Genesis 31:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword?

NIV: Then Laban said to Jacob, 'What have you done? You've deceived me, and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war.

NASB: Then Laban said to Jacob, 'What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword?

CSB: Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have deceived me and taken my daughters away like prisoners of war!

NLT: What do you mean by deceiving me like this?' Laban demanded. 'How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war?

KJV: 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?

NKJV: And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?

Jacob had fled from Laban in response to Laban's continual abuse. Not only did Laban lie and cheat Jacob when it came to marrying his daughters (Genesis 29:20–28), he attempted to take advantage of Jacob by accepting a ridiculous payment scheme, one which Laban tried to make even more lopsided (Genesis 30:31–36). Unfortunately for Laban, this deal was actually part of God's restoration of Jacob (Genesis 31:10–12), and it backfired spectacularly (Genesis 30:37–43). Seeing Laban's displeasure, Jacob and his wives—Laban's own daughters—agreed to leave abruptly and without notice, heading to Jacob's family in Canaan.

After a three-day delay in hearing news of Jacob's flight, and a seven-day chase, Laban's harsh confrontation of Jacob finally begins. In spite of God's warning to Laban in a dream not to say anything to Jacob, good or bad, Laban has prepared a speech for his lying, fleeing son-in-law. Now he unleashes it.

He begins, ironically, with the same words Jacob said to him on Jacob's wedding night some 13 years earlier: "What have you done?" Laban's first two accusations are that Jacob tricked him in this sudden departure and, worse, that Jacob had carried Laban's two daughters away as if they were captives or prisoners. Laban does not know, yet, that both Rachel and Leah expressed their full support for Jacob's plan to leave Laban and return to his own homeland.

Genesis 31:22–42 recounts Laban's pursuit of Jacob and his large company, after learning his son-in-law has left for Canaan without telling him. It takes a week, but Laban catches up. Warned by God in a dream not to say anything to Jacob ''either good or bad,'' Laban instead expresses his hurt to Jacob and accuses him of stealing Laban's house idols. When a search for the idols—cleverly hidden by Rachel without Jacob's knowledge—turns up nothing, Jacob finally expresses all of his complaints about Laban's unfair treatment of him in spite of twenty years of faithful service.

Genesis 31 describes Jacob's difficult separation from Laban, his father-in-law, as well as his boss for twenty years. During that time, Jacob was routinely mistreated and cheated by his master. Commanded by God to return to the land of Canaan, Jacob packs up his wives, children, and all of his possessions and leaves without telling Laban. Laban soon catches up with the large company. Laban and Jacob confront each other bitterly. Eventually, though, they make a covenant of separation and peace.

Genesis 30 described the dramatic expansion of Jacob's family and property. Now, after twenty years of working for Laban, the time comes for Jacob to return to his own people. He attempts to sneak away without telling Laban, but Laban soon catches up with him. After bitter confrontations, father and son-in-law make a covenant of separation and peace. Jacob is finally free to begin the next chapter of his life in the Promised Land. First, though, he will need to deal with his brother Esau, whose rage was the main reason Jacob fled in the first place. That encounter is described over the following two chapters.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.