Laban’s reaction to the offer to purchase the records not only left him without excuse, but also showed his depraved character. He was willing to rob and murder to satiate his greed (v. 25). Truly, he was ripe for destruction.
In fleeing from Laban, the brothers head for the wilderness— probably the area between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. The area is saturated with caves where they could hide (v. 27). In our day, the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were found in that area.