Genesis 31 · Verse 36

Genesis 31:36

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?
Genesis 31:36, King James Version

Genesis 31:36 in other translations

BSBThen Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?
WEBJacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?
ASVAnd 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 hotly pursued after me?
YLTAnd it is displeasing to Jacob, and he striveth with Laban; and Jacob answereth and saith to Laban, ‘What is my transgression? what my sin, that thou hast burned after me?
DARBYAnd Jacob was angry, and he disputed with Laban. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my fault, what my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
BBEThen Jacob was angry with Laban, and said, What crime or sin have I done that you have come after me with such passion?
WebsterAnd Jacob was wroth, and chid with Laban: and Jacob answered, and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so eagerly pursued after me?

What does Genesis 31:36 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 31:36-37
36-37. Jacob was wroth--Recrimination on his part was natural in the circumstances, and, as usual, when passion is high, the charges took a wide range. He rapidly enumerated his grievances for twenty years and in a tone of unrestrained severity described the niggard character and vexatious exactions of his uncle, together with the hardships of various kinds he had patiently endured.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban - The expostulation of Jacob with Laban, and their consequent agreement, are told in this place with great spirit and dignity. Jacob was conscious that though he had made use of cunning to increase his flocks, yet Laban had been on the whole a great gainer by his services. He had served him at least twenty years, fourteen for Rachel and Leah, and six for the cattle; and some suppose he had served him twenty years besides the above, which is not unlikely: see the remarks at the conclusion of this chapter. (See Clarke at Gen 31:55 (note)) Forty or even twenty years of a man's life, devoted to incessant labor and constantly exposed to all the inclemencies of the weather, (see Gen 31:40), deserve more than an ordinary reward. Laban's constitutional sin was covetousness, and it was an easily besetting sin; for it appears to have governed all his conduct, and to have rendered him regardless of the interests of his children, so long as he could secure his own. That he had frequently falsified his agreement with Jacob, though the particulars are not specified, we have already had reason to conjecture from Gen 31:7, and with this Jacob charges his father-in-law, in the most positive manner, Gen 31:41. Perhaps some previous unfair transactions of this kind were the cause why Jacob was led to adopt the expedient of outwitting Laban in the case of the spotted, spangled, ring-streaked, and grisled cattle. This if it did take place, though it cannot justify the measure, is some palliation of it; and almost the whole of Jacob's conduct, as far as relates to Laban, can be better excused than his injuring Laban's breed, by leaving him none but the weak, unhealthy, and degenerated cattle.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 31:36-42
If Jacob were willingly consumed with heat in the day, and frost by night, to become the son-in-law of Laban, what should we refuse to endure, to become the sons of God? Jacob speaks of God as the God of his father; he thought himself unworthy to be regarded, but was beloved for his father's sake. He calls him the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac; for Abraham was dead, and gone to that world where perfect love casts out fear; but Isaac was yet alive, sanctifying the Lord in his heart, as his fear and his dread.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 31:36 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּ֥חַרvai.Yi.charand it burnedH2734
לְיַעֲקֹ֖בle.ya.'a.Koto JacobH3290
וַיָּ֣רֶבvai.Ya.revand he quarreledH7378
בְּלָבָ֑ןbe.la.Vanwith LabanH3837
וַיַּ֤עַןvai.Ya.'anand he answeredH6030
יַעֲקֹב֙ya.'a.KoJacobH3290
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
לְלָבָ֔ןle.la.Vanto LabanH3837
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
פִּשְׁעִי֙pish.'I[is] transgression myH6588
מַ֣הmahwhat?H4100
חַטָּאתִ֔יcha.ta.Ti[is] sin myH2403
כִּ֥יkithatH3588
דָלַ֖קְתָּda.Lak.tayou have hotly pursuedH1814
אַחֲרָֽי\׃'a.cha.Raiafter meH310

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 31:36

  • Ephesians 4:26

    Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

  • Genesis 30:2

    And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

  • 2 Kings 5:11

    But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

  • Mark 3:5

    And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

  • Numbers 16:15

    And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the Lord, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.

  • Genesis 49:7

    Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

  • 2 Kings 13:19

    And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.

  • Genesis 34:7

    And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

  • Proverbs 28:1

    The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

  • James 1:19-20

    Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
was wroth.
30:2; 34:7; 49:7; Nu 16:15; 2Ki 5:11; 13:19; Pr 28:1; Mr 3:5; Eph 4:26
Jas 1:19,20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 31:35

    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.

  • Genesis 31:36

    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?

  • Genesis 31:37

    Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.

Read all of Genesis 31

Genesis 31:36 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Jacob se enojó, y regañó con Labán; y respondió Jacob y dijo á Labán: ¿Qué prevaricación es la mía? ¿cuál es mi pecado, que con tanto ardor has venido en seguimiento mío?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jacob se mit en colère, et querella Laban; et Jacob répondit et dit à Laban: Quelle est ma faute, quel est mon péché, que tu m’aies poursuivi avec ardeur?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da entbrannte Jakob und haderte mit Laban. Und Jakob antwortete und sprach zu Laban: Was ist mein Vergehen, was meine Sünde, daß du mir hitzig nachgesetzt bist?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tumensque Jacob, cum jurgio ait: Quam ob culpam meam, et ob quod peccatum meum sic exarsisti post me,