What does Genesis 35:6 mean?
In obedience to God's command, and to fulfill the vow he made the Lord more than 20 years earlier, Jacob and his whole company now arrive in Bethel (Genesis 35:1–3). This place was formerly known as Luz. Jacob stopped there while fleeing from his brother (Genesis 27:42). During the night, he was visited by God and given special blessings (Genesis 28:10–22).Jacob's family has completed the trip from Shechem, just to the north. They left this area after Simeon and Levi, two of Jacob's sons, slaughtered an entire town in retaliation for the rape of their sister (Genesis 34:25–27). God worked to change any impulse for further revenge in the local cities into fear (Genesis 35:5), allowing the relocation to happen without further incident.
Prior to leaving, Jacob buried the family's idols and religious trinkets. This physically symbolized their future dependence on God, and God alone (Genesis 35:4).
