Genesis 31

Genesis 31:1

Now

This word is used here to mark a stop in the main story. Here the author starts to tell a new part of the story.

Jacob has taken away all that was our father's

"Everything that Jacob has taken belonged to our father"

Genesis 31:2

Jacob saw the look on Laban's face. He saw that his attitude toward him had changed

"Jacob noticed that Laban was no longer pleased with him"

Genesis 31:3

your fathers

"your father Isaac and your grandfather Abraham"

Genesis 31:5

I see your father's attitude toward me has changed

"I have noticed your father is no longer pleased with me"

Genesis 31:6

You know that it is with all my strength that I have served your father

"You yourselves know that I have served your father with all my strength"

Genesis 31:7

has deceived me

"has lied to me" or "has not treated me fairly"

my wages

"what he said he would pay me"

to hurt me

Possible meanings are 1) physical harm or 2) to cause Jacob to suffer in any way.

Genesis 31:8

The speckled animals

"The animals with spots"

the flock bore

"the flock gave birth to"

The striped

"The animals with stripes"

Genesis 31:9

In this way God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me

"This is how God gave your father's animals to me"

Genesis 31:10

Once at the time of breeding season

"During the breeding season"

mating with the flock

"mating with the female goats of the flock"

Genesis 31:11

angel of God

Possible meanings are 1) God himself appeared as a man or 2) one of God's messengers appeared. Since the phrase is not well understood, it is best to simply translate it as "the angel of God," using the normal word that you use for "angel."

I said

"And I answered"

Genesis 31:12

Lift up your eyes

This is a way of saying "Look up."

that are breeding with the flock

"that are breeding with the female goats of the flock"

Genesis 31:13

where you anointed a pillar

Jacob poured oil on the pillar to dedicate it to God.

the land of your birth

"the land where you were born"

Genesis 31:14

Is there any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

"There is absolutely nothing left for us to inherit from our father!"

Genesis 31:15

Are we not treated by him as foreigners?

"Our father treats us like a foreign women instead of daughters!"

For he has sold us

"He has sold us for his own gain"

has also completely devoured our money

"he completely used up our money"

Genesis 31:16

whatever God has said to you, do it

"do all that God has told you"

Genesis 31:17

his sons

"his children"

Genesis 31:18

He drove all his livestock

"He drove all his cattle." Here "livestock" is referring to all his domesticate animals.

including the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram

"and the other herd of cattle which he took ownership of when he was in Paddan Aram"

Genesis 31:21

the River

This refers to the Euphrates River.

Genesis 31:22

On the third day

"Two days after they had left"

that Jacob had fled

"that Jacob had fled with his wives and children"

Genesis 31:23

So he took

"So Laban took"

pursued him

"chased after Jacob"

He overtook him

"He caught up to him"

Genesis 31:24

Now God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night

"That night God came to Laban in a dream"

Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad

"Do not say anything to try and stop Jacob from leaving"

Genesis 31:25

Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country. Laban also camped with his relatives in the hill country of Gilead

"When Laban caught up with Jacob, Jacob had set up camp in the hill country. Then Laban and his relatives also camped in the hill country of Gilead"

Genesis 31:26

carried away my daughters like captives of the sword

Laban speaks about Jacob taking his family with him back to the land of Canaan as if Jacob took them as prisoners after a battle and is forcing them to go with him. Laban is exaggerating because he is angry and is trying to make Jacob feel guilty for what he did.

Genesis 31:27

with celebration

"with joy"

with tambourine and with harps

"and with music"

tambourine

a musical instrument with a head like a drum that can be hit and with pieces of metal around the side that sound when the instrument is shaken

Genesis 31:28

to kiss my grandsons

"to kiss my grandchildren"

Genesis 31:29

It is in my power to do you harm

"I have enough people with me to harm all of you"

Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad

"Do not say anything to try and stop Jacob from leaving"

Genesis 31:30

you have gone away

This "you" is singular and refers to Jacob.

to your father's house

"to be home with your father and the rest of your family"

my gods

"my idols"

Genesis 31:32

Whoever has stolen your gods will not continue to live

"We will kill whoever has stolen your gods"

In the presence of our relatives

All the relatives will watch to make sure everything is fair and honest.

identify whatever with me is yours and take it

"look for whatever we have that is yours and take it"

Genesis 31:33

the two female servants

This refers to Zilpah and Bilhah.

he did not find them

"he did not find his idols"

Genesis 31:34

saddle

a seat placed on the back of an animal so a person can ride on it

Genesis 31:35

my master

Calling someone "my master" is a way of honoring them.

that I cannot stand up before you

"because I am unable to stand up in your presence"

for I am having my period

This refers to the time of the month when a woman bleeds from her womb.

Genesis 31:36

He said to him

"Jacob said to Laban"

What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?

"What have I done wrong that you should pursue me like this?"

hotly pursued me

Here the word "hotly" means Laban urgently chased Jacob intending to capture him.

Genesis 31:37

What have you found of all your household goods?

"What have you found that belongs to you?"

Set them here before our relatives

"Lay anything you have found in front of our relatives"

they may judge between the two of us

"they may judge between the two of us"

Genesis 31:38

ewes

female sheep

have not miscarried

This means they have not had a pregnancy end early and unexpectedly with the lamb or kid born dead.

Genesis 31:39

What was torn by beasts I did not bring to you

"I did not bring to you any of your animals that a wild beast tore apart" or "When a wild animal killed any of your animals I did not bring it to you"

I bore the loss of it

"Instead of counting it a loss from your flock, I counted it as a loss from my flock"

You demanded payment from my hand

"You demanded that I pay you for any animal of yours that was missing"

whether stolen by day or stolen by night

Possble meanings are 1) "whether someone stole it during the day or at night" or 2) "whether an animal took it during the day or night."

Genesis 31:40

There I was; in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night

"I stayed with your flocks even during hottest part of the day and the coldest part of the night"

Genesis 31:41

changed my wages ten times

"changed what he said he would pay me ten times." See how you translated "my wages" in Genesis 31:7.

Genesis 31:42

Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the one Isaac fears, had been with me

"If the God of Abraham and Isaac, my father, had not been with me"

the one Isaac fears

Here the word "fears" refers to the "fear of Yahweh," which means to deeply respect him and show that respect by obeying him.

empty-handed

"with absolutely nothing"

God has seen my affliction and my toil

"God has seen how hard I worked and how you afflicted me"

Genesis 31:43

But what can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

"But, there is nothing I can do to bring my daughters and grandchildren back with me."

Genesis 31:44

let it be for a witness

Here the word "witness" does not refer to a person, but it is used figuratively and refers to the covenant that Jacob and Laban are making. The covenant is spoken of as if it were a person who is there when they agree to act peacefully to one another.

Genesis 31:45

pillar

This means that a large stone was simply set up on its end to mark the place where this important event happened.

Genesis 31:46

made a pile

"stacked them on top of each other"

Then they ate there by the pile

Eating a meal together was a part of making the covenant with one another. The full meaning of this may be made explicit.

Genesis 31:47

Jegar Sahadutha

Translators may add a footnote that says: "The name Jegar Sahadutha means 'heap of witness' in Laban's language."

Galeed

Translators may add a footnote that says: "The name Galeed means 'heap of witness' in Jacob's language.

Genesis 31:48

This pile is a witness between me and you

"This pile will be a reminder between me and you"

Genesis 31:49

Mizpah

Translators may add a footnote that says: "The name Mizpah means 'watchtower.'"

when we are out of sight one from another

"when we are no longer with each other"

Genesis 31:50

although no one else is with us

"even if no one else is there to see us"

see

"look" or "remember" or "pay attention to what i am about to tell you"

Genesis 31:52

This pile is a witness, and the pillar is a witness

These piles of stones were to act as a remembrance and a boundary marker for Jacob and Laban regarding their peace agreement. They are spoken of as if they are human witnesses.

Genesis 31:53

the Fear of his father Isaac

Here the word "Fear" refers to Yahweh, who Isaac deeply respected and showed that respect by obeying him.

Genesis 31:54

called his relatives to eat a meal

Eating a meal together was part of making the covenant with one another.

Genesis 31:55

blessed

This means expressing a desire for positive and beneficial things to happen to someone.