Genesis 31:26

(26-30) Laban said . . . —Laban reproaches Jacob, first, for carrying away his daughters secretly, which was an affront to them (Gen_31:26) and an injury to his own feelings (Gen_31:28); secondly, he tells him that he should have punished him but for the Divine warning; lastly, he accuses him of stealing his teraphim.

Captives . . . —Heb., captives of the sword, women carried off in war as spoil.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. What hast thou done?] Cf. Gen_4:10. Laban’s reproach in Gen_31:26-30 is expressed in terms of forbearance and injured innocence: why had Jacob fled secretly? why not suffer himself to be dismissed with dignity? For the sake of the God of Isaac Laban will say no more, but he must protest against the theft of his household gods.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 31:26 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?

Ver. 26. As captives taken with the sword.] No such matter; but that the old churl must have somewhat to say: for Jacob had their goodwills to go with him: and besides, they were now his more than Laban’s. Jacob had them in marriage, and not in bondage: he carried them not as his captives, but companions.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. Laban said — Laban opens the controversy, and his speech, both here (Gen_31:26-30) and afterwards, (Gen_31:43-44; Gen_31:48-53,) and Jacob’s also, (in Gen_31:36-42,) read like the fragments of an ancient poem. They have the rhythm and passion of poetry, and should be put in the poetic form.

We render Laban’s speech thus: What hast thou done?

And thou hast stolen my heart, And hast carried off my daughters As captives of the sword.

Why didst thou hide thyself to flee? And thou hast stolen me, And didst not inform me, And I would have sent thee away with joy, And with songs, with timbrel, and with harp. And thou didst not permit me To kiss my sons and my daughters, Now hast thou played the fool — to do! It is to the God of my hand To do with you an evil.

But the God of your father Yesternight said to me, saying, Guard thyself from speaking with Jacob From good to evil.

And now going thou hast gone; For longing thou hast longed For the house of thy father. — Why hast thou stolen my gods?

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, conveyed thyself away privily.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Laban said . . . What hast thou done?--Not a word is said of the charge (Gen 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. But his second charge was a grave one--the carrying off his gods--Hebrew, "teraphim," small images of human figures, used not as idols or objects of worship, but as talismans, for superstitious purposes.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters?.... Did not give him an opportunity of taking his farewell, which used to be done with a kiss, as it is with us at this day: by his sons he means his grandsons, and so the Targum of Jonathan, my daughters' sons; and by his daughters Rachel and Leah, and Dinah his granddaughter:

thou hast done foolishly in so doing: since, as he would have him believe that he was both a loser by this step he took, and exposed himself to danger, seeing it was in the power of Laban to do him hurt, as in Gen 31:29; but Jacob knew what he did, and that it was the wisest part to follow the direction of God.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

By force and violence. A false accusation; for they freely consented, Gen 31:14-16.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 26-30. And Laban (assuming a tone of injured innocence) said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, literally, and (meaning, in that) thou hast stolen my heart ( vide supra, ver. 20; and cf. ver. 27)and carried away (vide ver. 18) my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? Literally, as captives of the sword, i.e. invitis parentibus (Rosenm language which, if not hypocritical on Laban"s part, was certainly hyperbolical, since he had already evinced the strength of his parental affection by selling his daughters to Jacob; and besides, so far as it concerned either Jacob or his wives, it was quite untrue, Rachel and Leah having voluntarily accompanied their husband in his flight. Wherefore didst thou floe away secretly, literally, wherefore didst thou hide thyself to flee away; abj; (niph.), with an inf. following, corresponding to the similar construction in Greek of lanqanein with a part, and being correctly rendered in English by an adverb (vide Gesenius, "Gram.," and steal away from me (literally, and steal me, ut supra); and didst not tell me, that I might (literally, and I would) have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, in Oriental countries those about to make a long journey are still sentaway cantionibus et musicorum instrumentorum concentu (Rosenm with tabret, the toph was a drum or timbrel, consisting of a wooden circle covered with membrane, and furnished with brass bells (like the modern tambourine), which Oriental women beat when dancing (cf. Exo_15:20; Jud_1:11:34; Jer_31:4) and with harp! For a description of the kinnor see Gen_4:21. And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons (i.e. the children of Leah and Rachel) and my daughters! It is perhaps judging Laban too severely to pronounce this complete hypocrisy and cant (Alford, Bush, Candlish, Gerlach), but equally wide of the truth is it to see in Laban"s conduct nothing but generosity of feeling (Kalisch); probably there was a mixture of both paternal affection and crafty dissimulation (Delitzsch). Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. The charge of folly in Old Testament Scriptures commonly carries with it an imputation of wrong-doing. (cf. 1Sa_13:13 2Sa_14:10) It is in the power of my hand so the phrase laelAvy, ydiy; (cf. Deu_28:32; Neh_5:5; Mic_2:1) is rendered by competent authorities (Gesenius, Furst, Rosenm Kalisch, Murphy, et alii), with which agree laxly, hJ ceir mou (LXX), and valet manus men (Vulgate), though the translation "My hand is for God," i.e. my hand serves me as God (cf. Job_12:6; Heb_1:11) is by some preferred (Keil, Knobel, Jacobus)to do you hurt: but the God of your father the use of this expression can be rightly regarded neither as a proof ofElohistic authorship (Tuch, Bleek, Colenso, Davidson) nor as a sign of Laban"s spiritual degeneracy (Hengstenberg, Wordsworth), since it is practically equivalent to Jehovah, (vide Gen_28:13) but is probably to be viewed as a play upon the sound and sense of the preceding clause, as thus: is in the El of my hand to do you evil, but the Elohim of your father spake to me." Another instance of this play upon the sound and sense is to be found in vers. 19, 20 stole the teraphim that were her father"s; and Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Syrian" (cf. Quarry on Genesis, p. 498)spake unto me yester night, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob literally, guard or keep thee for thyself (the pleon, pron. being added ut supra, ver. 24) from speaking with Jacob either good or bad (vide on ver. 24). And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone (literally, going thou didst go thou hast indeed gone), because thou sore longedst after thy father"s house (literally, because desiring thou didst desire. The verb psK to be pale (whence psK, silver, so called from its pale color), expresses the idea of pining away and languishing through strong inward longing), yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? Laban had probably gone to consult his teraphim and so discovered their loss. Augustine calls attention to this as the first Scripture reference to heathen gods, and Calvin probably supplies the right explanation of the sense in which they were so styled by Laban, non quia deitatem illie putaret esse inclusam, sed quia in honorem deorum imagines illas colebat; vel potius quod Deo sacra facturus, vertebat se ad illas imagines. (of Exo_32:4; 1Ki_12:28) "This complaint of Laban, that his "gods were stolen, show-eth the vanity of such idolatry" (Ainsworth). Cf. Jud_1:6:31 16:24; Jer_10:5, Jer_10:11, Jer_10:15.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

"Like sword-booty;" i.e., like prisoners of war (Kg2 6:22) carried away unwillingly and by force.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

carried away my daughters like prisoners of war

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. (See: Simile and Hyperbole and Generalization)

flee secretly

"run away in secret"

with celebration

"with joy"

with tambourine and with harps

These instruments stand for music. AT: "and with music" (See: Metonymy)

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 (See: Translate Unknowns)

to kiss my grandsons

Here "grandsons" would include all grandchildren whether male or female. AT: "to kiss my grandchildren" (See: When Masculine Words Include Women)

Now you have done foolishly

"You have acted foolishly"

Now

This does not mean "at this moment," but is used to draw attention to the important point that follows.

translationWords

deceive

prison

harp

kiss

fool

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

כשביות חרב AS CAPTIVES TAKEN BY THE SWORD — an army going to war is termed “sword”.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ויאמר...כשבויות, like women taken captives by creditors that are kidnapped without their husbands being informed. This is how you treated my daughters.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.