Commentary
Skeptic's Annotated Bible
31:1 And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.
It's not like Jacob did this behind Laban's back, or Laban didn't get anything out of it. These sons are going to be trouble-makers.
31:2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
31:3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
God's advice: run!
31:4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
31:5 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.
31:6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
31:7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
31:8 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.
31:9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
(With a little help from the speckled rods, but what's another lie of omission?)
31:10 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.
31:11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
31:12 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.
31:13 I am the God of Bethel,
Is this the first time that God is speaking to someone through an angel?
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.
31:14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
So, when Jacob tells Leah and Rachel that they're leaving, they're not concerned about leaving their family and not seeing their father any more; they're concerned about whether they'd forfeit their inheritance?
31:15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
Yup, it's all about the money.
31:16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
Since we've earned so much wealth off of Laban anyway, we might as well take the money and run.
31:17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
31:18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
31:19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.
Not content to just take all their possessions and depart, Rachel steals some pictures. Nice.
31:20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
31:21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
31:22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
31:23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
31:24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
31:25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
31:26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?
Sounds like Laban doesn't respect Jacob's marriage to his daughters.
31:27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
Oh, that's it? That's why you chased Jacob for seven days across the desert, to ask him why he didn't let you throw him a party before he left? Riiiiiiight.
31:28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
31:29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
31:30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
"Stolen my gods"? I suspect this is referring to the images that Rachel stole.
31:31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
31:32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
Yes. And worse, Jacob has just proclaimed death for anyone found with the "gods," not knowing that Rachel had stolen them. I wonder if he'd follow through and kill Rachel, and if he would, if Laban would allow it.
31:33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
31:34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
Sneaky.
31:35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but found not the images.
I can't stand up because I'm menstruating. ("He bought it!")
31:36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
31:37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
31:38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
31:39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
31:40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
31:41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
31:42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
31:43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?
Um, I think Jacob has a stronger claim to his wives and children than Laban does.
31:44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
31:45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
31:46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
31:47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
Not a good sign when they're making a covenant, that they cannot even agree on what to call the place.
31:48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
Let this pile of rocks bear witness?
31:49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
31:50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters,
He already has two other wives besides Laban's daughters; I guess Laban didn't know that?
no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.
31:51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:
31:52 This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.
Ah, it's a border marker.
31:53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
31:54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
31:55 And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.
Not to belabor the point, but what a screwed up story this is. Jacob sneaks away with everything that was his, including his wives and daughters. Unknown to him, Rachel steals some images from Laban (I'm guessing these were graven images of Laban's gods, which is strange because Laban is Abraham's brother; wouldn't he be worshiping the same god as Abraham?). Laban chases after him and at first lies about the reason ("you didn't let me say goodbye!"), and then confesses that he believes someone has stolen his "gods" (which is correct). Jacob doesn't know, but Rachel continues to lie about it, and Laban is pissed. So Laban and Jacob sign a peace treaty, that neither will pass this border with the intent to harm the other, and Laban departs.
The things that don't make sense to me in this story are:
- Didn't Laban agree that Jacob could breed the speckled cattle and keep the offspring? Yes, in Genesis 30 Jacob explains his intention, and in 30:34 Laban agrees. It makes no sense that Laban is upset about this now.
- It also makes no sense that Laban doesn't seem to accept Jacob's marriage to his daughters. Yes they're his daughters, but they're now Jacob's wives. Not very honorable.
- Jacob should have been free to go at any time. In Genesis 30 they had a conversation about what it would take for Jacob to return home; it should not have been a surprise to Laban.
- Why would Rachel steal Laban's images? Why lie about it?
- If they were arguing about Jacob's departure, the amount of cattle Jacob took with him, and the missing images, why do they then make a pact regarding territory? Complete non sequitur.
I'm guessing the theft of the images will come back to haunt Rachel and Jacob.
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