Genesis 31:36 (WEB)
Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?
As quoted in the map (KJV)
Genesis 31:36–37 (KJV)
36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? 37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
Key words
- אַחַי וְאַחֶיךָachay ve'achekha · Hebrew
- 'my brethren and thy brethren' — Jacob's 'brethren' here are Laban's sons, his cousins; ach covers kin well beyond blood brothers.
- ἀδελφῶν μου καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σουadelphōn mou kai tōn adelphōn sou · Greek (LXX)
- 'my brothers and your brothers' — the Septuagint keeps adelphos, 'brother,' for these cousins.
Why it matters
Quarrelling with his uncle Laban, Jacob appeals to 'my brethren and thy brethren' — Laban's sons, who are Jacob's cousins. Pitre offers this as one of three texts (with 1 Chronicles 23:22 and Josephus) where the Greek Bible uses 'brothers' for cousins (pp 106–107). It answers the objection from Jesus' 'brothers' at the level of language: context, not the word itself, decides whether adelphos means a blood brother.