Genesis 31:20-24

31:20 Jacob also deceived ¹  Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. ²  31:21 He left ³  with all he owned. He quickly crossed ⁴  the Euphrates River ⁵  and headed for ⁶  the hill country of Gilead.

31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. ⁷  31:23 So he took his relatives ⁸  with him and pursued Jacob ⁹  for seven days. ¹⁰  He caught up with ¹¹  him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, ¹²  “Be careful ¹³  that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.” ¹⁴ 

[31:20]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Heb “fleeing,” which reflects Jacob’s viewpoint.

[31:21]  ³ tn Heb “and he fled.”

[31:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “he arose and crossed.” The first verb emphasizes that he wasted no time in getting across.

[31:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “the river”; the referent (the Euphrates) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “he set his face.”

[31:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “and it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.”

[31:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “drew close to.”

[31:24]  ⁹ tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24]  ¹¹ tn Heb “lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 29, is uncertain. Since Laban proceeded to speak to Jacob at length, it cannot mean to maintain silence. Nor does it seem to be a prohibition against criticism (see vv. 26-30). Most likely it refers to a formal pronouncement, whether it be a blessing or a curse. Laban was to avoid saying anything to Jacob that would be intended to enhance him or to harm him.