Genesis 31:30 - Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

Genesis 31:30

28 And you did not allow me ^ato kiss my sons and my daughters. Now ^byou have done foolishly in so doing.

29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the ^aGod of your father spoke to me ^blast night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’

30 And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you ^asteal my gods?”

31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was ^aafraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’

32 With whomever you find your gods, ^ado not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

34 Now Rachel had taken the¹ household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them.

35 And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot ^arise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the¹ household idols.

36 Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?

37 Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both!

Commentaries:

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

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Genesis 31:26-30

Laban said . . . What hast thou done?—Not a word is said of the charge (Genesis 31:1). His reproaches were of a different kind. His first charge was for depriving him of the satisfaction of giving Jacob and his family the usual salutations at parting. In the East it is customary, when any are setting out to a great distance, for their relatives and friends to accompany them a considerable way with music and valedictory songs. Considering the past conduct of Laban, his complaint on this ground was hypocritical cant. But his second charge was a grave one—the carrying off his gods—Hebrew, "teraphim," small images of human figures, used not as idols or objects of worship, but as talismans, for superstitious purposes.

**Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Genesis 31:30:**

Genesis 35:4
Numbers 22:13-15
Job 14:15
Psalms 84:2
Ezekiel 1:6
Hosea 3:4
Luke 22:15

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