And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?
Laban said ... What hast thou done? Not a word is said of the charge, Genesis 31:1. His reproaches were of a Laban said ... What hast thou done? Not a word is said of the charge, Genesis 31:1. His reproaches were of a different kind. His first charge was for depriving him of the satisfaction of giving Jacob and his family the usual salutations at parting. In the East it is customary, when any are setting out to a great distance, for their relatives and friends to accompany them a considerable way with music and valedictory songs. Considering the past conduct of Laban, his complaint on this ground was hypocritical cant.
Verse 27. Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly? - literally, Wherefore didst thou lie (wast thou) hid, to break away.
And steal away from me, [Hebrew, watignob (H1589) 'otiy (H853)] - and didst deceive or elude me.
With mirth, [Hebrew, bªsimchaah (H8057)] - with loud demonstrations of joy.
With tabret, [Hebrew, bªtop (H8596)] - with drum or tambourine [Septuagint, tumpannoon], a simple instrument of percussion, consisting of a thin wooden frame, over which was stretched a layer of membrane-leather or parchment-and the rim or hoop of which was perforated with holes containing small jingling bells. It seems to have been played by females, beaten by the hand, and used, not in war, but on festive occasions.
If the Mesopotamian tambourine resembled the Egyptian, it must have been of different forms; as on the monuments of Egypt tabrets are depicted of a circular, oblong, and also square form. It was generally an accompaniment to the harp (cf. Exodus 15:20; Job 21:12). The Arabians have still a similar musical instrument, which they call doff.
And with harp, [Hebrew, uwbkinowr (H3658); Septuagint, kitharas (G2788), guitar] - a stringed instrument, the playing on which was usually accompanied with the voice of the performer. It gave forth melodious sounds, and was employed generally (Isaiah 5:12), though not exclusively, on joyous occasions (Job 30:31). Its framework was a wooden bow, with strings which varied in number, and it was played sometimes with the fingers (1 Samuel 16:23; 1 Samuel 18:10; 1 Samuel 19:9), at other times with a plectrum or key (Josephus, 'Antiquities,' book 7:, chapter 12:, section 3).
But Laban's second charge was a grave one-the carrying off his gods-Hebrew, Teraphim, small images of human figure, used not so much as idols or objects of worship, but as talismans for superstitious purposes. Josephus, followed by Havernick, Kurtz, etc., considers that they were used as objects of idolatry. Hengstenberg thinks that 'they were material images, used at first merely as media in consulting God, and that, in fact, this incident proves that the worship of God, though obscured, was not utterly extinguished in Haran; because those Teraphim were evidently not objects of worship in themselves; they were merely emblems or tokens, such as served pretty much the same purpose as pictures and images of the saints do among the Roman Catholics of the present day,' ('Handbook of Sculpture, Ancient and Modern,' by R. Westmacott, R.A., reprinted from his Essay contributed to the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica').
As to the way in which the consultation was made, Jewish writers say that, being formed under certain constellations, according to the astrological notions of antiquity, they were made by the influence of magical art to speak at certain times in answer to questions. It was, according to them, with a view to prevent Laban ascertaining by this means the route taken by Jacob and his family, that Rachel stole her father's Teraphim (Spencer de Legg, 'Hebraeorum,' p. 354; Maimonides, p. 53). Creuzer maintains that, since they presided over births, she wished to secure their favour in obtaining children. Josephus, however, says that Rachel's only object in taking away those images was, that though Jacob had taught her to despise them, yet, in case of being pursued and overtaken by her father, she might have recourse to them in order to obtain his pardon being pursued and overtaken by her father, she might have recourse to them in order to obtain his pardon ('Antiquities,' book 1:, chapter 19:, section 9).