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NASB | Genesis 35:4 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 2015 | Genesis 35:4 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. |
Bible Question: It states here that Jacob hid the foreign gods and rings under the oak. Any ideas on why he did this and did not burn them as was done in numerous other places in the bible? |
Bible Answer: MacArthur's NKJV Study Bible comments on these verses, "Put away the foreign gods. Moving to Bethel necessitated spiritual preparation beyond the level of an exercise in logistics. Possession of idolatrous symbols such as figurines, amulets, or cultic charms (v.4, "earrings") were no longer tolerable, including Rachel's troubling teraphim (31:19). Idols buried out of sight, plus bathing and changing to clean clothes, all served to portray both cleansing from defilement by idolatry and consecration of the heart to the Lord. It had been 8 or 10 years since his return to Canaan and, appropriately, time enough to clean up all traces of idolatry." It is possible that Jacob thought that 'burying them out of sight' would be better than burning or other form of disposing them, since the remnants of the idols would still be there even after burning. By burying them, Judah attempts to aid his family in forgetting them forever, since they will be no longer 'in sight'. |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Gen 35:4 | Author | ||
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prayon | ||
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Morant61 | ||
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Makarios |