Genesis 31:31

Then Jacob talked to Laban. First, he told Laban why he ran away. He said, “I ran away because I was frightened of you. I thought that if I say, ‘I want to leave,’ then you will fight me and take your daughters away from me.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

In Context

30Laban kept on talking to Jacob. He said, “Look, I know that you want to see your father again, and that’s the reason why you left. But why did you steal my little statues from my tent?” You see, Laban didn’t know that his daughter Rachel stole those statues. He thought that Jacob stole them.

32After that, Jacob talked about those little statues that belonged to Laban. Jacob didn’t know that his wife Rachel stole those statues, so he said to Laban, “We didn’t take your little statues. You can look in our tents, and you can look at all our things. If you find those statues, then you can kill the person that stole them. And if you find anything else that belongs to you, then tell me, and show our relatives here, and you can have it back.”

Read all of Genesis 31

Cross References

Genesis 20:11Abraham said, “I’m sorry. I thought that nobody here respected God, so I was frightened of you mob. I reckoned that you would kill me so that you can marry Sarah.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 31:26-36

Laban's Pursuit after Jacob. ( b. c. 1739.) 25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. 26 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? 27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? 28… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 31:31