroyed them to this day.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Returns to Bethel
3Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem. 5As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.…

Cross References
Exodus 32:2-4
So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” / Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. / He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

Joshua 24:23
“Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”

Judges 10:16
So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.

1 Samuel 7:3-4
Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” / So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD.

2 Kings 23:4-6
Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests second in rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. And he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. / Josiah also did away with the idolatrous priests ordained by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem—those who had burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. / He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.

Isaiah 2:20
In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship.

Isaiah 30:22
So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, “Be gone!”

Ezekiel 20:7-8
And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ / But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

Hosea 14:3
Assyria will not save us, nor will we ride on horses. We will never again say, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our own hands. For in You the fatherless find compassion.”

Zephaniah 1:4-5
“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests— / those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom,

Acts 19:18-19
Many who had believed now came forward, confessing and disclosing their deeds. / And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.

1 Corinthians 10:14
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

2 Corinthians 6:16-17
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” / “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Galatians 4:8-9
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. / But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

Ephesians 5:11
Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.


Treasury of Scripture

And they gave to 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.

ear-rings.

Exodus 32:2-4
And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me…

Judges 8:24-27
And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) …

Hosea 2:13
And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

hid them.

Exodus 32:20
And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

Deuteronomy 7:5,25
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire…

Isaiah 2:20
In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;

the oak.

Joshua 24:25,26
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem…

Judges 9:6
And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

Jump to Previous
Buried Earrings Ear-Rings Ears Foreign Gods Hand Hands Hid Holy Jacob Oak Rings Shechem Strange Stranger Terebinth Tree
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Buried Earrings Ear-Rings Ears Foreign Gods Hand Hands Hid Holy Jacob Oak Rings Shechem Strange Stranger Terebinth Tree
Genesis 35
1. God commands Jacob to go to Bethel.
2. He purges his house of idols.
6. He builds an altar at Bethel.
8. Deborah dies at Allon Bacuth.
9. God blesses Jacob at Bethel.
10. Jacob Named Israel.
16. Rachel travails of Benjamin, and dies in the way to Edar.
22. Reuben lies with Bilhah.
23. The sons of Jacob.
27. Jacob comes to Isaac at Hebron.
28. The age, death, and burial of Isaac.














So they gave Jacob
This phrase indicates a collective action by Jacob's household and those with him. The act of giving here is significant, as it represents a voluntary relinquishment of items that were contrary to the worship of Yahweh. In Hebrew, the word for "gave" is "נָתַן" (natan), which implies a transfer of possession. This act of giving is a symbolic gesture of repentance and a turning away from idolatry, aligning with the covenantal relationship that Jacob and his family are to have with God.

all their foreign gods
The term "foreign gods" refers to idols or deities that were worshipped by the surrounding nations. In Hebrew, "foreign gods" is "אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר" (elohei hanekar). These gods were often associated with specific territories or peoples and were considered illegitimate in the worship of the one true God, Yahweh. The presence of these gods among Jacob's family suggests a syncretism that had crept into their practices, which needed to be purged to maintain purity in their worship.

and all their earrings
Earrings in the ancient Near Eastern context were not merely decorative but often held religious or superstitious significance. They could be amulets or charms associated with the worship of these foreign gods. The Hebrew word for earrings is "נֶזֶם" (nezem), which can also imply a ring or nose ring. By giving up these items, Jacob's household was renouncing any spiritual or superstitious ties they had with these objects, further signifying their commitment to Yahweh.

and Jacob buried them
The act of burying these items is a powerful symbol of renunciation and separation from past practices. In Hebrew, "buried" is "טָמַן" (taman), which means to hide or conceal. This burial underlines a decisive break from idolatry, as these objects are not just discarded but hidden away, never to be retrieved. It signifies a cleansing of the household and a fresh start in their journey with God.

under the oak
The oak tree, or "אֵלָה" (elah) in Hebrew, is often associated with significant events or covenants in the Bible. Oaks were seen as places of strength and endurance. By burying the foreign gods and earrings under the oak, Jacob is marking the spot as a place of transformation and renewal. It serves as a physical reminder of their commitment to God and the rejection of idolatry.

near Shechem
Shechem holds historical and spiritual significance in the biblical narrative. It is a place where God appeared to Abraham and promised the land to his descendants (Genesis 12:6-7). By choosing this location, Jacob is connecting his family's act of purification with the promises of God to his forefathers. Shechem becomes a place of covenant renewal, where the family of Jacob reaffirms their dedication to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

(4) Earrings.--Earrings seem to have been worn not so much for ornament as for superstitious purposes, being regarded as talismans or amulets. Hence it was from their earrings that Aaron made the golden calf (Exodus 32:2-4).

The oak.--Not Abraham's oak-grove (Genesis 12:6), referred to probably in Judges 9:6; Judges 9:37--the Hebrew word in these three places being elon--but that under which Joshua set up his pillar of witness (Joshua 24:26), the tree being in both these places called allah, or elah, a terebinth. . . .

Verse 4. - And they gave mate Jacob all the strange gods - Rosenmüller thinks these must have been many, since the historian would not otherwise have used the term כֹּל - which were in their hand (i.e. which they possessed), and all their earrings which were in their ears; - i.e. those employed for purposes of idolatrous worship, which were often covered with allegorical figures and mysterious sentences, and supposed to be endowed with a talismanic virtue (Judges 8:21; Isaiah 3:20; Hosea 2:13) - and Jacob hid them - having probably first destroyed them, since they do not appear to have been ever after sought for or resumed by the parties who gave them up (Hughes) - under the oak which was by Shechem. Whether the oak, or terebinth, under which Abraham once pitched his tent (Genesis 12:6), that beneath whose shade Joshua afterwards erected his memorial pillar (Joshua 24:26), the oak of the sorcerers (Judges 9:37), and the oak of the pillar at Shechem (Judges 9:6) were all the tree under which Jacob buried the images and earrings cannot with certainty be determined, though the probability is that they were.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So they gave
וַיִּתְּנ֣וּ (way·yit·tə·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

Jacob
יַעֲקֹ֗ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

their
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

foreign
הַנֵּכָר֙ (han·nê·ḵār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5236: That which is foreign, foreignness

gods
אֱלֹהֵ֤י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

and [all their] earrings,
הַנְּזָמִ֖ים (han·nə·zā·mîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5141: A ring (worn as an ornament)

and Jacob
יַעֲקֹ֔ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

buried
וַיִּטְמֹ֤ן (way·yiṭ·mōn)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2934: To hide, conceal

them under
תַּ֥חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

the oak
הָאֵלָ֖ה (hā·’ê·lāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 424: An oak, other strong tree

near
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

Shechem.
שְׁכֶֽם׃ (šə·ḵem)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7927: Shechem -- 'ridge', a district in Northern Palestine, also a son of Hamor


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OT Law: Genesis 35:4 They gave to Jacob all the foreign (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 35:3
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