Genesis 31:19
At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father's idols.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Eo tempore ierat Laban ad tondendas oves, et Rachel furata est idola patris sui.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Λαβὰν δὲ ᾤχετο κεῖραι τὰ πρόβατα αὐτοῦ· ἔκλεψεν δὲ Ῥαχὴλ τὰ εἴδωλα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְלָבָ֣ן הָלַ֔ךְ לִגְזֹ֖ז אֶת צֹאנ֑וֹ וַתִּגְנֹ֣ב רָחֵ֔ל אֶת הַתְּרָפִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְאָבִֽיהָ
Haydock's commentary
Her father's idols. By this it appears, that Laban was an idolater: and some of the fathers are of opinion, that Rachel stole away these idols, to withdraw him from idolatry, by removing the occasion of his sin. (Challoner)
Others think she was herself infected with this superstition, till Jacob entirely banished it from his family in Chanaan, chap. xxxv. 2. (Tirinus)
The Hebrew Teraphim, is translated images by the Protestants in this place, though it certainly denotes idols. But Osee iii. 4, they leave it untranslated, lest they should be forced to allow that images pertain to religious service, as well as sacrifice, &c., which are mentioned together, (Worthington) though they now indeed leave images in the same verse of Osee for what the Vulgate renders altar. These teraphims are consequently taken in a good as well as in a bad sense. They were, perhaps, made of rich metal, and taken by Rachel and Lia to indemnify them for the want of a dowry. This, however, was wrong, and done without the participation of their husband. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Gregory Nazianzen The Second Oration on Easter
XXI. If you are a Rachel or a Leah, a patriarchal and great soul, steal whatever idols of your father you can find; not, however, that you may keep them, but that you may destroy them; and if you are a wise Israelite remove them to the Land of the Promise, and let the persecutor grieve over the loss of them, and learn through being outwitted that it was vain for him to tyrannize over and keep in bondage better men than himself. If thou doest this, and comest out of Egypt thus, I know well that thou shalt be guided by the pillar of fire and cloud by night and day. …