And now, [though] thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, [yet] wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
30. though thou wouldest needs be gone ] Lit. “thou art actually gone.”
my gods ] “My Elohim, or god,” here in the sense of the figures of the household gods, as in Jdg 18:24, and possibly in Exo 21:6; Exo 22:7-8; Exo 32:1.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Laban could not be so senseless as to take those for true gods which could be stolen away; but he called them gods, because they were the means or representations whereby he worshipped his gods.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And now, [though] thou wouldest needs be gone,…. Or, “in going wouldest go” i, was determined upon it, and in haste to do it:
because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, or “desiring didst desire it” k; 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, Ge 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 l 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.
i “eundo ivisti”, Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius. k “desiderando desiderabis”, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Piscator. l Antiqu. l. 1. c. 19. sect. 9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
“ And now thou art gone (for, if thou art gone), because thou longedst after thy father’s house, why hast thou stolen my gods? ” The meaning is this: even if thy secret departure can be explained, thy stealing of my gods cannot.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
30. Wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? (96) The second head of accusation which is alleged against Jacob is, that he had not departed through love to his country, nor for any just and probable cause; but that, in fact, he was implicated in an act of robbery. Heavy and disgraceful charge, of which Jacob was far from being guilty! But we learn hence, that no one can live so innocently in the world, but he must sometimes bear undeserved reproach and marks of infamy. Whenever this may happen to us, let that precious promise sustain us, that the Lord, in his own time, will bring forth our innocence as the morning light. (Psa 37:6.) For by this artifice Satan attempts to seduce us from the practice of well-doing, when, without any fault of ours, we are traduced by false calumnies. And since the world is ungrateful, it often makes the very worst return for acts of kindness. Some, indeed, are found, who, with heroic magnanimity, despise unfavourable reports, because they esteem the testimony of a good conscience more highly than depraved popular opinion. But it behoves the faithful to look to God, that their conscience may never fail them. We see that Laban calls his gods תרפים ( teraphim,) not because he thought the Deity was enclosed within them; but because he worshipped these images in honor of the gods. Or rather, because, when he was about to pay homage to God, he turned himself to those images. At this day, by the sole difference of a word, the Papists think they skilfully effect their escape, because they do not attribute to idols the name of gods. But the subterfuge is frivolous, since in reality they are altogether alike; for they pour forth before pictures or statues whatever honor they acknowledge to be due to the one God. To the ancient idolaters the pretext was not wanting, that by a metonymy they styled those images gods, which were formed for the sake of representing God.
(96) “Wonderful is the madness of idolatry. He confesses that those whom he calls his gods, might yet be carried off by theft. It was the part of impiety that he worshipped idols; but it was the part of the folly that he declared those to be gods, who were unable to preserve themselves from being stolen.” — Rivetus in Gen., p. 656.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
30. My gods This theft he finally charges as the most aggravating thing of all .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Gen 31:30 And now, [though] thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, [yet] wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
Ver. 30. Why hast thou stolen my gods? ] Goodly gods that could not save themselves from the thief! See Jer 10:5 ; Jer 10:11 ; Jer 10:15 . But Jacob, a just man, is here made a thief of. The best must look to be blasted; “as deceivers, and yet true”. 2Co 6:8 Wicked men’s “throats are open sepulchres,” Psa 5:9 wherein the good names of God’s innocent ones too oft lie buried: their breath, as fire, shall devour them, saith the prophet. Isa 33:11 Joseph suffered as a dishonest person; Elisha, as a troubler of the state; Jeremiah, as a traitor; Luther, as the trumpet of rebellion. a Nay, in one of his Epistles to Spalatinus, Prorsus Satan est Lutherus, saith he; sed Christus vivit et regnat, Amen. He adds his Amen to it; so little was he moved at it. He had learned, and so must we, to pass through “good and evil report,” with Paul. 2Co 6:8 Epiphanius saith, somewhere, that the Jews give out that St Paul turned Christian for spite, because he could not obtain the high priest’s daughter in marriage. We are made “the filth of the world, the sweepings of all things,” ; 1Co 4:13 saith St Paul of himself and his companions; who yet were the very “glory of Jesus Christ”. 2Co 8:23 Phagius reports the story of an Egyptian who said, The Christians were a company of most filthy lecherous people. And for the keeping of the Sabbath, he saith, they had a disease upon them, and were therefore fain to rest the seventh day.
a Tuba rebellionis.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sore longedst. Hebrew with longing thou hast longed. Figure of speech Polyptoton.
my gods. Compare on Gen 31:29.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
my gods: Gen 31:19, Exo 12:12, Num 33:4, Jdg 6:31, Jdg 18:24, 1Sa 5:2-6, 2Sa 5:21, Isa 37:19, Isa 46:1, Isa 46:2, Jer 10:11, Jer 43:12
Reciprocal: Gen 31:32 – whomsoever Num 10:30 – General Deu 12:20 – I will Jos 24:2 – served other gods Jdg 17:5 – an house of gods 2Sa 13:39 – the soul of Isa 44:13 – that it may Eze 21:21 – images Dan 11:8 – their gods Rom 1:11 – I long 1Th 2:17 – endeavoured
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 31:30. Wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? Foolish man! to call those his gods that could be stolen! Could he expect protection from them that could neither resist nor discover their invaders? Happy are they who have the Lord for their God. Enemies may steal our goods, but not our God.