Genesis 31:17-21

31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. ¹  31:18 He took ²  away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. ³ 

31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ⁴  Rachel stole the household idols ⁵  that belonged to her father. 31:20 Jacob also deceived ⁶  Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. ⁷  31:21 He left ⁸  with all he owned. He quickly crossed ⁹  the Euphrates River ¹⁰  and headed for ¹¹  the hill country of Gilead.

[31:17]  ¹ tn Heb “and Jacob arose and he lifted up his sons and his wives on to the camels.”

[31:18]  ² tn Heb “drove,” but this is subject to misunderstanding in contemporary English.

[31:18]  ³ tn Heb “and he led away all his cattle and all his moveable property which he acquired, the cattle he obtained, which he acquired in Paddan Aram to go to Isaac his father to the land of Canaan.”

[31:19]  ⁴ tn This disjunctive clause (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new scene. In the English translation it may be subordinated to the following clause.

[31:19]  ⁵ tn Or “household gods.” Some translations merely transliterate the Hebrew term תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim) as “teraphim,” which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but it is more likely that they were viewed simply as protective deities. See M. Greenberg, “Another Look at Rachel’s Theft of the Teraphim,” JBL 81 (1962): 239-48.

[31:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “stole the heart of,” an expression which apparently means “to deceive.” The repetition of the verb “to steal” shows that Jacob and Rachel are kindred spirits. Any thought that Laban would have resigned himself to their departure was now out of the question.

[31:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.

[31:21]  ⁸ tn Heb “and he fled.”

[31:21]  ⁹ tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.

[31:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:21]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he set his face.”