4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
5 And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-streaked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ring-streaked.
9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled.
11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
4 And Jacob H3290 sent H7971 and called H7121 Rachel H7354 and Leah H3812 to the field H7704 unto his flock, H6629
5 And said H559 unto them, I see H7200 your father's H1 countenance, H6440 that it is not toward me as H8543 before; H8032 but the God H430 of my father H1 hath been H1961 with me.
6 And ye H859 know H3045 that with all my power H3581 I have served H5647 your father. H1
7 And your father H1 hath deceived H2048 me, and changed H2498 my wages H4909 ten H6235 times; H4489 but God H430 suffered him H5414 not to hurt H7489 me. H5978
8 If he said H559 thus, The speckled H5348 shall be thy wages; H7939 then all the cattle H6629 bare H3205 speckled: H5348 and if he said H559 thus, The ringstraked H6124 shall be thy hire; H7939 then bare H3205 all the cattle H6629 ringstraked. H6124
9 Thus God H430 hath taken away H5337 the cattle H4735 of your father, H1 and given H5414 them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time H6256 that the cattle H6629 conceived, H3179 that I lifted up H5375 mine eyes, H5869 and saw H7200 in a dream, H2472 and, behold, the rams H6260 which leaped H5927 upon the cattle H6629 were ringstraked, H6124 speckled, H5348 and grisled. H1261
11 And the angel H4397 of God H430 spake H559 unto me in a dream, H2472 saying, Jacob: H3290 And I said, H559 Here am I.
12 And he said, H559 Lift up H5375 now thine eyes, H5869 and see, H7200 all the rams H6260 which leap H5927 upon the cattle H6629 are ringstraked, H6124 speckled, H5348 and grisled: H1261 for I have seen H7200 all that Laban H3837 doeth H6213 unto thee.
13 I am the God H410 of Bethel, H1008 where thou anointedst H4886 the pillar, H4676 and where thou vowedst H5087 a vow H5088 unto me: now arise, H6965 get thee out H3318 from this land, H776 and return H7725 unto the land H776 of thy kindred. H4138
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
5 and said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as beforetime; but the God of my father hath been with me.
6 And ye know that will all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the flock bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstreaked shall be thy wages; then bare all the flock ringstreaked.
9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the flock conceive, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled.
11 And the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob: and I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the he-goats which leap upon the flock are ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.
4 And Jacob sendeth and calleth for Rachel and for Leah to the field unto his flock;
5 and saith to them, `I am beholding your father's face -- that it is not towards me as heretofore, and the God of my father hath been with me,
6 and ye -- ye have known that with all my power I have served your father,
7 and your father hath played upon me, and hath changed my hire ten times; and God hath not suffered him to do evil with me.
8 `If he say thus: The speckled are thy hire, then bare all the flock speckled ones; and if he say thus: The ring-straked are thy hire, then bare all the flock ring-straked;
9 and God taketh away the substance of your father, and doth give to me.
10 `And it cometh to pass at the time of the flock conceiving, that I lift up mine eyes and see in a dream, and lo, the he-goats, which are going up on the flock, `are' ring-straked, speckled, and grisled;
11 and the messenger of God saith unto me in the dream, Jacob, and I say, Here `am' I.
12 `And He saith, Lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes, and see -- all the he-goats which are going up on the flock `are' ring-straked, speckled, and grisled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to thee;
13 I `am' the God of Bethel where thou hast anointed a standing pillar, where thou hast vowed a vow to me; now, arise, go out from this land, and turn back unto the land of thy birth.'
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the fields to his flock,
5 and said to them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as previously; but the God of my father has been with me.
6 And you know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father has mocked me, and has changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said thus; The speckled shall be thy hire, then all the flocks bore speckled; and if he said thus: The ringstraked shall be thy hire, then all the flocks bore ringstraked.
9 And God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given [them] to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time of the ardour of the flocks, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams that leaped upon the flocks were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
11 And the Angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob! And I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see: all the rams that leap upon the flock are ringstraked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban does to thee.
13 I am the ùGod of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, where thou vowedst a vow to me. Now arise, depart out of this land, and return to the land of thy kindred.
4 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,
5 and said to them, "I see the expression on your father's face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
7 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn't allow him to hurt me.
8 If he said this, 'The speckled will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled. If he said this, 'The streaked will be your wages,' then all the flock bore streaked.
9 Thus God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 It happened at the time that the flock conceive, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.
11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'
12 He said, 'Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth."
4 And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him in the field among his flock.
5 And he said to them, It is clear to me that your father's feeling is no longer what it was to me; but the God of my father has been with me
6 And you have seen how I have done all in my power for your father,
7 But your father has not kept faith with me, and ten times he has made changes in my payment; but God has kept him from doing me damage.
8 If he said, All those in the flock which have marks are to be yours, then all the flock gave birth to marked young; and if he said, All the banded ones are to be yours, then all the flock had banded young.
9 So God has taken away your father's cattle and has given them to me.
10 And at the time when the flock were with young, I saw in a dream that all the he-goats which were joined with the she-goats were banded and marked and coloured.
11 And in my dream the angel of the Lord said to me, Jacob: and I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, See how all the he-goats are banded and marked and coloured: for I have seen what Laban has done to you.
13 I am the God of Beth-el, where you put oil on the pillar and took an oath to me: now then, come out of this land and go back to the country of your birth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 31
Commentary on Genesis 31 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 31
Ge 31:1-21. Envy of Laban and Sons.
1. he heard the words of Laban's sons—It must have been from rumor that Jacob got knowledge of the invidious reflections cast upon him by his cousins; for they were separated at the distance of three days' journey.
2. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban—literally, "was not the same as yesterday, and the day before," a common Oriental form of speech. The insinuations against Jacob's fidelity by Laban's sons, and the sullen reserve, the churlish conduct, of Laban himself, had made Jacob's situation, in his uncle's establishment, most trying and painful. It is always one of the vexations attendant on worldly prosperity, that it excites the envy of others (Ec 4:4); and that, however careful a man is to maintain a good conscience, he cannot always reckon on maintaining a good name, in a censorious world. This, Jacob experienced; and it is probable that, like a good man, he had asked direction and relief in prayer.
3. the Lord said … Return unto the land of thy fathers—Notwithstanding the ill usage he had received, Jacob might not have deemed himself at liberty to quit his present sphere, under the impulse of passionate fretfulness and discontent. Having been conducted to Haran by God (Ge 28:15) and having got a promise that the same heavenly Guardian would bring him again into the land of Canaan, he might have thought he ought not to leave it, without being clearly persuaded as to the path of duty. So ought we to set the Lord before us, and to acknowledge Him in all our ways, our journeys, our settlements, and plans in life.
4. Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah—His wives and family were in their usual residence. Whether he wished them to be present at the festivities of sheep shearing, as some think; or, because he could not leave his flock, he called them both to come to him, in order that, having resolved on immediate departure, he might communicate his intentions. Rachel and Leah only were called, for the other two wives, being secondary and still in a state of servitude, were not entitled to be taken into account. Jacob acted the part of a dutiful husband in telling them his plans; for husbands that love their wives should consult with them and trust in them (Pr 31:11).
6. ye know that … I have served your father—Having stated his strong grounds of dissatisfaction with their father's conduct and the ill requital he had got for all his faithful services, he informed them of the blessing of God that had made him rich notwithstanding Laban's design to ruin him; and finally, of the command from God he had received to return to his own country, that they might not accuse him of caprice, or disaffection to their family; but be convinced, that in resolving to depart, he acted from a principle of religious obedience.
14. Rachel and Leah answered—Having heard his views, they expressed their entire approval; and from grievances of their own, they were fully as desirous of a separation as himself. They display not only conjugal affection, but piety in following the course described—"whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do" [Ge 31:16]. "Those that are really their husbands' helpmeets will never be their hindrances in doing that to which God calls them" [Henry].
17. 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.
18. he carried the cattle of his getting—that is, his own and nothing more. He did not indemnify himself for his many losses by carrying off any thing of Laban's, but was content with what Providence had given him. Some may think that due notice should have been given; but when a man feels himself in danger—the law of self-preservation prescribes the duty of immediate flight, if it can be done consistently with conscience.
20. Jacob stole away—The result showed the prudence and necessity of departing secretly; otherwise, Laban might have detained him by violence or artifice.
Ge 31:22-55. Laban Pursues Jacob—Their Covenant at Gilead.
22-24. it was told Laban on the third day—No sooner did the news reach Laban than he set out in pursuit, and he being not encumbered, advanced rapidly; whereas Jacob, with a young family and numerous flocks, had to march slowly, so that he overtook the fugitives after seven days' journey as they lay encamped on the brow of mount Gilead, an extensive range of hills forming the eastern boundary of Canaan. Being accompanied by a number of his people, he might have used violence had he not been divinely warned in a dream to give no interruption to his nephew's journey. How striking and sudden a change! For several days he had been full of rage, and was now in eager anticipation that his vengeance would be fully wreaked, when lo! his hands are tied by invisible power (Ps 76:10). He did not dare to touch Jacob, but there was a war of words.
26-30. Laban said … What hast thou done?—Not a word is said of the charge (Ge 31:1). His reproaches were of a different kind. His first charge was for depriving him of the satisfaction of giving Jacob and his family the usual salutations at parting. In the East it is customary, when any are setting out to a great distance, for their relatives and friends to accompany them a considerable way with music and valedictory songs. Considering the past conduct of Laban, his complaint on this ground was hypocritical cant. But his second charge was a grave one—the carrying off his gods—Hebrew, "teraphim," small images of human figures, used not as idols or objects of worship, but as talismans, for superstitious purposes.
31, 32. Jacob said, … With whomsoever thou findest thy gods let him not live—Conscious of his own innocence and little suspecting the misdeed of his favorite wife, Jacob boldly challenged a search and denounced the heaviest penalty on the culprit. A personal scrutiny was made by Laban, who examined every tent [Ge 31:33]; and having entered Rachel's last, he would have infallibly discovered the stolen images had not Rachel made an appeal to him which prevented further search [Ge 31:34, 35].
34. Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them—The common pack saddle is often used as a seat or a cushion, against which a person squatted on the floor may lean.
36, 37. Jacob was wroth—Recrimination on his part was natural in the circumstances, and, as usual, when passion is high, the charges took a wide range. He rapidly enumerated his grievances for twenty years and in a tone of unrestrained severity described the niggard character and vexatious exactions of his uncle, together with the hardships of various kinds he had patiently endured.
38. The rams of thy flock have I not eaten—Eastern people seldom kill the females for food except they are barren.
39. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee—The shepherds are strictly responsible for losses in the flock, unless they can prove these were occasioned by wild beasts.
40. in the day the drought … and the frost by night—The temperature changes often in twenty-four hours from the greatest extremes of heat and cold, most trying to the shepherd who has to keep watch by his flocks. Much allowance must be made for Jacob. Great and long-continued provocations ruffle the mildest and most disciplined tempers. It is difficult to "be angry and sin not" [Eph 4:26]. But these two relatives, after having given utterance to their pent-up feelings, came at length to a mutual understanding, or rather, God influenced Laban to make reconciliation with his injured nephew (Pr 16:7).
44. Come thou, let us make a covenant—The way in which this covenant was ratified was by a heap of stones being laid in a circular pile, to serve as seats, and in the center of this circle a large one was set up perpendicularly for an altar. It is probable that a sacrifice was first offered, and then that the feast of reconciliation was partaken of by both parties seated on the stones around it. To this day heaps of stones, which have been used as memorials, are found abundantly in the region where this transaction took place.
52. This heap be witness—Objects of nature were frequently thus spoken of. But over and above, there was a solemn appeal to God; and it is observable that there was a marked difference in the religious sentiments of the two. Laban spake of the God of Abraham and Nahor, their common ancestors; but Jacob, knowing that idolatry had crept in among that branch of the family, swore by the "fear of his father Isaac." They who have one God should have one heart: they who are agreed in religion should endeavor to agree in everything else.