In verse 31 Jacob replies to the question asked by Laban in verse 26: “Why did you carry off my daughters?” The answer to the question “Why did you steal my gods?” is not given until verse 32. However, Jacob’s reply Because I was afraid may appear to answer why he stole Laban’s gods, because it follows straight after that question. In order to avoid this confusion, it may be helpful to introduce Jacob’s reply by saying “Then Jacob told Laban why he had fled with his daughters.” Another way that some translations follow is to make the beginning of Jacob’s reply refer clearly to his departure: “We went away like that because I was afraid, and I thought that you would take your daughters away from me.”

I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force: this is the second part of Jacob’s answer concerning Leah and Rachel, which makes it clear what Jacob is referring to when he says “I was afraid.” The Hebrew text says “for I said…,” which some understand as introducing a direct address to himself and so translate “I was afraid and I said to myself….” However, this may also be expressed as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Take … by force translates a verb meaning to “seize,” “plunder,” “rob.” In this context it means to force Jacob to give them up, to take them forcefully away from Jacob. In some languages this is expressed “I thought you would tie me up and grab your daughters.”

In some languages it is more natural or more appropriate for Jacob to refer to your daughters as “my two wives.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .