Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for Genesis 31:26

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָבָן֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֔יתָ וַתִּגְנֹ֖ב אֶת־לְבָבִ֑י וַתְּנַהֵג֙ אֶת־בְּנֹתַ֔י כִּשְׁבֻי֖וֹת חָֽרֶב׃

And Laban said to Jacob: ‘What hast thou done, that thou hast outwitted me, and carried away my daughters as though captives of the sword?

Rashi on Genesis

כשביות חרב AS CAPTIVES TAKEN BY THE SWORD — an army going to war is termed “sword”.
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Radak on Genesis

ויאמר...כשבויות, like women taken captives by creditors that are kidnapped without their husbands being informed. This is how you treated my daughters.
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Siftei Chakhamim

An army going to war is called “sword.” [Rashi explains this] because “prisoners” are not of a חרב (sword). It should have said, “Prisoners of an army.”
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Rav Hirsch on Torah

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