Genesi 31:30

30 Ora dunque te ne sei certo andato, perché anelavi alla casa di tuo padre; ma perché hai rubato i miei dèi?"

Genesi 31:30 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:30

And now, [though] thou wouldest needs be gone
Or, "in going wouldest go" ^F9, was determined upon it, and in haste to do it: because thou sore longedst after thy father's house,
or "desiring didst desire it" ^F11; had a vehement desire for it, which Laban signifies he should not have opposed, if he had let him know his mind: but be it so that he had ever so great desire to leave him and return to his father's house, says he, [yet], wherefore, hast thou stolen my gods?
what reason had he for that? if he took away himself, his wives, his children, his goods, what business had he with his gods? he could not claim these as his, meaning the images or teraphim before mentioned, ( Genesis 31:19 ) ; by which it appears that Laban was some way or other guilty of idolatry in the use of these images; looking upon them as types, or representations of God, as Josephus ^F12 calls them, and worshipped God in them, or along with them and by them; for he could never think they were truly and really gods, that could not preserve themselves from being stolen away, and that must be a poor god that a man may be robbed of.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (tklh Klh) "eundo ivisti", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius.
F11 (htpokn Pok) "desiderando desiderabis", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Piscator.
F12 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 19. sect. 9.

Genesi 31:30 In-Context

28 E non m’hai neppur permesso di baciare i miei figliuoli e le mie figliuole! Tu hai agito stoltamente.

29 Ora è in poter mio di farvi del male; ma l’Iddio del padre vostro mi parlò la notte scorsa, dicendo: Guardati dal parlare a Giacobbe, né in bene né in male.

30 Ora dunque te ne sei certo andato, perché anelavi alla casa di tuo padre; ma perché hai rubato i miei dèi?"

31 E Giacobbe rispose a Labano: "Egli è che avevo paura, perché dicevo fra me che tu m’avresti potuto togliere per forza le tue figliuole.

32 Ma chiunque sia colui presso il quale avrai trovato i tuoi dèi, egli deve morire! In presenza dei nostri fratelli, riscontra ciò ch’è tuo fra le cose mie, e prenditelo!" Or Giacobbe ignorava che Rachele avesse rubato gl’idoli.