Genesis 31:33

33 ingressus itaque Laban tabernaculum Iacob et Liae et utriusque famulae non invenit cumque intrasset tentorium Rahelis

Genesis 31:33 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:33

And Laban went into Jacob's tent
Into that first where he most suspected they were, being taken not out of value for them, but contempt of them; and into Leah's tent;
and not Leah's tent next, whom next to Jacob he might suspect of taking them, out of veneration to them, because her tent lay next: and into the two maidservants' tents:
Bilhah and Zilpah; or "the" tent of them; for the word is singular, and perhaps they had but one tent for them both, which distinguished them from the principal wives: but he found [them] not;
in neither of these tents: then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent;
which he went into last of all, as least suspecting her, being less addicted to the superstition and idolatry of his family than Leah and the maidservants: Aben Ezra thinks that he was twice in Leah's tent, and at the last time came out of that into Rachel's; and that Jacob's tent lay between Leah's and Rachel's. From this account it more clearly appears that men and their wives had separate tents or apartments; see ( Genesis 24:67 ) .

Genesis 31:33 In-Context

31 respondit Iacob quod inscio te profectus sum timui ne violenter auferres filias tuas

32 quod autem furti arguis apud quemcumque inveneris deos tuos necetur coram fratribus nostris scrutare quicquid tuorum apud me inveneris et aufer haec dicens ignorabat quod Rahel furata esset idola

33 ingressus itaque Laban tabernaculum Iacob et Liae et utriusque famulae non invenit cumque intrasset tentorium Rahelis

34 illa festinans abscondit idola subter stramen cameli et sedit desuper scrutantique omne tentorium et nihil invenienti

35 ait ne irascatur dominus meus quod coram te adsurgere nequeo quia iuxta consuetudinem feminarum nunc accidit mihi sic delusa sollicitudo quaerentis est