Genesis 31:19
17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.
20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
- KJV
- And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.
- WEB
- Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.
- ASV
- Now Laban was gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father`s.
- DARBY
- And Laban had gone to shear his sheep. And Rachel stole the teraphim that [belonged] to her father.
- BLB
- And Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the teraphim that belonged to her father.
- ÅB
- Men Laban hadde dratt bort for å klippe sauene sine; da stjal Rakel sin fars husguder.
- OTB
- Mens Laban hadde dratt for å klippe sin flokk, tok Rakel sin fars husguder.
- B1930
- Men Laban hadde draget bort for å klippe sine får; da stjal Rakel sin fars husguder.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Samuel 19:13
And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
Read in contextHosea 3:4
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
Read in contextGenesis 31:30
And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
Read in contextEzekiel 21:21
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
Read in contextGenesis 35:2
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
Read in contextGenesis 31:34
Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
Read in contextJudges 17:4–5
Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.
Read in contextGenesis 31:32
With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
Read in context