God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel1, and settle there. Make an altar2 there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."
So Jacob said to his household and to all3 who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods4 that are among you, and purify yourselves,5 and change your clothes; then come, let us go up to Bethel, that I may make an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever6 I have gone." So they gave to Jacob all7 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.
As they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities all around them, so that no one pursued them.8 Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So it was called Allon-bacuth.
[1] Perhaps as a way out of the potential local strife?
[2] God reminds Jacob to worship.
[3] Not just his family, but his extended family group and servants.
[4] An explicit condemnation of the household gods that Rachel stole, which were never directly condemned in that passage. Perhaps also an indication of things that had entered their practices among the people here?
[5] Does "purify yourselves" refer to the putting away of the gods, or to additional acts of purification? Since it is followed by "change your clothes", I'm guessing that it's an additional purification ritual.
[6] Jacob takes God's command and makes it his own, expanding God to the one who has been with him "wherever" he has gone.
[7] They follow thoroughly.
[8] God hadn't promised anything when he gave the command to move, put away foreign gods, and build an alter to him. But when the people follow his commands, he protects them so that they may carry it out safely.
Take-home: The focus is brought back to God as he tells Jacob and his people to put away foreign gods, purify themselves, and move to a new place to worship him. They follow, and he protects them on their way. Further violence is avoided.
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