Genesis 31:23-30

Context
31:23 So he took his relatives¹ with him and pursued Jacob² for seven days.³ He caught up with⁴ him in the hill country of Gilead. 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him,⁵ “Be careful⁶ that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.”⁷

31:25 Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too.⁸ 31:26 “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me⁹ and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war!¹⁰ 31:27 Why did you run away secretly¹¹ and deceive me?¹² Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps?¹³ 31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren¹⁴ good-bye. You have acted foolishly! 31:29 I have¹⁵ the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful¹⁶ that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’¹⁷ 31:30 Now I understand that¹⁸ you have gone away¹⁹ because you longed desperately²⁰ for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?”²¹

[31:23] ¹tn Heb “his brothers.”

[31:23] ²tn Heb “him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[31:23] ³tn Heb “and he pursued after him a journey of seven days.”

[31:23] ⁴tn Heb “drew close to.”

[31:24] ⁵tn Heb “said to him.”

[31:24] ⁶tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:24] ⁷tn 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.

[31:25] ⁹tn Heb “and Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban pitched with his brothers in the hill country of Gilead.” The juxtaposition of disjunctive clauses (note the pattern conjunction + subject + verb in both clauses) indicates synchronism of action.

[31:26] ¹³tn Heb “and you have stolen my heart.” This expression apparently means “to deceive” (see v. 20).

[31:26] ¹⁴tn Heb “and you have led away my daughters like captives of a sword.”

[31:27] ¹⁷tn Heb “Why did you hide in order to flee?” The verb “hide” and the infinitive “to flee” form a hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the other the adverb: “flee secretly.”

[31:27] ¹⁸tn Heb “and steal me.”

[31:27] ¹⁹tn Heb “And [why did] you not tell me so I could send you off with joy and with songs, with a tambourine and with a harp?”

[31:28] ²¹tn Heb “my sons and my daughters.” Here “sons” refers to “grandsons,” and has been translated “grandchildren” since at least one granddaughter, Dinah, was involved. The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[31:29] ²⁵tn Heb “there is to my hand.”

[31:29] ²⁶tn Heb “watch yourself,” which is a warning to be on guard against doing something that is inappropriate.

[31:29] ²⁷tn Heb “from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.” The precise meaning of the expression, which occurs only here and in v. 24, is uncertain. See the note on the same phrase in v. 24.

[31:30] ²⁹tn Heb “and now.” The words “I understand that” have been supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[31:30] ³⁰tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the certainty of the action.

[31:30] ³¹tn The infinitive absolute appears before the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of emotion involved.

[31:30] ³²sn Yet why did you steal my gods? This last sentence is dropped into the speech rather suddenly. See C. Mabee, “Jacob and Laban: The Structure of Judicial Proceedings,” VT 30 (1980): 192-207, and G. W. Coats, “Self-Abasement and Insult Formulas,” JBL 91 (1972): 90-92.