Bereshis 31:20

20 Unawares to Lavan HaArami, Ya’akov stole away, in that he told him not that he was fleeing.

Bereshis 31:20 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:20

And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian
Went away without his knowledge, or giving him any notice of it; he was too cunning for Laban the Syrian; notwithstanding his astrology and superstitious arts, which the Syrians are addicted to, he had no foresight of this matter: or he "stole away the heart of Laban" ^F2, that which his heart was set upon; not his gods, these Rachel stole away; nor his daughters, for whom he does not appear to have had any great affection and respect; but rather the cattle and goods Jacob took with him, which Laban's eye and heart were upon, and hoped to get into his possession by one means, or at one time or another; but the former sense, that he "stole from" his heart ^F4, or stole away without his knowledge, seems best to agree with what follows; in that he told him not that he fled;
or that he designed to go away, and was about to do it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (bl ta-bngy) "furatus est cor", Tigurine version, Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Drasius, Cartwright.
F4 "Furatus a corde Labanis", Piscator.

Bereshis 31:20 In-Context

18 And he drove all his mikneh, and all his goods which he had gotten, the mikneh of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan Aram, for to go to Yitzchak aviv in Eretz Kena’an.

19 And Lavan went to shear his tzon; and Rachel had stolen the terafim that belong to her av.

20 Unawares to Lavan HaArami, Ya’akov stole away, in that he told him not that he was fleeing.

21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the Nahar [i.e. the Euphrates], and set his face toward Har Gil’ad.

22 And it was told Lavan on Yom HaShlishi that Ya’akov was fled.