Genesis 31:32
in Genesis 31If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
KJV
With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
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This verse in Genesis 31
Commentary
7 notes on this verseLet him not live - It appears that anciently theft was punished by death; and we know that the patriarchs had the power of life and death in their hands. But previously to the law, the punishment of death was scarcely ever inflicted but for murder. The rabbins consider that this was an imprecation used by Jacob, as if he had said, Let God take away the life of the person who has stolen them! And that this was answered shortly after in the death of Rachel, Gen 35:16-19.
This site's exposition
I was afraid
on Genesis 31:31-32
Jacob gives his reason, that he feared Laban would take the daughters by force. He then pronounces death on a thief he cannot name. The narrator adds that Jacob did not know Rachel had stolen the idols. Clarke reports a Jewish tradition that the words fell on Rachel and were answered at her death in 35:16 to 19.
This site's exposition
see for yourself if anything is yours
See for yourself is the Hebrew verb for recognize, and it returns against Jacob's house. His sons hand him Joseph's bloodied robe at 37:32 with the same verb, and Tamar uses it on Judah at 38:25. Here Jacob invites a search he expects to fail.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Therefore none of the enemies can take your soul unless it has first been made empty. Do not be afraid of those who can plunder treasures of gold and silver; such people take nothing from you. They take away what you do not have, they take away what you are not able to possess, they take away not an ornament to your soul but a burden on it. They take away what does not enrich your heart but weighs it down; "for where your treasure is, there also will your heart be," as you have heard in today's reading.
Now let us consider how the just person ought to behave if enmity arises. First, let him avoid it; it is better to go away without strife than to settle down with contention. Next, let him possess a property that he can carry off with him so that he cannot be held under any obligation by the adversary but may say, "Identify whatever of yours I may have." And Laban searched and found nothing of his with Jacob. He was a great man and truly happy who could lose nothing of his and possess nothing of another's, that is, possess nothing too little and nothing to excess. Therefore the person who has no lack of anything has been perfected; the person who has nothing to excess is just—this is to observe the proper mean of justice. How powerful virtue is! Alliance with it brought gain but did not inflict loss. This is what perfection is; it gives the greatest advantage to those who hold to it but brings them no disadvantage whatsoever.Accordingly the man who desired to do harm to Jacob was not able to send him away empty. For the wise person is never empty but always has the garment of prudence on himself and is able to say, "I was clad with justice, and I clothed myself with judgment," as Job said. Surely these are the inner veils of the spirit, and no one can take them away except when someone strips them off by his own guilty action. In fact, Adam was found stripped so, and naked, whereas Joseph was not naked even though he had thrown off his external clothing, as he possessed the safe covering of virtue. Therefore the wise person is never empty. How could he be empty? He has taken from the fullness of Christ and keeps what he has received. How could he be empty? His soul is filled, for it guards the garments of grace it has received.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live,....
He not only did not take them himself (he was not so fond of them), but he did not know that they were taken. Yet perhaps he spoke too hastily and inconsiderately when he said, "Whoever had taken them, let him not live; " upon this he might reflect with some bitterness when, not long after, Rachel who had taken them died suddenly in travail.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עִ֠ם | ʾim | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | [anyone] whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּמְצָ֣א | timtza' | you will find | H4672 → | 455 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֱלֹהֶיךָ֮ | ʾeloheikha | gods your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִֽחְיֶה֒ | yichyeh | he will live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| נֶ֣גֶד | neged | before | H5048 → | 151 times |
| אַחֵ֧ינוּ | ʾacheinu | relatives our | H251 → | 630 times |
| הַֽכֶּר־ | haker- | investigate | H5234 → | 49 times |
| לְךָ֛ | lekha | for <the> yourself | ||
| מָ֥ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| עִמָּדִ֖י | ʾimadi | [is] with me | H5978 → | 42 times |
| וְקַֽח־ | vekach- | and take [it] | H3947 → | 966 times |
| לָ֑ךְ | lakh | for <the> yourself | ||
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדַ֣ע | yada' | he knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| יַעֲקֹ֔ב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| רָחֵ֖ל | rachel | Rachel | H7354 → | 47 times |
| גְּנָבָֽתַם׃ | genavatam | she had stolen them | H1589 → | 40 times |
עִ֠םwith
ʾimH5973 →1050 times
אֲשֶׁ֨ר[anyone] whom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תִּמְצָ֣אyou will find
timtza'H4672 →455 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֱלֹהֶיךָ֮gods your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִֽחְיֶה֒he will live
yichyehH2421 →282 times
נֶ֣גֶדbefore
negedH5048 →151 times
אַחֵ֧ינוּrelatives our
ʾacheinuH251 →630 times
הַֽכֶּר־investigate
haker-H5234 →49 times
לְךָ֛for <the> yourself
lekha
מָ֥הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
עִמָּדִ֖י[is] with me
ʾimadiH5978 →42 times
וְקַֽח־and take [it]
vekach-H3947 →966 times
לָ֑ךְfor <the> yourself
lakh
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָדַ֣עhe knew
yada'H3045 →945 times
יַעֲקֹ֔בJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
רָחֵ֖לRachel
rachelH7354 →47 times
גְּנָבָֽתַם׃she had stolen them
genavatamH1589 →40 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 31:19Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 19:13
Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.
- Genesis 31:30
Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”
- Hosea 3:4
For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol.
- Genesis 35:2
So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.
- Ezekiel 21:21
For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the…
- 1 Samuel 19:13
Through
Genesis 31:30Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 10:11
Thus you are to tell them: “These gods, who have made neither the heavens nor the earth, will perish from this earth and from under these heavens.”
- Judges 18:24
He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”
- Genesis 31:19
Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
- Jeremiah 10:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Jacob and the Blessed Life; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
