Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money.
Parallel translations
- WEB Aren’t we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money.
- KJV Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
- BSB Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us.
- NASB Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price.
- NLT He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. And after he sold us, he wasted the money you paid him for us.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They complain that Laban treated them as foreigners and squandered the money paid for them. They feel sold and used by their own father.
Overview
Rachel and Leah feel Laban exploited even the bride-service Jacob rendered, consuming what should have benefited them. Their grievance exposes the depth of Laban's greed within his own family. This shared sense of injustice unites the sisters in supporting Jacob's departure under God's direction.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Gen 29:15–20Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?”
- Neh 5:8I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say.
- Exod 21:7–11“If a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she shall not go out as the male servants do.
- Gen 31:41These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
- Gen 29:27–30Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years.”
- Gen 30:26Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 31:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.