Genesis 31:32

Genesis 31:32 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
• New International Version (NIV)But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it." Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

Context of Genesis 31:32

30I know that you want very much to return to your father's house. That is why you have left my home. But why did you take my idols?’ 31Jacob replied, ‘I left secretly because I was afraid. I thought that you might fight me to take your daughters away from me. But if you find your idols with anyone here, that person must die. While our relatives watch, you may look for anything that belongs to you. If you find anything then take it.’ Jacob did not know that Rachel had taken her father's idols. 33So Laban went into Jacob's tent. Then he went into Leah's tent. He also went into the female servants' tent. But he did not find the idols. When he left Leah's tent, he went into Rachel's tent. 34Rachel had taken the idols and she had put them inside her camel's seat. Now she was sitting on them. Laban looked everywhere in Rachel's tent but he did not find the idols.

Genesis 31:32 word by word

עִ֠ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֣א אֶת־אֱלֹהֶיךָ֮ לֹ֣א יִֽחְיֶה֒ נֶ֣גֶד אַחֵ֧ינוּ הַֽכֶּר־לְךָ֛ מָ֥ה עִמָּדִ֖י וְקַֽח־לָ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֣ע יַעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י רָחֵ֖ל גְּנָבָֽתַם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• With whomsoeverאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• thou findestמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• thy godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• let him not liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• beforeנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
• our brethrenאָח'âch · brother: male-relativeH251
• discernנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
• thine with me, and takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• to thee. For Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
• knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• not that Rachelרָחֵלrâchêl · RachelH7354
• had stolenגָּנַבgânab · to stealH1589

Cross-references for Genesis 31:32

• Genesis 31:19Before they left, Laban had gone to cut the wool from his sheep. While he was away from the house, Rachel took the idols that Laban worshipped in his house.
• Genesis 44:9If any one of us has this silver cup, he must die. We others will become your slaves, sir.’
• Genesis 31:23So Laban took his relatives with him and he followed Jacob. After seven days, he found him in the hill country of Gilead.
• Genesis 13:8Abram said to Lot, ‘We must not quarrel with each other. Your shepherds and my shepherds must not quarrel with each other. Remember that we belong to the same family.
• Genesis 19:7He said, ‘No, my friends. Please do not do this evil thing.
• Genesis 30:33In the future, this will show that I am honest. You can check on my animals whenever you want to. I will only have sheep or goats that have marks on their skin, or black lambs. If I have any other animals, you may call me a robber.’
• 1 Samuel 12:3Look at me. I stand here where the Lord and his chosen king can see me. Speak now if I have done any wrong thing against you. Have I taken anyone's cow or anyone's donkey? Have I cheated anyone? Have I been cruel to anyone? Have I received bribes from anyone to say that they are not guilty? If I have done any of those things, tell me! Then I will pay back my debt.’
• 2 Corinthians 8:20We want to be very careful about this large gift of money. That is why the other believer will come with us. We do not want anyone to say that we have done something wrong.
• 2 Corinthians 12:17That is not true! When I sent people to you, they never cheated you on my behalf.
• 1 Samuel 14:24The Israelite soldiers became very weak and hungry that day. Saul had told his army to agree to this promise: ‘Nobody may eat any food before this evening. By then I will have won against my enemies. If anyone eats anything before then, may God curse him!’ So no soldier in Saul's army ate any food.

Commentaries on Genesis 31:32

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 32Let him not live - It appears that anciently theft was punished by death; and we know that the patriarchs had the power of life and death in their hands. But previously to the law, the punishment of death was scarcely ever inflicted but for murder. The rabbins consider that this was an imprecation used by Jacob, as if he had said, Let God take away the life of the person who has stolen them! And that this was answered shortly after in the death of Rachel…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-55Verses 1-55 - Jacob‘s Flight from Haran 19. תרפים terāpı̂ym Teraphim. This word occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament. It appears three times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the Pentateuch. It is always in the plural number. The root does not appear in Biblical Hebrew. It perhaps means “to live well,” intransitively (Gesenius, Roedig.), “to nourish,” transitively (Furst). The teraphim were symbols or representatives of the Deity, as Laban calls…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-35Verses 22-35 God can put a bridle in the mouth of wicked men, to restrain their malice, though he do not change their hearts. Though they have no love to God's people, they will pretend to it, and try to make a merit of necessity. Foolish Laban! to call those things his gods which could be stolen! Enemies may steal our goods, but not our God. Here Laban lays to Jacob's charge things that he knew not. Those who commit their cause to God, are not forbidden…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 32Jacob was so sure he did not have the gods that he made an oath that unknowingly put Rachel under a death sentence.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 31-3231-32. Jacob said, ... With whomsoever thou findest thy gods let him not live--Conscious of his own innocence and little suspecting the misdeed of his favorite wife, Jacob boldly challenged a search and denounced the heaviest penalty on the culprit. A personal scrutiny was made by Laban, who examined every tent [Ge 31:33]; and having entered Rachel's last, he would have infallibly discovered the stolen images had not Rachel made an appeal to him which…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 31:32

• Chiding
• Laban
• Teraphim

In the dictionaries

• Jacob
• Rachel
• Jacob, Israel
• Agate
• Carry
• Discern
• Fear
• Gather
• Inheritance
• Leah

Commentaries on Genesis 31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings