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 can understand your feeling that you must go, and your intense longing for your father’s home. But why have you stolen my gods?” 31“I rushed away because I was afraid,” Jacob answered. “I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. But as for your gods, see if you can find them, and let the person who has taken them die! And if you find anything else that belongs to you, identify it before all these relatives of ours, and I will give it back!” But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the household idols. 33Laban went first into Jacob’s tent to search there, then into Leah’s, and then the tents of the two servant wives—but he found nothing. Finally, he went into Rachel’s tent. 34But Rachel had taken the household idols and hidden them in her camel saddle, and now she was sitting on them. When Laban had thoroughly searched her tent without finding them,

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 31:19At the time they left, Laban was some distance away, shearing his sheep. Rachel stole her father’s household idols and took them with her.
• Genesis 44:9If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves.”
• Genesis 31:23So he gathered a group of his relatives and set out in hot pursuit. He caught up with Jacob seven days later in the hill country of Gilead.
• Genesis 13:8Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives!
• Genesis 19:7“Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing.
• Genesis 30:33In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”
• 1 Samuel 12:3Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”
• 2 Corinthians 8:20We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift.
• 2 Corinthians 12:17But how? Did any of the men I sent to you take advantage of you?
• 1 Samuel 14:24Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies.” So no one ate anything all day,

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