Discovery BoxGenesis 31:3 
Context31:3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers 1 and to your relatives. I will be with you.” 2
Genesis 31:11-13
Context31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied. 31:12 Then he said, ‘Observe 3 that all the male goats mating with 4 the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, 5 where you anointed 6 the sacred stone and made a vow to me. 7 Now leave this land immediately 8 and return to your native land.’”
1 tn Or perhaps “ancestors” (so NRSV), although the only “ancestors” Jacob had there were his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.
2 sn I will be with you. Though Laban was no longer “with him,” the
3 tn Heb “lift up (now) your eyes and see.”
4 tn Heb “going up on,” that is, mounting for intercourse.
5 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
6 sn You anointed the sacred stone. In Gen 28:18 the text simply reported that Jacob poured oil on top of the stone. Now that pouring is interpreted by the
7 sn And made a vow to me. The second clause reminds Jacob of the vow he made to the
8 tn Heb “arise, leave!” The first imperative draws attention to the need for immediate action.
sn Leave this land immediately. The decision to leave was a wise one in view of the changed attitude in Laban and his sons. But more than that, it was the will of God. Jacob needed to respond to God’s call – the circumstances simply made it easier.
