Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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Note, Reformation is not sincere if it be not universal. We hope they parted with them cheerfully, and without reluctance, as Ephraim did, when he said, What have I to do any more with idols? (Ho 14:8), or that people that said to their idols, Get you hence, Isa 30:22. Jacob took care to bury their images, we may suppose in some place unknown to them, that they might not afterwards find them and return to them.
Note, We must be wholly separated from our sins, as we are from those that are dead and buried out of our sight, cast them to the moles and the bats, Isa 2:20.
5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that
were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
He removes without molestation from Shechem to Bethel, Ge 35:5. The terror of God was upon the cities. Though the Canaanites were much exasperated against the sons of Jacob for their barbarous usage of the Shechemites, yet they were so restrained by a divine power that they could not take this fair opportunity, which now offered itself, when they were upon their march, to avenge their neighbours' quarrel.
Note, The way of duty is the way of safety. While there was sin in Jacob's house, he was afraid of his neighbours; but now that the strange gods were put away, and they were all going together to Bethel, his neighbours were afraid of him. When we are about God's work, we are under special protection. God is with us, while we are with him; and, if he be for us, who can be against us? See Ex 34:24, No man shall desire thy land, when thou goest up to appear before the Lord. God governs the world more by secret terrors on men's minds than we are aware of.
6 So Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Beth-
el, he and all the people that were with him.
7 And he built there an altar, and called the place El-beth-el [the God
of Beth-el]; because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.