© 1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
for, inheritance rights for, or guaranteed fertility for the bearer. Or, perhaps possession by Rachel would call for Jacob to be recognized as head of the household at Laban's death. See notes on vv. 30, 44.
False Gods in the Old Testament
False Gods in the Old Testament 1. Rachel's household gods (Gen. 31:19) 2. The golden calf at Sinai (Ex. 32) 3. Nanna, the moon god of Ur, worshiped by Abraham before his salvation (Josh. 24:2) 4. Asherah, or Ashtaroth, the chief goddess of Tyre, referred to as the lady of the sea (Judg. 6:24–32) 5. Dagon, the chief Philistine agriculture and sea god and father of Baal (Judg. 16:23–30; 1 Sam. 5:1–7) 6. Ashtoreth, a Canaanite goddess, another consort of Baal (1 Sam. 7:3–4) 7. Molech, the god of the Ammonites and the most horrible idol in the Scriptures (1 Kings 11:7; 2 Chron. 28:14; 33:6) 8. The two golden images made by King Jeroboam, set up at the shrines of Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:28–31) 9. Baal, the chief deity of Canaan (1 Kings 18:17–40; 2 Kings 10:28; 11:18) 10. Rimmon, the Syrian god of Naaman the leper (2 Kings 5:15–19) 11. Nisroch, the Assyrian god of Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:37) 12. Nebo, the Babylonian god of wisdom and literature (Isa. 46:1) 13. Merodach, also called Marduk, the chief god of the Babylonian pantheon (Jer. 50:2) 14. Tammuz, the husband and brother of Ishtar (Asherah), goddess of fertility (Ezek. 8:14) 15. The golden image in the plain of Dura (Dan. 3) © 1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
GENESIS—NOTE ON 31:20 Jacob tricked Laban. Because of fear at what Laban might do (v. 31), Jacob dispensed with the expected courtesy he had not forgotten before (30:25) and clandestinely slipped away at an appropriate time (31:19). With all his entourage, this was not a simple exit. Laban's gruffness (vv. 1–2) exuded enough hostility for Jacob to suspect forceful retaliation and to react by escaping what danger he could not know for sure.
GENESIS—NOTE ON 31:21 the Euphrates . . . hill country of Gilead. The area south of Galilee to the east of the Jordan River respectively.
GENESIS—NOTE ON 31:23 seven days. That it took so long for Laban's band to catch up with a much larger group burdened with possessions and animals indicates a forced march was undertaken by Jacob's people, probably motivated