Genesis 31 34

Genesis 31:34 kjv

Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

Genesis 31:34 nkjv

Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them.

Genesis 31:34 niv

Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.

Genesis 31:34 esv

Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel's saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them.

Genesis 31:34 nlt

But 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 verses

Genesis 31 34 meaning

Gen 31:34 states that Rachel, unbeknownst to Laban or Jacob, had stolen the household idols (teraphim) from her father and hidden them in the camel's saddle, then sat upon them to conceal them. Laban's subsequent diligent search of Jacob's camp proved futile, as he did not discover them. This verse highlights Rachel's secretive action, her use of cunning and a cultural custom to effect deception, and Laban's unsuccessful attempt to recover his valuable and likely sacred household items.

Genesis 31 34 Context

Genesis chapter 31 describes Jacob's departure from Laban after twenty years of service. Tensions had escalated between Jacob and Laban, largely due to Laban's deceitful altering of Jacob's wages multiple times, coupled with the increasing envy of Laban's sons toward Jacob's prosperity. God had explicitly commanded Jacob to return to his homeland (Gen 31:3), promising His presence. Unbeknownst to Laban, Jacob secretly prepared his family and possessions and fled. Three days later, Laban discovered Jacob's departure and pursued him for seven days with his kinsmen (Gen 31:22-23). The night before catching up, God appeared to Laban in a dream, warning him not to harm Jacob (Gen 31:24). When they met, Laban confronted Jacob about his stealthy departure and, significantly, accused him of stealing his gods (Gen 31:30). Jacob, unaware of Rachel's act, confidently declared that whoever possessed the stolen idols would die, inviting Laban to search his camp. Verse 34 narrates Rachel's crucial, cunning action within this tense search. The historical and cultural context involves the legal and religious significance of "teraphim" (household idols) in the ancient Near East, which in some traditions, such as the Nuzi tablets, could signify legal right to property inheritance. Laban's intense pursuit of them suggests he viewed them as highly valuable, perhaps representing his status, authority, or future inheritance rights, or even as objects for divination.

Genesis 31 34 Word analysis

• Now (וְרָחֵל - VeRaChel - "And Rachel"): The Hebrew 'vav' (and/but) acts as a conjunctive, connecting to the previous context. It places immediate focus on Rachel's action.

• Rachel (רָחֵל - RaChel): Specifies the perpetrator. Her action is deliberate and concealed from Jacob. This highlights a nuanced aspect of her character – not just devoted to Jacob but also possibly clinging to the religious practices or beliefs of her father's household.

• had taken (לָקְחָה - laqcha): Implies a prior, premeditated act of appropriation or theft, not a sudden impulse during Laban's approach.

• the household idols (הַתְּרָפִים - haTerafim): "Teraphim" are significant. These were cultic objects, often small human figures, used for various purposes including protection, blessing, and divination in ancient Near Eastern paganism. While their exact form and function varied, they were unequivocally objects of false worship, condemned in the wider biblical narrative (e.g., Zech 10:2, 1 Sam 19:13-16). Their possession could, in some cultures (like Nuzi), relate to inheritance rights, possibly making them extremely valuable to Laban as symbolic of his familial headship or wealth. Rachel taking them signifies a mix of possible motives: retaining her heritage, ensuring her perceived inheritance rights, personal superstition, or a defiant act against Laban.

• and put them in (וַתְּשִׂמֵם - vatasimem): Rachel's active placement of the teraphim, indicating conscious effort in concealment.

• the camel's saddle (בְּכַר הַגָּמָל - bechar haGamal): The "kar" was a type of camel litter or padded pack-saddle, large and often hollow or padded, capable of concealing objects within its layers or beneath its cushioning. It could also double as a cushion for riding, making Rachel's sitting plausible.

• and sat on them (וַתֵּשֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶם - vateshev aleyhem): This is a key action. Sitting directly on the concealed idols served a dual purpose: physically hiding them further under her weight, and enabling her to claim ceremonial impurity (due to "the way of women" mentioned in v. 35). This cultural tabu would deter Laban, a male, from searching beneath her or in her immediate personal space. It reveals her resourcefulness and deception.

• Laban (לָבָן - LaVan): The one diligently searching for his prized possessions. His intense pursuit reflects their perceived value.

• searched through (מִשֵּׁשׁ - mishesh): Denotes a thorough, methodical tactile search, exploring every nook and cranny. Laban was leaving no stone unturned in his quest.

• all the tent (אֶת כָּל הָאֹהֶל - et kol ha'ohel): Implies the breadth of Laban's search, extending to every part of Jacob's dwelling places.

• but did not find them (וְלֹא מָצָא - velo matza): The ultimate outcome of Laban's search, a direct testament to Rachel's cunning and perhaps, by implication, God's providential hand in protecting Jacob's family by blinding Laban's search.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in... and sat on them": This entire sequence describes a masterful act of concealed theft and clever deception. It reveals Rachel's shrewdness, her attachment to these pagan objects, and her willingness to use cultural taboos to her advantage to escape detection.
  • "Laban searched through all the tent, but did not find them": This highlights Laban's intense but ultimately futile pursuit. Despite his diligence and determination, the hiding place and Rachel's ruse proved impenetrable. This outcome serves the narrative purpose of protecting Jacob from his unwitting oath regarding the stolen gods.

Genesis 31 34 Bonus section

The episode of the teraphim underscores that the early covenant people were not pristine in their faith, often mixing worship of the True God with prevailing pagan customs. Rachel's continued possession of teraphim illustrates the deep-seated hold of idolatry, a sin that would later plague Israel for centuries (cf. Judges 17-18; 1 Kings 11:4-8). Jacob's unawareness of Rachel's theft and his subsequent bold oath (Gen 31:32) puts Rachel's life in direct jeopardy due to her own actions, yet she is supernaturally protected from exposure. This moment foreshadows her later untimely death, though not directly linked as divine retribution for this specific act. The narrative silently comments on God's working out His purposes for Jacob and his seed, despite human sin and deception within His chosen family.

Genesis 31 34 Commentary

Genesis 31:34 offers a fascinating glimpse into the complex blend of faith, custom, and human imperfection in the early patriarchal period. Rachel's theft and sophisticated concealment of the teraphim were acts of deep deception. Her motives were likely varied: a superstitious desire for personal protection or blessing, an emotional tie to her past home, or perhaps a practical assertion of inheritance rights related to these family cultic objects. Her reliance on "the way of women" (v. 35) to prevent Laban from searching under her demonstrates astute awareness of cultural norms to aid her deception. This event, however, is a clear reminder that pagan idolatry was present even within the family line from which God was raising up His chosen people. Despite Rachel's ungodly action, God's divine providence protected Jacob from Laban's anger and, critically, from his own unwitting oath that the one who possessed the idols would die. The failure of Laban's meticulous search highlights that God's plan for Jacob to return to Canaan would prevail, irrespective of the imperfections and schemes of the human agents involved. It serves as a stark contrast to Jacob's later command to purge foreign gods from his household (Gen 35:2), showing spiritual growth towards monotheism.