Rachel’s deception of her father now gives the narrator the opportunity to ridicule Laban’s idols.

Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you: the Hebrew expression is idiomatic: “Let [it] not burn in the eyes of my lord.” My lord is ʾadoni, a form of address used by an inferior addressing a superior. Note Good News Translation “sir.” If an equivalent form of address is not available, we may say, for example, “my father.”

Cannot rise: that is, “because I cannot stand up, sir.” The assumption is that Rachel should not remain seated in the presence of her father, who is standing as he searches through her belongings. If in the culture of the translation it is not understood why she would be expected to stand up, a note may be added, or we may adjust the text to say, for example, “Please do not be angry, sir, that I cannot stand up to show you respect” or “Please … cannot stand up as is the polite custom.”

The way of women is upon me translates the Hebrew literally. The situation is a daughter speaking to her father, and so she avoids a direct reference to her menstrual condition. In a similar manner Bible en français courant says “I am indisposed,” Revised English Bible have “The common lot of woman is upon me.” More direct is Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “Today I have my menstrual period.” See also Good News Translation. Translators should consider the social context and use the form that is both appropriate and natural; in many languages this is simply “I am sick.”

It should not be forgotten that this scene has a strong comic element in which something (the idols) so highly regarded by Laban is here being sat upon by a woman who, in the Levitical view, is taboo and unclean (Lev 15.19-20). For similar ridicule of idols see Judges 17 and Isa 44.9-20.

It should also be noted how the narrator has used Rachel’s own humor and deceit to relieve the tension that was created concerning her in verse 32.

So he searched, but did not find the household gods: this is best taken as a conclusion to the baggage inspection episode. It is well handled by Revised English Bible “So for all his searching, Laban did not find the household gods.” We may also translate, for example, “Well, he searched everywhere, and in the end he never found his household gods.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The parenthetical statement continues in this verse.

Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean: outwitted translates the same Hebrew verb rendered “stole” in verse 19. Here it has the sense of “dupe,” “trick,” “deceive.” The literal expression is “Jacob stole the heart of Laban.” For Aramean see 10.22.

In that he did not tell him that he intended to flee: this may be translated “by leaving without telling him” or “by leaving without saying a word.” In some languages it will be more natural to divide this verse into two or more sentences: “Jacob deceived Laban. He did not tell him that he wanted to leave. No. He did it secretly and….”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

At this point of the story, Jacob, who knew he was innocent and that God was on his side, can remain calm no longer.

Then Jacob became angry: Then represents a transition from the actions of Laban to the speech of his indignant son-in-law. Became angry translates the same verb as used of Laban in verse 35, but here it is “[it] burned for Jacob.” However, many languages use figurative expressions to say this, such as “Jacob got really wild” or “Jacob’s insides were hot.”

Upbraided Laban: upbraided translates a Hebrew verb that has the sense of making a countercharge, as if in a court of law. This may be expressed as “accused Laban” or “spoke strongly.”

What is my offense?: offense renders a noun related to the verb meaning to “rebel,” “revolt,” or “transgress.” The context requires a sense of an offense against another person, in this case Laban. Furthermore, Jacob’s innocence of theft has now been clearly established, and so he is asking Laban to name the charge that he is accused of. Good News Translation says “What crime have I committed?”

What is my sin…?: sin translates the usual Hebrew word for sin, but as the next clause shows, this refers here to a sin against Laban. Speiser translates this as “guilt.”

It is clear that the terms offense and sin are words with very similar meaning, and the repetition of the question What is my…? is used rhetorically to emphasize Jacob’s heated emotions. We may translate, for example, “How have I offended you? How have I wronged you?” or “What crime have I committed? What law did I break?” See Good News Translation.

That you have hotly pursued me: hotly pursued translates the idiomatic use of another word for “burn” that means chased with the intention of capturing. Note Good News Translation “hunt me down.” Some other English versions say “hounded me.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

He fled with …: fled means “he escaped,” or “he left secretly in a hurry.”

All that he had: that is, “with everything he owned” or “with all his property.”

Arose and crossed the Euphrates: arose serves to put the focus on the action of the following verb. It may not need to be translated. See Good News Translation. For Euphrates see 2.14. The Hebrew text says “the river.” In 15.18 “the great river” is defined as “the Euphrates.” To the Hebrews “the river” meant the Euphrates river. From Haran, Laban’s home, to the Euphrates is a distance of about eighty kilometers (fifty miles).

Set his face is an idiom meaning “he headed toward,” “started toward,” “went in the direction of.”

Hill country of Gilead is a hilly territory east of the Jordan river in the northern part of modern Jordan. It is bounded roughly on the north by the Yarmuk river and on the south by the valley of Heshbon. See a biblical atlas. According to Num 32.1; Song 6.5, it was a good area for pasturing sheep, and so it was a logical destination for Jacob.

In translation the hill country of Gilead may be called, for example, “the hills called Gilead,” “the mountains named Gilead.” If neither hills nor mountains are known, translators may say “the region [area, land] called Gilead.” For further comments see verse 23.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Although you have felt through all my goods: Revised Standard Version translates the Hebrew ki clause as a concessive clause meaning something like “In spite of having searched,” or “Even though you have searched.” It is also possible to translate as a statement; for example, “You have just searched through all my goods….”

What have you found of all your household goods?: this may be handled as an ordinary question, or be expressed as a rhetorical question, or as a negative statement. For example, “Well, have you found any of your household goods?” “So, you have found none of your household goods.” The form this question will take in translation depends in part upon how the following sentence is rendered.

Since Jacob knows that nothing belonging to Laban has been found in his camp baggage, his next remark should be understood as ridiculing Laban.

Set it here: that is, “Put it here in front of everyone.” Some translations say “Bring it outside into the open” or “Come on! Bring it out here where … can see them.”

My kinsmen and your kinsmen: Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation take the view that these are two distinct groups of people. It is just as likely, however, that these are one and the same people, since relatives of Laban, at least on his father’s side, would also be acknowledged as relatives of Jacob. It then has the meaning “these people, who are both my kinsmen and yours.” Earlier in this same speech, in verse 32, Jacob refers to the people who will be witness to the punishment of whoever may have stolen Laban’s gods; there he calls them “our kinsmen,” and they seem to be the same people that he now calls my kinsmen and your kinsmen. Perhaps the explanation for Jacob’s changed way of referring to these people is that, even though they may all have been related to the two men, nevertheless some were with Laban and supported him, while others were with Jacob and supported him. It is unlikely that two groups of opposed kinsmen could decide who was at fault in a matter such as this. But it would have been very important that those who witnessed what happened between the two men should have come from the two camps. We may take it, then, that Jacob is making a point about the relatives who were present, even though in another sense they were all relatives of both men.

In translation each translator should weigh up what the two different expressions “our relatives” and “my relatives and your relatives” will mean for readers in this context. In some languages the expression “our relatives” will certainly be understood as “my relatives and your relatives”; in this case “in front of our relatives” is a satisfactory rendering. However, in other languages “our relatives” may not give any sense of their being attached to one or other of the two men; if this is the case, it may be best to translate more literally, “my relatives and your relatives,” or to say something like “our relatives, those who are with me and those who are with you.”

That they may decide between us two: the relatives of the two men would decide which of the two men, Laban or Jacob, was in the right. It may be necessary to adjust decide between us by saying, for example, “decide who is in the right, you or me.” In some languages it may be necessary to express more fully the thoughts or actions that are involved in decide between us; for example, “they can test our words, and we can know…” or “they can look at the accusations between us and recognize….”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

It was told Laban: this may be expressed in a number of ways; for example, “Laban was told,” “people told Laban,” “Laban heard the news,” or “Laban found out.”

When … on the third day: in terms of the story line, verse 22 is a shift in time, place, and character. Revised Standard Version translates close to the Hebrew form and makes verse 22 a time clause with a passive verb. Some translators may keep the time clause as in Revised Standard Version; in other cases it will be more natural to make verse 22 a complete sentence expressing the time aspect of the story. For example, we may say “Three days after Jacob had left, Laban found out,” “Jacob had only been gone three days when his uncle learned about it,” or “After Jacob had been gone for three days, people told Laban what had happened.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

In verses 38-40 Jacob defends the sacrificial way in which he has cared for Laban’s flocks. According to Exo 22.9-14, a shepherd had certain legal protection in regard to the flocks under his care. For example, under certain conditions he was not required to replace an animal killed by wild beasts.

These twenty years I have been with you: the twenty years mentioned by Jacob have already passed at the time of this conversation with Laban, and so it may be clearer to say “I worked for you for twenty years” or “During the twenty years I worked for you….”

Your ewes and your she-goats have not miscarried: for ewes see 21.28. Miscarried translates a verb used in the Hebrew for both humans and animals. It means to abort or fail to carry the young until they are ready to be born. See Good News Translation. In 30.27 Laban admits that Jacob’s presence has increased his flocks.

And I have not eaten the rams of your flocks: according to von Rad a shepherd had the right to eat rams of the flock under his care. The rams were male animals not needed for future breeding requirements, and which the owner would normally remove from the flock.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Verse 23 tells what Laban does as a result of learning about Jacob’s escape. In some cases it may be necessary to mark this as a consequence: “So Laban…,” “Therefore Laban…,” “Because of that, Laban….”

He took his kinsmen with him: he refers to Laban. Kinsmen translates the Hebrew word for “brothers” as in 29.12, 15. These are probably trusted relatives on whom Laban could depend in case of conflict with Jacob.

Pursued him … and followed close after him: pursued him means “went after Jacob” with the intention of catching him. In some languages this action is expressed as “followed him.” In others descriptive expressions are used such as “followed in his footsteps” or “walked in his traces.” Followed close after translates a form of the Hebrew verb that means “to overtake” or “to catch up with.” See Good News Translation. The sense is not that Laban continued to follow Jacob into Gilead, as Revised Standard Version suggests, but that he caught up with him there. Some translations say “… got close to him in the hill country.”

For seven days: the text appears to mean that, after following Jacob for seven days, Laban caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. An example of the way this may be expressed is “They traveled for a week before they came up to Jacob in the hill country….”

According to Driver the distance from Haran to Gilead is about 560 kilometers (350 miles). Such a distance would require Laban’s party to travel 80 kilometers (50 miles) a day. It would be even more difficult for Jacob’s flocks to cover that distance in ten days. There are three ways we may view this problem:
1) The area called Gilead may have extended further east in the times of our story, and so the distance would have been shorter.
2) Seven days may refer to a general time to go a great distance. According to Speiser the expression is used this way in 2 Kgs 3.9.
3) The narrator may have underestimated the time such a journey would require.

In any event translators should keep seven days.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .