Genesis 31:2 (KJV)

What does Genesis 31:2 mean?

Genesis 31:2 describes Jacob recognizing a change in his relationship with Laban, his father-in-law and employer. Laban no longer looks at Jacob with the friendliness he showed before, and Jacob notices that something between them has changed.

The KJV’s word “countenance” means a person’s face or expression. Here, Laban’s face gives Jacob a visible clue about how Laban feels toward him. The narrator reports what Jacob sees, rather than a conversation between the two men.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 31:2

• “countenance” — פָּנִים (panim): This word means “face.” The KJV uses it to describe an expression that can reveal a person’s attitude toward someone else.
• “before” — שִׁלְשֹׁם (shilshom): This word can refer to an earlier time. In the phrase translated “as before,” the comparison looks back to Laban’s previous way of treating Jacob.

Why Genesis 31:2 matters

• Jacob has more than one reason to sense trouble. Just before this verse, he hears Laban’s sons complain that Jacob has gained wealth at their father’s expense.
• Laban’s changed attitude helps explain the setting of Jacob’s later departure. In verse 3, the Lord tells Jacob to return to the land of his family; Jacob then speaks to Rachel and Leah about their father’s changed attitude in verse 5.