Genesis 34-35

28 Jan 2026 - Theology

Genesis 34-35 - Rachel’s Idols

Genesis 34

Genesis 34:30 - “And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, ‘Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.’ And they said, ‘Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?’”

This was not the correct thing to say on Jacob’s part. This goes to show that no one, not even Jacob the patriarch, is perfect after wrestling with the Lord God - sin does not go away once you believe in Him and are justified as righteous by faith.

However, despite Jacob’s mistake, we see that God still pursues him in Genesis 35.

Genesis 35

Genesis 35:6 - “ So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.”

Jacob returned to the same exact place where he wrestled with God in Genesis 32. He builds another altar there, and names the place El-beth-el, meaning ‘the God of Beth-el’ (7).

Genesis 35:10 - “And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.”

God changes Jacob’s name to Israel here, but haven’t we already seen this?

Genesis 32:28 - “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”

Genesis 35:15 - “And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.”

We have definitely seen this before (in fact, twice before) - once already with Jacob, and once before that with Abraham.

Genesis 28:19 - “And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.”

Genesis 12:8 - “And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.”

Rachel’s Idols

Genesis 31:19 - “And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.”

After Jacob used magic to trick Laban in Genesis 30 and get a larger and more valuable flock, Jacob is forced to flee. We read here in Genesis 31 that Rachel has stolen the images (idols) of her father. Laban then pursues Jacob and accuses him of stealing the idols (31:30).

Genesis 31:31 - “And Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee.’ For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.”

Laban searched the tents of Jacob and his family, but could not find the idols, for Rachel had hidden them in furniture and was sitting on them (31:34).

Genesis 31:35 - “And she [Rachel] said to her father, ‘Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me.’ And he searched but found not the images.

Laban believes his daughter Rachel, and so he does not find the idols. Moving back to Genesis 35, we see that Jacob asks his household to give him any foreign idols they may have.

Genesis 35:2 - “Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:”

Genesis 35:4 - “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.”

Rachel later dies giving birth to a son, whom Rachel names Ben-oni (meaning, ‘the son of my sorrow’). Jacob instead names him Benjamin, meaning ‘the son of the right hand’ (35:18-19). When Jacob later retells this story to his son Joseph in Genesis 48, we see something interesting.

Genesis 48:7 (ESV) - “As for me [Jacob], when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

The phrase ‘to my sorrow’ could also mean ‘to my fault’. Does Jacob take responsibility here for Rachel’s death because of the curse he put on whoever stole Laban’s idols (remember he didn’t know at the time)?

References

1. The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
2. The BEMA Podcast, Episode 14: Grappling with God, Part 2
3. The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)