Why did you Steal my Gods?

וְעַתָּה֙ הָלֹ֣ךְ הָלַ֔כְתָּ כִּֽי־נִכְסֹ֥ף נִכְסַ֖פְתָּה לְבֵ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ לָ֥מָּה גָנַ֖בְתָּ אֶת־אֱלֹהָֽי׃
Very well, you had to leave because you were longing for your father’s house; but why did you steal my gods?
Genesis 31:30 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)

This is arguably one of the funniest passages in the whole Bible.

But actually, there’s quite a bit of depth here. In the Hebrew, “longing for your father’s house” can hint at the True Father’s house: the very dwelling place of God. In which case, the question is very relevant, if the accusation is true. Why would anyone bring idols into the house of God?

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