Genesis 31:35
in Genesis 31Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee; for the manner of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the teraphim.
KJV
And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
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This verse in Genesis 31
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe custom of women is upon me - This she knew must be a satisfactory reason to her father; for if the teraphim were used to any religious purpose, and they seem to have been used in this way, as Laban calls them his gods, he therefore could not suspect that a woman in such a situation, whose touch was considered as defiling, would have sat upon articles that were either the objects of his adoration, or used for any sacred purpose. The stratagem succeeded to her wish, and Laban departed without suspicion.
This site's exposition
Laban went into Jacob's tent, then Leah's tent
on Genesis 31:33-35
Laban searches four tents in order, and Rachel's comes last. She has put the household idols in her camel's saddlebag and is sitting on them. She stays seated and tells her father she is having her period. Laban searches the tent and finds nothing.
This site's exposition
I cannot stand up before you
Rachel addresses her father as lord, and a daughter was expected to stand before her father. Leviticus 19:32 later commands rising in the presence of the elderly. Under Leviticus 15:20, whatever a woman sat on in her period became unclean, and Laban's gods are under her.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Wonderful is the shrewdness of Rachel, by which she succeeded in outwitting Laban. Let those heed it who are victims of deceit and give great importance to the worship of idols. "She put them under the camel saddles," the text says, "and sat on them." What could be more ridiculous than these people? Although endowed with reason and accorded such wonderful preeminence in God's loving kindness, they bring themselves to worship lifeless stone, and, far from being ashamed or having any sense of such absurdity, they even make a habit of it like dumb animals. Hence Paul also wrote in these words, "You know that when you were pagans, it was to mute idols you went off in your frenzy." Rightly did he say "mute"; people with the faculty of speech, enjoying reason and hearing, betake themselves to things of no such faculties like irrational animals. What excuse would such people in fact deserve?
As Jacob was returning to his own country, Laban and his companions pursued them. Upon examination of Jacob's possessions Laban found nothing of his, and therefore he could not hold him.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Laban, after all his searches, missed of finding his gods, and was baffled in his enquiry with a sham; but our God will not only by found of those that seek him, but they shall find him their bountiful rewarder. 36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:31w-of-71
And she said to her father,....
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֣אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אָבִ֗יהָ | ʾaviha | father her | H1 → | 1212 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| יִ֙חַר֙ | yichar | it burn | H2734 → | 91 times |
| בְּעֵינֵ֣י | beeinei | in [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֔י | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ל֤וֹא | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אוּכַל֙ | ʾukhal | I am able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| לָק֣וּם | lakum | to rise | H6965 → | 628 times |
| מִפָּנֶ֔יךָ | mipaneikha | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| דֶ֥רֶךְ | derekh | [the] way of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| נָשִׁ֖ים | nashim | women | H802 → | 781 times |
| לִ֑י | li | [belongs] to <the> me | ||
| וַיְחַפֵּ֕שׂ | vaychapes | and he searched | H2664 → | |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| מָצָ֖א | matza' | he found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַתְּרָפִֽים׃ | haterafim | the teraphim | H8655 → | 15 times |
וַתֹּ֣אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אָבִ֗יהָfather her
ʾavihaH1 →1212 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
יִ֙חַר֙it burn
yicharH2734 →91 times
בְּעֵינֵ֣יin [the] eyes of
beeineiH5869 →887 times
אֲדֹנִ֔יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
ל֤וֹאnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אוּכַל֙I am able
ʾukhalH3201 →194 times
לָק֣וּםto rise
lakumH6965 →628 times
מִפָּנֶ֔יךָfrom before you
mipaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
דֶ֥רֶךְ[the] way of
derekhH1870 →707 times
נָשִׁ֖יםwomen
nashimH802 →781 times
לִ֑י[belongs] to <the> me
li
וַיְחַפֵּ֕שׂand he searched
vaychapesH2664 →
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
מָצָ֖אhe found
matza'H4672 →455 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַתְּרָפִֽים׃the teraphim
haterafimH8655 →15 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
Exodus 20:12Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
it leads to
- Ephesians 6:1–3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
- Deuteronomy 5:16
Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the…
- Mark 7:10
For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
- Proverbs 23:22–25
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
- Ephesians 6:1–3
Through
1 Peter 3:6just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. And you are her children if you do what is right and refuse to give way to fear.
it leads to
- Genesis 18:12
So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”
- Genesis 18:12
Through
Leviticus 19:3Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
it leads to
- Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
- Exodus 20:12
Through
Leviticus 19:32You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 5:1
Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men as brothers,
- 1 Timothy 5:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 88.4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 57.28; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.