Discovery BoxGenesis 31:31-33 
Context31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid!” 1 Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought 2 you might take your daughters away from me by force. 3 31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! 4 In the presence of our relatives 5 identify whatever is yours and take it.” 6 (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) 7
31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, and Leah’s tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. 8 Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 9
1 tn Heb “and Jacob answered and said to Laban, ‘Because I was afraid.’” This statement is a not a response to the question about Laban’s household gods that immediately precedes, but to the earlier question about Jacob’s motivation for leaving so quickly and secretly (see v. 27). For this reason the words “I left secretly” are supplied in the translation to indicate the connection to Laban’s earlier question in v. 27. Additionally the order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse have been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.
2 tn Heb “for I said.”
3 tn Heb “lest you steal your daughters from with me.”
4 tn Heb “With whomever you find your gods, he will not live.”
5 tn Heb “brothers.”
6 tn Heb “recognize for yourself what is with me and take for yourself.”
7 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, it has been placed in parentheses in the translation.
8 tn No direct object is specified for the verb “find” in the Hebrew text. The words “the idols” have been supplied in the translation for clarification.
9 tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”
