They recognized they would be better off trusting God’s provision through Jacob than hoping in their father’s diminishing goodwill.
When Jacob presented his plan to return to the land of Canaan, Scripture tells us that “So Rachel and Leah said to him, ‘Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house?’” (v.14). This conversation took place in the region of Paddan-aram (also called Haran), located in northern Mesopotamia near the Euphrates River, where Rachel and Leah’s father, Laban, had settled. Historically, these events are placed around the early second millennium BC (approximately 1900-1800 BC). Rachel and Leah were both daughters of Laban, who was the brother of Rebekah (Jacob’s mother). Their question reveals their awareness that their father had not treated them fairly, and that any hope they had for an inheritance from him was gone.
In this verse, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house?” (v.14), it becomes clear that Rachel and Leah understood their father’s wealth would not transfer to them, despite the customary expectation that daughters might receive a share of the family estate. Culturally, a father’s property was often passed down through sons, but both sisters recognized that Laban’s treatment of Jacob indicated hostility and greed rather than generosity. Rachel and Leah assessed their unfair situation, noting that the customary rights or portions that might have been due to them were entirely neglected.
Moreover, their question to Jacob underscores a deeper issue of loyalty and trust. By siding with Jacob, they acknowledged that the blessing promised by God would come through their husband rather than through remaining in their father’s home. This moment also paves the way for Jacob’s eventual departure when he takes Rachel, Leah, and all their children and possessions back to the land originally promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—fulfilling the broader covenant blessings that would later affect all of Israel.
Set to dark mode
Genesis 31:14 meaning
When Jacob presented his plan to return to the land of Canaan, Scripture tells us that “So Rachel and Leah said to him, ‘Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house?’” (v.14). This conversation took place in the region of Paddan-aram (also called Haran), located in northern Mesopotamia near the Euphrates River, where Rachel and Leah’s father, Laban, had settled. Historically, these events are placed around the early second millennium BC (approximately 1900-1800 BC). Rachel and Leah were both daughters of Laban, who was the brother of Rebekah (Jacob’s mother). Their question reveals their awareness that their father had not treated them fairly, and that any hope they had for an inheritance from him was gone.
In this verse, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house?” (v.14), it becomes clear that Rachel and Leah understood their father’s wealth would not transfer to them, despite the customary expectation that daughters might receive a share of the family estate. Culturally, a father’s property was often passed down through sons, but both sisters recognized that Laban’s treatment of Jacob indicated hostility and greed rather than generosity. Rachel and Leah assessed their unfair situation, noting that the customary rights or portions that might have been due to them were entirely neglected.
Moreover, their question to Jacob underscores a deeper issue of loyalty and trust. By siding with Jacob, they acknowledged that the blessing promised by God would come through their husband rather than through remaining in their father’s home. This moment also paves the way for Jacob’s eventual departure when he takes Rachel, Leah, and all their children and possessions back to the land originally promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—fulfilling the broader covenant blessings that would later affect all of Israel.