Translation commentary on Genesis 31:1

Verses 1-2 form a transition between the close of chapter 30 and the introductory episode in chapter 31.

Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying: Now is the Revised Standard Version rendering of the Hebrew connective and serves to mark the change to the new events that will now unfold. Jacob heard probably means here that he heard these words from others who reported them to him. This is often expressed as “Jacob received word” or “Jacob heard news that.” In some cases it may be better to say “learned” or “found out.” In societies where it is important to express relationships when speaking of people, the sons of Laban may have to be called “his [Jacob’s] brothers-in-law.” And the speech that follows may begin “Our brother-in-law has taken….”

Laban’s sons are quoted in Revised Standard Version as saying Jacob has taken all that was our father’s. The sense of taken is “taken for himself,” “taken away from Laban.” All that was … means “all the animals that belonged to our father.” This may be understood as exaggeration. It may be clearer to say, for example, “All the animals that Jacob has taken belonged to our father.”

And from what was our father’s he has gained: that is, “from the things that belonged to our father” or “from our father’s wealth.” See Good News Translation “from what our father owned.”

Gained all this wealth may be rendered “he has gotten all his riches, animals, property.” A number of translations express this simply as “he has become [very] rich.”

In many languages it will be more natural to change the order of the clauses in the last part of the sentence as Good News Translation has done. One other translation that does this says “He is a very rich man, but everything he has belonged to our father before.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Genesis 31:17 - 31:18

Verses 17-21 tell about Jacob’s escape from Laban.

So Jacob arose: So, which is used by both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, marks verse 17 as a consequence of the discussions Jacob held with his wives in the previous verses. Arose is a literal rendering of the Hebrew, which means here to get ready or prepare for departure. See Good News Translation.

Set his sons and his wives on camels means he put them on the backs of camels to ride. Camels kneel on the ground to enable the rider to mount them. We may translate “and put his wives and children on the camels,” “had his wives and children mount the camels,” or “told his wives and children to get on the camels.”

And he drove away all his cattle: drove away translates a word meaning to drive animals as in a herd or flock. The animals are driven or herded from behind. However, drove away, as used in Revised Standard Version, is ambiguous, since it can also mean “to get rid of” as in “chase away.” Revised Standard Version intends to express the thought of driving the animals secretly so that Laban does not know. For similar usage see 1 Sam 23.5. Good News Translation is better with “drove … ahead of him.” Cattle is as in Gen 31.9. See there for comments. Good News Translation translates “flocks” here, New International Version and New Jerusalem Bible “livestock.”

The second clause, all his livestock which he had gained, expands the first clause to include not only all his animals but his other camp baggage as well, which included such things as tents, clothing, utensils, instruments, and tools. This is better expressed by a general term such as “possessions” (Speiser, New Jerusalem Bible), or “goods” (New International Version).

The cattle in his possession repeats essentially the same information given in the first clause, all his cattle. Note that Good News Translation and others do not repeat a term referring to the animals but rather summarize as “everything.”

Which he had acquired in Paddan-aram: for Paddan-aram see 25.20.

To go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac: go to may be more naturally rendered “go back” (Good News Translation) or “return” in some languages. It may also not be clear from the verb drove earlier in the verse that Jacob and his family were actually beginning their journey away from Haran. If this is the case it may be necessary to make that clear at this point by saying, for example, “and he [or, they] set out to go back….”

This last clause is more naturally linked to the events in verse 17. Note that Good News Translation has combined verses 17 and 18 in order to shift this clause to verse 17. Translators may find this more natural in their languages. However, see also the comments about the sequence of events in verses 17-21 under verse 19 below.

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 .

Translation commentary on Genesis 31:2

And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before is literally “and Jacob saw the face of Laban and behold it was not toward him as before.” What Jacob saw was a change in Laban’s face, that he was no longer friendly toward him. In some languages this statement is expressed in figurative language; for example, “Jacob saw that Laban’s eyes had turned cold” or “… did not show him his good face.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “Laban no longer looked at him with good eyes, as before.” Many languages speak about people being friendly or unfriendly in a context like this; two examples of translations that use such expressions here are “Jacob saw that his father-in-law was not good friends with him like he was before” and “Jacob saw that Laban was unfriendly toward him now.” The fact that Jacob observed a change in the relationship is brought out in some translations; for example, “Jacob saw that Laban’s behavior toward him had changed, and that he didn’t like him as he had before.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Genesis 31:3

In this verse the LORD tells Jacob to return to Canaan.

Then the LORD: Then translates the Hebrew connective and refers to a subsequent event. We may also say, for example, “After that,” or “Later,” or it may not be necessary to use any transition expression.

Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred: for a similar expression see 12.1; 24.4, 38.

And I will be with you may need to be rendered “I will go with you,” or stated more fully, “I will go with you and help you.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Genesis 31:4

In verses 4-13 Jacob arranges a private conversation with his wives and explains how God enabled his flocks to increase and enabled him to overcome the hardships Laban had imposed upon him.

So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field: So marks a consequence of the events in Gen 31.3. Sent and called means Jacob sent someone to tell his wives to come to him. Field refers to the pasture or grazing area where his flocks were feeding. He was there with his animals. New English Bible and Revised English Bible refer to this as “in the country,” while some other translations say simply “the place where his flocks were” (Good News Translation Australian edition and others).

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 .

Translation commentary on Genesis 30:32

Verse 32 has several problems of text and vocabulary. Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew text with its extra wording. See Good News Translation footnote.

Let me pass represents the Hebrew text. The Vulgate has “[You] go through.” Most modern translations follow Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation.

Removing from it: this just means “taking out” or “taking away.” However, people who keep herds of animals often have special words or expressions for the way a flock or herd is divided; for example, one translation says “… if you let me go and cut out all the….”

Every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb: Jacob’s plan is to take out of Laban’s flocks all the sheep and goats that are of mixed colors. Sheep were normally white, and goats were brown or black. Jacob would separate out all the animals that were speckled and spotted (sheep that had dark spots on their white wool, or among goats, those that had white or other light colored spots on their dark hair). The words every speckled and spotted sheep are omitted by the Septuagint. Kidner says that these words “seem to have crept into the text from the second half,” while Speiser comments, “At this point, the Heb. text reads redundantly ‘speckled and spotted, and every sheep’ evidently added through conflation with the following verse.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project agrees with Revised Standard Version‘s wording except that it translates spotted sheep as “spotted lamb.” Besides Good News Translation, Speiser, New Jerusalem Bible, and Revised English Bible also omit the additional words.

And the spotted and speckled among the goats: if the addition in the Hebrew is really part of the text, then it simply repeats information already given in the previous sentence, since the word translated sheep refers to one of a flock and may mean both sheep and goats or either sheep or goats.

Such shall be my wages: such refers to the colored animals: “they will be my wages” or “you must give me those ones as my pay for working for you.”

A suggested model for translating verse 32 is “Let me take out of your herd today every black lamb and every [sheep or] goat that has more than one color. That is all the payment I ask.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Genesis 30:33

So my honesty will answer for me later: answer means here to witness. The thought expressed is that in the future (when Laban checks up on Jacob’s wages, which is in Jacob’s flock) the colors of Jacob’s animals will be proof (a witness) of his honesty (or dishonesty). See Good News Translation for a clear translation model.

Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen: we may restructure this slightly to say, for example, “If I have a goat that is not of more than one color or a sheep that is not black, I have stolen it, and you will know it.” For the final expression counted stolen, some languages may prefer to express this in direct speech: “You will be able to say, ‘This one is stolen.’ ”

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 .

Translation commentary on Genesis 30:34

Good! Let it be as you have said: these words clearly indicate that Laban agreed to Jacob’s proposal. This may be because he believes it will not cost him many animals. In any case, most languages should use here a form of words that say unambiguously that “Laban agreed” (Revised English Bible).

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 .