What does Genesis 31:14 mean?
Jacob has made the case to his wives, Rachel and Leah, about why they must move away from their father's household and travel back to the land of his people (Genesis 31:3). He laid out the facts in such a way as to gain their support for this move. Jacob's case began with Laban's history of scheming and trickery (Genesis 31:4–9), and ended with Jacob's direct communication from God (Genesis 31:10–13).Now Rachel and Leah respond, revealing that they will, indeed, support Jacob in this. They start by answering what Jacob probably assumed was to be their main objection: that a move away from their father would cause them to miss out on a future inheritance. In the form of a question, they reveal that they never expected to receive anything else from Laban, anyway. As the following verses reveal, they have no financial reason to stay near their homeland.
Even more dramatically, the following verses will show that Leah and Rachel feel just as cheated as Jacob does. They see how their father's actions were taken for his benefit, not theirs, proving that they have no real reason to stay. Despite their bitter rivalry (Genesis 30:8), Laban's greed is crystal clear, even to his own daughters.
Genesis 31:1–21 describes the events that propel Jacob to sneak away from Laban and head toward his homeland of Canaan. First, he learns that Laban and his sons are dangerously unhappy with him for taking so many of Laban's profits. Then God commands Jacob to go, promising to be with him. After securing the support of his wives, Jacob packs up his large family and property and sneaks away toward Gilead and then home.
Genesis 31 describes Jacob's difficult separation from Laban, his father-in-law, as well as his boss for twenty years. During that time, Jacob was routinely mistreated and cheated by his master. Commanded by God to return to the land of Canaan, Jacob packs up his wives, children, and all of his possessions and leaves without telling Laban. Laban soon catches up with the large company. Laban and Jacob confront each other bitterly. Eventually, though, they make a covenant of separation and peace.
