Genesis 31:31
New International Version
Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.

New Living Translation
“I rushed away because I was afraid,” Jacob answered. “I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

English Standard Version
Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

Berean Standard Bible
“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

King James Bible
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

New King James Version
Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’

New American Standard Bible
Then Jacob replied to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

NASB 1995
Then Jacob replied to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

NASB 1977
Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you would take your daughters from me by force.’

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, because I said, ‘Lest you take your daughters from me by force.’

Amplified Bible
Jacob answered Laban, “[I left secretly] because I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.

Christian Standard Bible
Jacob answered, “I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jacob answered, “I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

American Standard Version
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Lest thou shouldest take thy daughters from me by force.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Yaquuv answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, and I said, lest you will take your daughters from me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Lest at any time thou shouldest take away thy daughters from me, and all my possessions.

Contemporary English Version
Jacob answered, "I left secretly because I was afraid you would take your daughters from me by force.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Jacob answered: That I departed unknown to thee, it was for fear lest thou wouldst take away thy daughters by force.

English Revised Version
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Lest thou shouldest take thy daughters from me by force.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jacob answered Laban, "I left because I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.

Good News Translation
Jacob answered, "I was afraid, because I thought that you might take your daughters away from me.

International Standard Version
"I was afraid," Jacob replied. "I thought you might take your daughters from me.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Jacob answered and said to Laban: 'Because I was afraid; for I said: Lest thou shouldest take thy daughters from me by force.

Literal Standard Version
And Jacob answers and says to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest you violently take away your daughters from me;

Majority Standard Bible
“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

New American Bible
Jacob replied to Laban, “I was frightened at the thought that you might take your daughters away from me by force.

NET Bible
"I left secretly because I was afraid!" Jacob replied to Laban. "I thought you might take your daughters away from me by force.

New Revised Standard Version
Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

New Heart English Bible
Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.'

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, It may be thou wouldest take thy daughters from me by force.

World English Bible
Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’

Young's Literal Translation
And Jacob answereth and saith to Laban, 'Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest thou take violently away thy daughters from me;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Laban Pursues Jacob
30Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?” 31 I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. 32If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.…

Cross References
Genesis 31:30
Now you have gone off because you long for your father's house. But why have you stolen my gods?"

Genesis 31:32
If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.


Treasury of Scripture

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure you would take by force your daughters from me.

Because.

Genesis 31:26,27
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? …

Genesis 20:11
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

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Genesis 31
1. Jacob, displeased with the envy of Laban and his sons, departs secretly.
19. Rachel steals her father's household gods.
22. Laban pursues after him, and complains of the wrong.
34. Rachel's plan to hide the images.
36. Jacob's complaint of Laban.
43. The covenant of Laban and Jacob at Galeed.














(31, 32) Jacob answered.--Jacob gives the true reason for his flight; after which, indignant at the charge of theft, he returns, in his anger, as rash an answer about the teraphim as Joseph's brethren subsequently did about the stolen cup (Genesis 44:9).

Let him not live.--The Rabbins regard this as a prophecy, fulfilled in Rachel's premature death. Its more simple meaning is, I yield him up to thee even to be put to death.

Verses 31, 32. - And Jacob answered - "in an able and powerful speech" (Kalisch) - and said to Laban (replying to his first interrogation as to why Jacob had stolen away unawares), Because I was afraid: for I said (sc. to myself), Peradventure (literally, lest, i.e. I must depart without informing thee lest) thou wouldest (or shoudest) take by force - the verb signifies to strip off as skin from flesh (vide Micah 3:2), and hence to forcibly remove - thy daughters from me (after which, in response to Laban's question about his stolen gods, he proceeds). With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live. If Jacob meant he shall not live, but I will slay him with mine own hand (Aben Ezra), let God destroy him (Abarbanel), I give him up to thee to put to death (Rosenmüller), let him instantly die (Drusius), he was guilty of great unadvisedness in speech. Accordingly, the import of his words has been mollified by regarding them simply as a prediction, "he will not live," i.e. he will die before his time (Jonathan), a prediction which, the Rabbins note, was fulfilled in Rachel (vide Genesis 35:16, 18); or by connecting them with clause following, "he will not live before our brethren," i.e. let him be henceforth cut off from the society of his kinsmen (LXX., Bush). Yet, even as thus explained, the language of Jacob was precipitats, since he ought first to have inquired at his wives and children before pronouncing so emphatically on a matter of which he was entirely ignorant (Calvin). Before our brethren - not Jacob's sons, but Laban's kinsmen (ver. 23) - discern thou - literally, examine closely for thyself, the hiph. of נָכַר (to be strange) meaning to press strongly into a thing, i.e. to perceive it by finding out its distinguishing characteristics (vide Furst, sub voce) - what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For (literally, and) Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them - otherwise he would have spoken with less heat and more caution.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“I was afraid,”
יָרֵ֔אתִי (yā·rê·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

Jacob
יַעֲקֹ֖ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

answered,
וַיַּ֥עַן (way·ya·‘an)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

“for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I thought
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

[you]
לְלָבָ֑ן (lə·lā·ḇān)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3837: Laban -- father-in-law of Jacob

would take your daughters
בְּנוֹתֶ֖יךָ (bə·nō·w·ṯe·ḵā)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1323: A daughter

from me
מֵעִמִּֽי׃ (mê·‘im·mî)
Preposition-m | first person common singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

by force.
תִּגְזֹ֥ל (tiḡ·zōl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1497: To pluck off, to flay, strip, rob


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OT Law: Genesis 31:31 Jacob answered Laban Because I was afraid (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 31:30
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