Genesis 31:14-15

31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance ¹  in our father’s house? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted ²  the money paid for us! ³ 

Genesis 31:1

Jacob’s Flight from Laban

31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining, ⁴  “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich ⁵  at our father’s expense!” ⁶ 

Genesis 20:1

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ⁷  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ⁸  in Gerar,

Colossians 3:21

3:21 Fathers, ⁹  do not provoke ¹⁰  your children, so they will not become disheartened.

[31:14]  ¹ tn The two nouns may form a hendiadys, meaning “a share in the inheritance” or “a portion to inherit.”

[31:15]  ² tn Heb “and he devoured, even devouring.” The infinitive absolute (following the finite verb here) is used for emphasis.

[31:15]  ³ tn Heb “our money.” The word “money” is used figuratively here; it means the price paid for Leah and Rachel. A literal translation (“our money”) makes it sound as if Laban wasted money that belonged to Rachel and Leah, rather than the money paid for them.

[31:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying.”

[31:1]  ⁵ sn The Hebrew word translated “gotten rich” (כָּבוֹד, cavod) has the basic idea of “weight.” If one is heavy with possessions, then that one is wealthy (13:2). Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph all became wealthy when they left the promised land. Jacob’s wealth foreshadows what will happen to Israel when they leave the land of Egypt (Exod 12:35-38).

[31:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “and from that which belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.”

[20:1]  ⁷ tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[3:21]  ⁹ tn Or perhaps “Parents.” The plural οἱ πατέρες (Joi patere", “fathers”) can be used to refer to both the male and female parent (BDAG 786 s.v. πατήρ 1.a).

[3:21]  ¹⁰ tn Or “do not cause your children to become resentful” (L&N 88.168). BDAG 391 s.v. ἐρεθίζω states, “to cause someone to react in a way that suggests acceptance of a challenge, arouse, provoke mostly in bad sense irritate, embitter.”