What Does Genesis 35:2 Mean in the King James?
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:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse’s transformation runs through a subtractive sequence: release rival claims, cleanse, and exchange the covering.
THE MEANING
Whatever competes for your allegiance is addressed as something that can be put away; cleansing follows release, and a changed garment makes the shift visible. The verse holds inner clearing and outward change together in the present.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It dissolves the belief that renewal means accumulating spiritual layers, showing a movement of release, cleansing, and exchange.
THE ROOT
וְהַחֲלִיפוּ
vehachalifu
GROWS FROM
חלף
to pass, exchange, or change
The verb naming the garment change is חלף (chalaph), whose range includes passing and exchanging. The same root describes strength being renewed in Isaiah 40:31, giving this garment exchange a resonance of renewal.
ALSO GROWS
renew: renew or exchange
יַחֲלִיפוּ
Isaiah 40:31 uses this same root for strength being renewed, linking change with renewal.
pass away: pass away
יַחֲלֹף
Isaiah 2:18 uses the root for idols passing away, echoing the release of rival gods in this verse.
הָסִירוּ
hasiru
GROWS FROM
סור
to turn aside, depart, or remove
The root carries movement away: what is put away departs from the place it occupies. Since the gods are described as being “among you,” the command reaches what is present within the household, not only what is distant.
ALSO GROWS
turn aside: turn aside or depart
סוּר
The root’s basic movement helps show that putting away includes turning from what had been followed.
remove: cause to depart; remove
הֵסִיר
This causative form shares the root of הָסִירוּ (hasiru), the command to make the rival objects depart.
וְהִטַּהֲרוּ
vehitaharu
GROWS FROM
טהר
to be clean or pure; to purify
“be clean” in this verse is vehitaharu. The form here means to purify yourselves or become clean. Following removal, it names a distinct cleansing movement within the same passage.
ALSO GROWS
tahor: clean or pure
טָהוֹר
This form names the clean state toward which the household is moving.
purify: cleanse or make pure
טִהֵר
This verb shows the same root as an active process of cleansing, not merely a label for purity.
THE PATTERN
Renewal takes form as rival claims are released, cleansing occurs, and a changed covering appears.
Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel.Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.THE THREAD
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.In Genesis, the garments are changed through חלף (chalaph, exchange or pass); here that same root says “renew their strength.” The shared verb lets the clothing change carry the resonance of renewal, as what is old gives way.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us