Discovery BoxGenesis 31:33-35 
Context31:33 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. 1 Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 2 31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle 3 and sat on them.) 4 Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. 5 31:35 Rachel 6 said to her father, “Don’t be angry, 7 my lord. I cannot stand up 8 in your presence because I am having my period.” 9 So he searched thoroughly, 10 but did not find the idols.
1 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.
2 tn Heb “and he went out from the tent of Leah and went into the tent of Rachel.”
3 tn The “camel’s saddle” was probably some sort of basket-saddle, a cushioned saddle with a basket bound on. Cf. NAB “inside a camel cushion.”
4 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by a vav [ו] conjunction) provides another parenthetical statement necessary to the storyline.
5 tn The word “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
6 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Heb “let it not be hot in the eyes of my lord.” This idiom refers to anger, in this case as a result of Rachel’s failure to stand in the presence of her father as a sign of respect.
8 tn Heb “I am unable to rise.”
9 tn Heb “the way of women is to me.” This idiom refers to a woman’s menstrual period.
10 tn The word “thoroughly” is not in the Hebrew text, but is implied.
