Genesis 35:2-3

GENESIS—NOTE ON Genesis 35:2 Jacob prepares his household for entering God’s presence: Bethel is the “house of God.” They must rid themselves of foreign gods, as emphasized in the first of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3). Rachel’s theft of her father’s household gods suggests that polytheistic beliefs existed within Jacob’s household. These must be abandoned. Jacob’s household must purify themselves (Genesis 35:2). This may explain Jacob’s final instruction to change garments (v. Genesis 35:2; see Exodus 19:10).