Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. From that which was our father’s, has he gotten all this wealth.”
- KJV And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.
- NKJV Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.”
- NASB Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.”
- NLT But Jacob soon learned that Laban’s sons were grumbling about him. “Jacob has robbed our father of everything!” they said. “He has gained all his wealth at our father’s expense.”
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
Jacob hears Laban's sons accusing him of taking their father's wealth. Resentment in Laban's household grows against Jacob.
Overview
Laban's sons interpret Jacob's God-given prosperity as theft, revealing their jealousy. Their grumbling signals that Jacob's situation in Paddan Aram has become precarious. This rising hostility, like the change in Laban's attitude, prepares the way for God to call Jacob back to Canaan.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Eccl 4:4I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.
- Matt 4:8Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
- Ps 64:3–4who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their bitter words like arrows,
- Ps 17:14from such men, O LORD, by Your hand—from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children.
- Titus 3:3For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
- Jer 9:23This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
- Ps 57:4My soul is among the lions; I lie down with ravenous beasts—with men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
- Esth 5:11Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants.
- Isa 5:14Therefore Sheol enlarges its throat and opens wide its enormous jaws, and down go Zion’s nobles and masses, her revelers and carousers!
- Gen 31:8–9If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring.
- Prov 14:30A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
- Prov 27:4Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
- Gen 45:13Tell my father about all my splendor in Egypt and everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”
- Job 31:31if the men of my house have not said, ‘Who is there who has not had his fill?’—
- 1 Tim 6:4he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions,
- Job 31:24–25If I have put my trust in gold or called pure gold my security,
- Ps 120:3–5What will He do to you, and what will be added to you, O deceitful tongue?
- Ps 49:16–17Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases.
- Ezek 16:44Behold, all who speak in proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’
- 1 Pet 1:24For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
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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 31:1 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
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