Genesis 31:29

_AND LABAN SAID TO JACOB, WHAT HAST THOU DONE, THAT THOU HAST STOLEN AWAY UNAWARES TO ME, AND CARRIED AWAY MY DAUGHTERS, AS CAPTIVES TAKEN WITH THE SWORD?_ Laban said ... What hast thou done? Not a word is said of the charge, Genesis 31:1. His reproaches were of a LABAN SAID ... WHAT HAST THOU DONE? Not a word is said of the charge, Genesis 31:1. His reproaches were of a different kind. His first charge was for depriving him of the satisfaction of giving Jacob and his family the usual salutations at parting. In the East it is customary, when any are setting out to a great distance, for their relatives and friends to accompany them a considerable way with music and valedictory songs. Considering the past conduct of Laban, his complaint on this ground was hypocritical cant. Verse

29._It is in the power of my hand_. The Hebrew phrase is different, “my hand is to power;” yet the meaning is clear, that Laban declares he is ready to take vengeance. Some expound the words thus: “my hand is to God;” but from other places it appears that the word אל (_el_) is taken for _power_. But Laban, inflated with foolish boasting, contradicts himself; for whereas he had been forbidden by God to attempt anything against Jacob, where was the _power _of which he boasted? We see, therefore, he precipitates himself by a blind impulse, as if, at his own pleasure, he could do anything against the purpose of God. For when he perceives that God is opposed to him, he yet does not hesitate to glory in his own strength; and why is this, unless he aimed at being superior to God? Finally; pride is always the companion of unbelief; so that unbelievers, although vanquished, yet cease not impetuou...

22-35 God can put a bridle in the mouth of wicked men, to restrain their malice, though he do not change their hearts. Though they have no love to God's people, they will pretend to it, and try to make a merit of necessity. Foolish Laban! to call those things his gods which could be stolen! Enemies may steal our goods, but not our God. Here Laban lays to Jacob's charge things that he knew not. Those who commit their cause to God, are not forbidden to plead it themselves with meekness and fear. When we read of Rachel's stealing her father's images, what a scene of iniquity opens! The family of Nahor, who left the idolatrous Chaldees; is this family itself become idolatrous? It is even so. The truth seems to be, that they were like some in after-times, who sware by the Lord and by Malcham, Zephaniah 1:5; and like others in our times, who wish to serve both God and mammon. Great numbers wi...

Verse Genesis 31:29. _IT IS IN THE POWER OF MY HAND TO DO YOU HURT_] Literally, _My hand is unto God to do you evil_, i.e., I have vowed to God that I will punish thee for thy flight, and the stealing of my teraphim; but the _God of_ YOUR _father_ has prevented me from doing it. It is a singular instance that the _plural_ pronoun, when addressing an _individual_, should be twice used in this place - the God of _your_ father, אביכם _abichem_, for אביך _abicha, thy_ father....

- Jacob’s Flight from Haran 19. תרפים _t__e__rāpı̂ym_, Teraphim. This word occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament. It appears three times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the Pentateuch. It is always in the plural number. The root does not appear in Biblical Hebrew. It perhaps means “to live well,” intransitively (Gesenius, Roedig.), “to nourish,” transitively (Furst). The teraphim were symbols or representatives of the Deity, as Laban calls them his gods. They seem to have been busts (προτομαί _protomai_, Aquila) of the human form, sometimes as large as life 1 Samuel 19:13. Those of full size were probably of wood; the smaller ones may have been of metal. In two passages...

EXPOSITION GENESIS 31:22, GENESIS 31:23 AND IT WAS TOLD LABAN ON THE THIRD DAY—_i_._e_. the third after Jacob's departure, the distance between the two sheep-stations being a three days' journey (_vide_ Genesis 30:36)—THAT JACOB WAS FLED. AND HE TOOK HIS BRETHREN—_i_._e_._ _his kinsmen, or nearest relations (cf. Genesis 13:8; Genesis 29:15)—WITH HIM, AND PURSUED AFTER HIM (Jacob) s

IT IS IN THE POWER OF MY HAND TO DO YOU HURT,.... Jacob and his family, wives, children, and servants, who were not able to stand against Laban and the men he brought with him; and so the Jerusalem Targum paraphrases it, "I have an army and a multitude;'' a large force, which Jacob could not withstand: or, "my hand could have been for a god" h to me: you could have no more escaped it, or got out of it, or withstood me, than you could God himself: such an opinion had he of his superior power and strength, and that this would have been the case: BUT THE GOD OF YOUR FATHER SPOKE UNTO ME YESTERNIGHT; the night past, or the other night, some very little time ago, since he came from home at least: by his father he means either his father Isaac, or his grandfather Abraham, whose God the Lord was, and who came to Laban and told him who he was. This serves to strengthen the opinion that Laban...

CHAPTER 31 JACOB'S SERVITUDE ENDED AND FLIGHT FROM LABAN _ 1. Laban's behavior and God's commandment (Genesis 31:1)_ 2. The dream vision to return to the land (Genesis 31:11) 3. Jacob's flight (Genesis 31:17) 4. Laban warned (Genesis 31:22) 5. Laban's accusation (Genesis 31:25) 6. Jacob's answer (Genesis 31:31) 7. The covenant between Jacob and Laban ...

GENESIS 31:22 TO GENESIS 32:2. AFTER MUTUAL RECRIMINATIONS, JACOB AND LABAN MAKE A COVENANT TO REFRAIN FROM AGGRESSION ON EACH OTHER'S TERRITORIES. The analysis is uncertain; Gunkel assigns Genesis 31:22; Genesis 31:26; Genesis 31:28_ a_ (to Laban), Genesis 31:32; Genesis 31:36_ b_,...

HAND. Figure of speech _Synecdoche_ (of the Part), hand put for the whole person, "in my power". YOU AND YOUR ARE PLURAL. GOD OF YOUR FATHER. In Genesis 30:27; Genesis 30:30, Laban had spoken of the LORD. Jehovah; now he has sunk so low as to say' your" God, and calls the _teraphim_ "my gods"....