Jacob Flees from Laban
Genesis 31:1-21
Gen.31.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישמע: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- לבן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- לקח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לאבינו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,1pl.poss
- ומאשר: CONJ+PREP+PRON,rel
- לאבינו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,1pl.poss
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- הכבד: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 30:43 (structural): Immediate narrative background: this verse describes Jacob's increase in wealth and flocks, which provokes the complaint by Laban's sons in Gen 31:1 that Jacob has taken their father's property.
- Genesis 27:36 (thematic): Esau's protest that Jacob 'took away my birthright' and 'now he hath taken away my father's blessing' echoes the theme of a kinsman accused of taking what belongs to the father/household, parallel to Laban's sons' accusation.
- Genesis 31:36-42 (allusion): Jacob's extended reply and defense recounting his twenty years of service and denying wrongful appropriation directly responds to the charge recorded in 31:1; the passage repeats the dispute over what Jacob 'took' from Laban's house.
- Genesis 31:43 (verbal): Laban's retort that 'these daughters are my daughters, these children are my children, and this cattle is my cattle' restates the same categories of possession (family and flocks) complained of by his sons in 31:1, echoing the exact claim about 'all that was our father's.'
Alternative generated candidates
- And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has made all this wealth.”
- And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken all that belongs to our father, and from what was our father’s he has made all this wealth.”
Gen.31.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וירא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- לבן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והנה: ADV
- איננו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl,neg
- עמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- כתמול: ADV
- שלשום: ADV
Parallels
- Genesis 31:7-9 (verbal): Jacob explicitly explains how Laban repeatedly changed his wages and dealt unfairly with him—an immediate expansion of the observation that Laban was 'no longer as before.'
- Genesis 31:41 (thematic): Jacob accuses Laban of changing his mind and persecuting him; the same theme of a host/relative whose attitude turns hostile appears later in Jacob’s speech.
- 1 Samuel 18:9-11 (thematic): Saul’s attitude toward David turns from favor to deadly jealousy—parallel in the sudden change from good will to hostility by a formerly friendly superior.
- Psalm 55:12-14 (thematic): The psalm laments betrayal by an intimate companion who once shared friendship and counsel—thematically similar to Jacob’s sense of a close relative’s altered face and betrayal.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as yesterday and the day before.
- And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as yesterday and the day before.
Gen.31.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שוב: ADV
- אל: NEG
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אבותיך: NOUN,m,pl,cons,2,m,sg
- ולמולדתך: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons,2,m,sg
- ואהיה: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- עמך: NOUN,m,sg,suff-2m
Parallels
- Gen.28:15 (verbal): God's earlier promise to Jacob: 'I am with thee, and will keep thee... I will not leave thee,' echoing the same assurance of divine presence given here.
- Exod.3:12 (verbal): God commissions Moses to return to Egypt and promises 'I will be with thee,' paralleling the command to return combined with the promise of God's presence.
- Deut.31:6,8 (verbal): God's reassurance to Israel's leaders—'He will not fail thee nor forsake thee; I will go with you'—reflects the same theme of divine accompaniment in times of relocation or mission.
- Josh.1:2-3,5 (thematic): The charge to Joshua to 'go over this Jordan' and possess the land, together with the promise 'I will never leave you nor forsake you,' parallels the call to return to ancestral territory accompanied by God's presence.
- Gen.12:1-3 (thematic): God's call to Abram to leave his country with promises of blessing and a future people resonates thematically with divine calls to relocate and the assurance of God's guidance and favor.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your birthplace, and I will be with you.”
- And the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your native land, and I will be with you.”
Gen.31.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ויקרא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לרחל: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וללאה: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- השדה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- צאנו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Gen.31:17-18 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: Jacob summons Rachel and Leah and then flees with them and his children and flocks — the call leads directly to departure.
- Gen.31:46-55 (thematic): Later in the chapter Jacob and Laban set up a covenant and heap as witnesses; Rachel and Leah figure as participants/witnesses to the household settlement that began when Jacob called them.
- Gen.35:2-3 (thematic): Jacob summons his household (wives, concubines, children) to purify themselves and go to Bethel — a similar patriarchal act of calling family/wives to witness and participate in a major covenantal/migratory move.
- Gen.32:7-8 (thematic): Jacob arranges/divides his people and flocks in preparation for meeting Esau — comparable attention to organizing family and flocks ahead of a critical encounter or change of location.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock,
- And Jacob sent and called for Rachel and Leah into the field to his flock.
Gen.31.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- להן: PREP+PRON,3,f,pl
- ראה: VERB,qal,imperat,2,m,sg
- אנכי: PRON,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אביכן: NOUN,m,sg,const+PRON,2,pl,f
- כי: CONJ
- איננו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl,neg
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- כתמל: ADV
- שלשם: ADV
- ואלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אבי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עמדי: PREP+1cs
Parallels
- Gen.39:3-4 (verbal): Potiphar (Joseph’s master) recognizes that ‘the LORD was with Joseph’ and treats Joseph favorably — a direct verbal and causal parallel: others perceive God’s presence and respond.
- Gen.26:28-29 (verbal): Abimelech and his advisers say ‘we see plainly that the LORD is with you’ about Isaac, prompting peaceful relations — like Jacob’s claim that the God of their father was with him and changed Laban’s stance.
- Gen.28:15 (thematic): God’s promise to Jacob ‘I am with you and will keep you wherever you go’ echoes the underlying theme that divine presence accompanies and alters human circumstances and relationships.
- 1 Sam.18:14 (thematic): ‘David behaved himself wisely... and the LORD was with him,’ resulting in esteem and favor — another example of God’s presence producing observable change in others’ treatment.
Alternative generated candidates
- and he said to them, “I see your father’s face, that it is not toward me as yesterday and the day before; yet the God of my father has been with me.
- And he said to them, “I see your father’s face, that it is not toward me as yesterday and the day before; but the God of my father has been with me.
Gen.31.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואתנה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- ידעתן: VERB,qal,perf,2,f,pl
- כי: CONJ
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כחי: NOUN,m,sg,poss,1,sg
- עבדתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אביכן: NOUN,m,sg,poss,2,f,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 29:20 (thematic): Earlier account of Jacob’s long service to obtain Rachel — establishes the pattern of labor and personal devotion that underlies his claim to have served Laban fervently.
- Genesis 31:38–41 (structural): Immediate context of 31:6: Jacob’s extended defense recounting twenty years of service, hardship, and Laban’s changing of wages — a direct expansion of the claim that he worked with all his strength.
- Genesis 30:25–43 (thematic): Earlier negotiations and the arrangements over flocks and wages show the concrete labor and cunning by which Jacob worked under Laban, providing background to his assertion of wholehearted service.
- Deuteronomy 6:5 (verbal): Uses the formula 'with all.../בכל־...' (heart/soul/might). The phrasing parallels the language of wholehearted effort ('with all my power') and highlights the idiom of total commitment, here applied to service to God.
- Joshua 24:14–15 (thematic): Calls for sincere, whole‑hearted service (to Yahweh). Serves as a thematic contrast: Jacob’s statement of having served Laban 'with all my power' can be set against Israelite ideals of faithful service to God.
Alternative generated candidates
- And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father.
- And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father.
Gen.31.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואביכן: NOUN,m,sg,pr.2fp
- התל: VERB,hithpael,perf,3,m,sg
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- והחלף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- משכרתי: NOUN,m,sg,pr.1cs
- עשרת: NUM,card,ten,cons
- מנים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ולא: CONJ
- נתנו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- להרע: VERB,qal,inf
- עמדי: PREP+1cs
Parallels
- Genesis 30:25-43 (structural): The narrative that sets up Jacob’s wages arrangement (the speckled/lopped animals) and the origin of the dispute over his pay—the background to 31:7.
- Genesis 31:36-42 (verbal): Jacob’s extended speech to Laban repeats the complaint that Laban cheated him and emphasizes that God prevented Laban from harming him (restates and expands 31:7).
- Genesis 31:2 (thematic): God’s command to Jacob to return because He has seen how Laban treated him—connects divine awareness and protection in the face of injustice mentioned in 31:7.
- Psalm 121:7-8 (thematic): Affirms the LORD’s protection from harm and evil; parallels the claim that God would not permit Laban to hurt Jacob.
- Romans 8:28 (thematic): Paul’s claim that God works for good from adverse circumstances resonates with the idea that God intervened to prevent harm despite Laban’s cheating.
Alternative generated candidates
- And your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to harm me.
- And your father has deceived me and has changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to do me harm.
Gen.31.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- כה: ADV
- יאמר: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- נקדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- שכרך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- וילדו: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- הצאן: NOUN,m,sg,def
- נקדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- ואם: CONJ
- כה: ADV
- יאמר: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- עקדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- יהיה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- שכרך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- וילדו: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- הצאן: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עקדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 30:37-43 (verbal): Describes Jacob’s use of striped and speckled rods and the resulting speckled/striped offspring — the background technique and causal claim that underlies the conditional wages arrangement in 31:8.
- Genesis 31:7 (structural): Immediate parallel within the same speech: Jacob recounts Laban’s changing of the agreement and repeats the conditional formulation about which animals would count as his wages.
- Genesis 30:28-31 (thematic): Earlier bargaining between Jacob and Laban over flocks and wages; establishes the contractual framework and shifting terms that lead to the conditional allocation of animals in 31:8.
- Deuteronomy 24:14-15 (thematic): Legal injunctions about fair treatment and timely payment of hired workers’ wages — thematically related to the dispute over what constituted Jacob’s rightful wages from Laban.
Alternative generated candidates
- If thus he would say, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled; and if thus he would say, ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked.
- If thus he said, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled; and if thus he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped.
Gen.31.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויצל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- מקנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אביכם: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,mp
- ויתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Gen.30:43 (thematic): Reports Jacob’s prosperity and growth of Laban’s flocks under Jacob’s care—background to Laban’s claim that God gave the livestock to Jacob.
- Gen.31:12–13 (quotation): God’s dream-word to Jacob, promising to give Laban’s livestock to him; directly explains Laban’s assertion that God took his flocks and gave them to Jacob.
- Gen.31:36–42 (verbal): Jacob’s later reply recounts his faithful service and repeats the claim that God took Laban’s cattle and gave them to Jacob—essentially the same claim in Jacob’s words.
- Exod.3:21–22 (thematic): God’s transfer of wealth from one people to another (Egypt’s wealth given to Israel) parallels the motif of divine reallocation of possessions.
- Deut.8:17–18 (thematic): Warning against claiming human credit for prosperity; emphasizes that it is God who gives the ability to acquire wealth—connects to the theme that Jacob’s increase came from God’s action.
Alternative generated candidates
- So God took away the livestock of your father and gave it to me.
- And God has taken away the livestock of your father and has given them to me.
Gen.31.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- בעת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הצאן: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואשא: VERB,qal,impf,1,?,sg
- עיני: NOUN,f,pl,cons+1s
- וארא: VERB,qal,impf,1,?,sg
- בחלום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והנה: ADV
- העתדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- העלים: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,pl
- על: PREP
- הצאן: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עקדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- נקדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- וברדים: CONJ+ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 30:37-43 (verbal): Same motif and language about ringstraked, speckled, and grisled animals; these verses describe Jacob’s method (peeling rods) and background for how such markings came about in the flocks.
- Genesis 31:11-13 (structural): Immediate literary continuation — God interprets the dream and commissions Jacob to return to the land of his fathers; the divine speech follows directly from the dream-vision in v.10.
- Genesis 28:10-15 (thematic): Another theophanic dream given to Jacob (Bethel) in which God appears with promises and instructions; parallels the function of dreams as means of divine revelation and guidance.
- Genesis 37:5-10 (thematic): Joseph’s prophetic dreams illustrate the recurring biblical motif of dreams disclosing future events and God’s will, similar in function to Jacob’s dream in 31:10.
- Judges 6:36-40 (thematic): Gideon’s use of a fleece as a sign (wet/dry) echoes the broader motif of animal-related signs and markings serving as divine confirmation, paralleling the significance attached to the flocks’ markings in Gen 31:10.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass, at the time when the flock was in heat, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream—and behold, the male goats that were mounting the flock were streaked, speckled, and dappled.
- And it came to pass at the time when the flock was in heat, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the he-goats mounting the flock were striped, speckled, and mottled.
Gen.31.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- מלאך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בחלום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ואמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- הנני: PRT+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Exod.3.4 (verbal): God calls Moses from the burning bush and Moses answers 'Here I am' (Heb. הִנֵּנִי), the same responsive formula as Jacob's 'הנני'.
- 1 Sam.3.4-10 (verbal): The LORD calls the boy Samuel at night; Samuel repeatedly responds 'Here I am' (הנני) before receiving a prophetic word—parallel in call-and-response language and setting.
- Isa.6.8 (verbal): Isaiah's 'Here am I; send me' uses the same 'hineni' motif of prophetic availability—a verbal and thematic echo of Jacob's response to a heavenly address.
- Gen.28.12-15 (thematic): Earlier Jacob experiences a dream/vision at Bethel in which God/angel speaks promises to him—paralleling the motif of a nocturnal divine appearance and message.
- Judg.13.3-22 (thematic): An angel of the LORD appears to Manoah's wife (and later to Manoah) with instructions concerning Samson—another instance of angelic visitation and divine communication to individuals.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’
- And the angel of God said to me in the dream, “Jacob.” And I said, “Here I am.”
Gen.31.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שא: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- נא: PART
- עיניך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+2ms
- וראה: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- כל: DET
- העתדים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- העלים: PART,qal,ptc,m,pl,def
- על: PREP
- הצאן: NOUN,m,sg,def
- עקדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- נקדים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- וברדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כי: CONJ
- ראיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לבן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.30:37-43 (verbal): Same breeding imagery (ringstraked, speckled, grizzled animals) and Jacob’s husbandry scheme that produces the marked flocks; provides the narrative background for the rams mentioned in 31:12.
- Gen.31:11-13 (quotation): Immediate context: God speaks to Jacob in a dream, tells him to 'lift up your eyes' and to observe the rams, and declares 'I have seen all that Laban has done'—the same words and episode as v.12.
- Exod.3:7-8 (thematic): God says 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people' and moves to act on their behalf—parallel formula of divine sight of injustice and impending divine intervention.
- Ps.33:13-15 (thematic): The motif that the LORD 'looks down from heaven' and 'sees all' echoes the idea that God observes human affairs (here, Laban's treatment of Jacob) and is aware of wrongdoing.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see: all the male goats that are mounting the flock are streaked, speckled, and dappled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
- And he said, “Lift up now your eyes and see: all the he-goats mounting the flock are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.”
Gen.31.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אנכי: PRON,1,sg
- האל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- אשר: PRON,rel
- משחת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- שם: ADV
- מצבה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- נדרת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- שם: ADV
- נדר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עתה: ADV
- קום: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- צא: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- מן: PREP
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- ושוב: CONJ+VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מולדתך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,poss,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.28:10-22 (verbal): The original Bethel episode: Jacob anointed a stone, made a vow to God, and named the place Bethel — language and the vow that God refers to in 31:13 come directly from this account.
- Gen.35:1-7 (verbal): A later reprise in which God again commands Jacob to go to Bethel, build an altar, and purify his household; repeats the summons to depart/return and renews the Bethel tradition.
- Gen.12:1-4 (thematic): Abram’s call to 'go from your country' parallels the motif of divine commissioning to leave one land and go to another — here God tells Jacob to arise and return to his kindred/land.
- Hosea 12:4-5 (allusion): A prophetic summary of Jacob’s encounters with God that locates God at Bethel and recalls Jacob’s covenant experiences there, echoing the Bethel reference in 31:13.
Alternative generated candidates
- I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”},{
- “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land, and return to your native land.”
Gen.31.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותען: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,pl
- רחל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ולאה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותאמרנה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,pl
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- העוד: PART,interrog
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- חלק: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ונחלה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- אבינו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prsuf1pl
Parallels
- Genesis 31:15 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same speech—Rachel and Leah expand the complaint, asking whether they count as foreigners and whether their children and flocks are treated as Laban’s; directly linked contextually to v.14's question about a portion and inheritance.
- Numbers 27:1-11 (thematic): The daughters of Zelophehad petition for a share of their father’s inheritance—an explicit legal/thematic parallel of women asserting rights to family property when male heirs or fair disposition are at issue.
- Ruth 4:6-12 (thematic): Boaz’s redemption and transfer of land and family-line responsibility highlight concerns about property, inheritance, and the continuation of a household—echoing Rachel and Leah’s question about having a portion in their father’s house.
- Deuteronomy 21:15-17 (thematic): Legal stipulations protecting inheritance rights (e.g., the rights of the firstborn) reflect the larger ancient Near Eastern background for disputes over portions and family shares raised by Rachel and Leah.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still for us a portion and an inheritance in our father’s house?
- And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
Gen.31.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הלוא: PART
- נכריות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- נחשבנו: VERB,niphal,perf,1,pl
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- מכרנו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ויאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- גם: ADV
- אכול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- כספנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,pl
Parallels
- Genesis 31:14-16 (structural): Immediate context: Rachel and Leah confront Laban, asking whether there is any portion or inheritance for them in their father's house and accusing him of having treated/sold them — directly expands the charge in v.15.
- Genesis 29:15-30 (thematic): Earlier episode of Laban's bargaining over labor, wives and daughters: shows the household economy in which daughters are transferred through negotiation and service, providing background for Laban's remark about having ‘sold’ them.
- Genesis 37:27-28 (thematic): Joseph is sold by his brothers — a parallel motif of a family member being sold and the moral/betrayal implications of treating kin as transferable property.
- Exodus 21:7 (allusion): Legal provision about a father selling his daughter as a servant — offers legal/cultural background for speaking of daughters in terms of sale or transfer of rights within the household.
Alternative generated candidates
- Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has indeed consumed our silver.
- Are we not counted by him as foreigners? For he sold us, and has indeed devoured our silver.”
Gen.31.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- כל: DET
- העשר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הציל: VERB,hif,perf,3,m,sg
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מאבינו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,prsuf1pl
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- ולבנינו: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,pl
- ועתה: CONJ
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אליך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Exodus 12:36 (thematic): God causes a foreign people to give their wealth to his chosen (Israel plundering Egypt), paralleling the idea that God took wealth from Laban and gave it to Jacob's household.
- Psalm 105:37 (thematic): Recalls God bringing his people out 'with silver and gold,' echoing the motif of divine transfer of riches to God's people.
- Deuteronomy 8:18 (thematic): Affirms that God is the one who grants the power to acquire wealth, supporting the claim that their prosperity is from God’s action.
- Genesis 30:43 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel: earlier account of Jacob's prospering flocks under God's blessing, which is the background for Rachel and Leah's statement.
- Deuteronomy 5:32 (verbal): The injunction to do exactly what the LORD has commanded echoes the closing clause 'now all that God has said to you, do it.'
Alternative generated candidates
- For all the wealth that God has taken away from our father is ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”
- “For all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now, whatever God has said to you—do.”
Gen.31.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקם: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- וישא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- בניו: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- ואת: CONJ
- נשיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs,3,m
- על: PREP
- הגמלים: NOUN,m,pl,def
Parallels
- Gen.31.20 (verbal): Immediate context: verse 20 reports that Jacob 'stole away' from Laban, and verse 17 repeats the action of rising and carrying his wives and children—continuation and close verbal/ narrative parallel within the same episode.
- Gen.27:43-45 (thematic): Earlier flight of Jacob: Rebekah urges Jacob to flee to Laban to escape Esau's anger. Both passages depict Jacob's departure from home to another household for safety and marriage ties.
- Gen.46:5-7 (verbal): Later journey to Egypt: the text again describes Jacob 'rising up' and his household being transported (here in wagons sent by Pharaoh). Parallels in language and the motif of relocating the family and possessions.
- Exod.12:37 (thematic): The Exodus departure motif: Israel leaves one household/land with families in a decisive, collective movement. The thematic parallel is escape/relocation of a household/group from one dominion to another.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Jacob arose and lifted his sons and his wives onto the camels.
- And Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives upon the camels.
Gen.31.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וינהג: VERB,qal,imperf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- מקנהו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- רכשו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- רכש: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מקנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קנינו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1,pl
- אשר: PRON,rel
- רכש: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בפדן: PREP+NOUN,prop,sg
- ארם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבוא: VERB,qal,inf
- אל: NEG
- יצחק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אביו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- ארצה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כנען: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 30:43 (verbal): Describes Jacob’s amassed wealth in Paddan‑Aram—‘he became exceedingly prosperous’—paralleling ‘all his cattle and all that he had acquired’ that he takes with him.
- Genesis 12:5 (thematic): Abraham’s departure from Haran ‘and all the possessions that they had acquired’ parallels the motif of a patriarch leaving Mesopotamia with family and goods for Canaan.
- Genesis 46:6-7 (thematic): Jacob’s later migration to Egypt ‘and all that he had’ echoes the movement of a family and possessions from one land to another, paralleling the present departure to Canaan.
- Genesis 28:5 (structural): Isaac’s sending of Jacob to Paddan‑Aram provides the structural counterpart to 31:18—Jacob’s return from Paddan‑Aram to Canaan completes the earlier sending/return narrative.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he drove all his livestock, and all his property that he had gained—the livestock of his possession that he had gained in Paddan-aram—to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
- And he drove all his livestock and all his goods that he had acquired, the livestock of his acquisition which he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
Gen.31.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולבן: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הלך: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לגזז: PREP+INF,qal,inf
- את: PRT,acc
- צאנו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUF,3,m,sg
- ותגנב: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- רחל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- התרפים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לאביה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Gen.31:34 (structural): Immediate narrative parallel — the next scene explains Rachel’s concealment: she sat upon the teraphim so Laban could not find them when he searched her tent.
- Judges 17:5 (verbal): Uses the same term teraphim (household gods); shows teraphim functioning as private/home cultic objects, like those Rachel took.
- Judges 18:17-18 (thematic): The Danites seize Micah’s household gods/ephod — a parallel episode of taking teraphim from a household, linking theft and relocation of domestic idols.
- 1 Samuel 19:13 (verbal): Michal hides a teraphim to deceive Saul’s messengers; parallels Rachel’s use of teraphim in a deceptive/hiding context.
- 2 Kings 23:24 (thematic): Josiah’s purge removes household gods/teraphim from Judah — reflects later theological judgment on the kind of domestic idols Rachel possessed.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.
- Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.
Gen.31.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויגנב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הארמי: ADJ,m,sg,def
- על: PREP
- בלי: PREP
- הגיד: VERB,hifil,perf,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- ברח: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Gen.27:1-29 (thematic): Jacob's earlier deception of Isaac and appropriation of Esau's blessing — a precedent of Jacob gaining advantage by stealth and deceit.
- Gen.29:25-26 (allusion): Laban's deception of Jacob (substituting Leah for Rachel) — mirrors reciprocity of trickery between Jacob and Laban and the theme of mutual deceit in their relationship.
- Gen.31:19 (verbal): Rachel secretly takes her father’s household gods (תֵּרָפִים). The language of ‘taking/stealing’ links to Jacob’s clandestine flight and Laban’s later accusation.
- Gen.31:21-24 (structural): Immediate narrative parallels: Jacob’s secret departure (vv.21) and God’s warning to Laban in a dream (v.24). These verses frame the flight and divine protection that follow Jacob’s stealth.
- Gen.28:10-15 (thematic): Jacob’s earlier departure from home to Haran — another instance of leaving family conflict and receiving divine assurance, establishing a pattern of flight accompanied by God’s promise.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.
- And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.
Gen.31.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויברח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- הוא: PRON,3,m,sg
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- ויקם: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויעבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הנהר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וישם: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- פניו: NOUN,m,pl,cons+3,m,sg
- הר: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- הגלעד: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Gen.27:43 (thematic): Esau's vow to kill Jacob provides the original motive for Jacob's departure and flight from danger—background to the pattern of flight in Genesis.
- Gen.28:10 (structural): Earlier travel episode where Jacob leaves Beersheba for Haran; parallels the narrative pattern of departure and journeying to another region.
- Exod.2:15 (thematic): Moses flees Egypt after killing an Egyptian and goes into Midian—a comparable motif of fleeing to a foreign region for safety.
- 1 Kgs.19:3-4 (thematic): Elijah 'ran for his life' from Jezebel and went to Beersheba then on to Mount Horeb—parallel of flight culminating in retreat toward a mountain.
- 2 Sam.17:22 (thematic): David and his followers cross the Jordan while fleeing Absalom and reach refuge on the other side—parallels Jacob's crossing of a river as part of escape and relocation.
Alternative generated candidates
- So he fled—he and all that was his—and he arose and crossed the River, and set his face toward the hill-country of Gilead.
- And he fled—he and all that belonged to him—and he rose, and crossed the River, and set his face toward the hill-country of Gilead.
And Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has made all this wealth.” And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as yesterday and the day before. And the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your birthplace, and I will be with you.” And Jacob sent and called for Rachel and for Leah to the field, to his flock,
and he said to them, “I see your father’s face, that it is not toward me as yesterday and the day before; but the God of my father has been with me. And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father.
Yet your father has deceived me and has changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to do me harm.
If thus he said, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled; and if thus he said, ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked. So God took away the livestock of your father and gave them to me. And it came to pass at the time when the flock was in heat, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the he-goats mounting the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. And the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ And he said, ‘Now lift up your eyes and see: all the he-goats mounting the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’
Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Have we still a portion and an inheritance in our father’s house?
Are we not counted by him as foreigners? For he sold us, and has even devoured our money.
For all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children; and now, whatever God has said to you—do.” So Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives upon the camels. And he drove all his livestock and all his goods that he had gained—the livestock of his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram—to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the teraphim that belonged to her father. And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he was fleeing. So he fled—he and all that was his—and he rose, crossed the River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.