Genesis 31:17

“Then Jacob rose up, etc.] And went with them to Laban’s house, where his children were, as is plain from Rachel’s theft, (<013119>Genesis 31:19): and set his sons and his wives upon camels; which were his own, (see <013043> Genesis 30:43); creatures fit for travelling; on these he set his wives, Rachel and Leah, and his concubine wives, Bilhah and Zilpah; for these went with him, as appears from (<013306>Genesis 33:6 35:22); and “his sons”, or rather “his children”: for they were not all sons, there was one daughter, and they were all young; his eldest son Reuben could not be much more than twelve years of age, and his youngest son Joseph about six.”

“Then Jacob rose up--Little time is spent by pastoral people in removing. The striking down the tents and poles and stowing them among their other baggage; the putting their wives and children in houdas like cradles, on the backs of camels, or in panniers on asses; and the ranging of the various parts of the flock under the respective shepherds; all this is a short process. A plain that is covered in the morning with a long array of tents and with browsing flocks, may, in a few hours, appear so desolate that not a vestige of the encampment remains, except the holes in which the tent poles had been fixed.”

“31:17-21 Jacob left Laban secretly out of fear of reprisal (31:31).”