14 Rachel and Leah said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house? 15 “Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price. 16 “Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”
17 Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels; 18 and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered, his acquired livestock which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
The contempt of Laban was so heavy towards Jacob, that even his wives felt it. They felt like they were foreigners, while they were actually family. So instead of telling Laban they were leaving, they fled while he was shearing his sheep. It probably was not the wisest way to leave Laban, even though he was doing what God had asked. What really would come back to haunt him, was that Rachel had stolen her father’s household idols. It seems she still wanted a little bit of her old religion to fall back on. Her lack of trust in God would become a thorn in her husband’s side.