New International Version
Genesis 31:26
26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.
Genesis 31:26 in other versions
- King James Version (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?
- English Standard Version (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?
- New King James Version (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?
- New Living Translation (NLT)“What do you mean by deceiving me like this?” Laban demanded. “How dare you drag my daughters away like prisoners of war?
Context of Genesis 31:26
24Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” 25Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war. 27Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps? 28You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing.
Read all of Genesis 31Genesis 31:26 word by word
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָבָן֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתָ וַתִּגְנֹ֖ב אֶת־לְבָבִ֑י וַתְּנַהֵג֙ אֶת־בְּנֹתַ֔י כִּשְׁבֻי֖וֹת חָֽרֶב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Labanלָבָןlâbân · LabanH3837
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to Jacobיַעֲקֹבya‛ăqôb · JacobH3290
- What hast thou doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- that thou hast stolen awayגָּנַבgânab · to stealH1589
- unawaresלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- to me, and carried awayנָהַגnâhag · to leadH5090
- my daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- as captivesשָׁבָהshâbâh · to take captiveH7617
- with the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
Cross-references for Genesis 31:26
- Genesis 31:36Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged you that you hunt me down?
- Genesis 3:13Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
- Genesis 4:10The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
- Genesis 12:18So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
- Genesis 20:9Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”
- Genesis 26:10Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
- Joshua 7:19Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and honor him. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
- 1 Samuel 14:43Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. And now I must die!”
- 1 Samuel 17:29“Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?”
- John 18:35“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
- Genesis 31:16Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.”
- Genesis 2:24That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
- Genesis 34:29They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.
- 1 Samuel 30:2and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.
Commentaries on Genesis 31:26
- 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. 25-30The dispute between the two men used the language of legal controversies and lawsuits (see also 31:36). Laban first argued that Jacob had wronged him by stealing from him.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 26-3026-30. Laban said ... What hast thou done?--Not a word is said of the charge (Ge 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 31:26
In the dictionaries
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
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