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Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.”
Verse 1. After that six years were expired, and calumnies and ill-will attended Jacob in Laban’s family, God ordered him to retire, verse 3. Bible.
Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
The LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,
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.
You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me.
Verse 7. Ten times. Very often, or perhaps this exact number of times, verse 41.
If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked.
Verse 8. All, or the far greatest part, so that I was exceedingly enriched. Menochius.—The Septuagint here agrees with the Vulg. But the Hebrew and other versions, instead of white ones, read of divers colours, or ring-streaked, which takes away th intended opposition. Calmet.
Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me.
During mating season, 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.
The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’
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.
Verse 12. Are of divers colours. Their fancy was strongly impressed with thee various colours, in consequence of the pilled rods, which they beheld: and which Jacob was directed by the angel to place in the troughs.—I have seen with displeasure, the injustice of Laban; ( Bible.) and therefore, I, the Lord of all things, authorize thee to act in this manner. By this vision, the justice of Jacob would appear; and the authority for removing, given in a second vision, would suffice to induce the two principal wives of Jacob to give their consent to leave their father’s house, and to begin a long journey. During the last six years, Providence had given no increase of family, that the little children might be no impediment to the removal. Bible.
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.’”
Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
Aren’t we considered as foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and has also used up our money.
Verse 15. Eaten up. Laban kept for himself the dowry paid by Jacob for his wives, though he ought to have allotted it to them, with the addition of something more, in proportion to his immense wealth. Menochius.
For all the riches which God has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”
Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,
and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
Verse 18. Gotten. Hebrew expresses over again, the cattle of his getting, and so forth which is omitted in one MS. as well as in the Septuagint Syr. and Arab. versions, though yet used in the Samarit. copy. Kennicott.—To Isaac, who was still living, though he had apprehended death was at hand 20 years before. He continued to live other 20 years after. Salien.—Jacob spent about 10 years at Sichem and at Bethel, before he went to dwell with Isaac. Menochius.
Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.
Verse 19. Her father’s idols. By this it appears that Laban was an idolater: and some of the fathers are of opinion, that Rachel stole away these idols, to withdraw him from idolatry, by removing the occasion of his sin. Challoner.—Others think she was herself infected with this superstition, until Jacob entirely banished it from his family in Chanaan. Calmet. 35:2. Tirinus.—The Hebrew Teraphim, is translated images by the Protestants in this place, though it certainly denotes idols. But Ose. 3:4, they leave it untranslated, lest they should be forced to allow that images pertain to religious service, as well as sacrifice, and so forth which are mentioned together, ( Worthington.) though they now indeed have images in the same verse of Osee for what the Vulgate renders altar. These teraphims are consequently taken in a good as well as in a bad sense. They were, perhaps, made of rich metal, and taken by Rachel and Lia to indemnify them for the want of a dowry. This, however, was wrong, and done without the participation of their husband. Bible.
teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.
Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn’t tell him that he was running away.
Verse 20. Away. Hebrew “Jacob stole the heart of Laban,” concealing his flight from him. Menochius.
So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.
Verse 21. The river Euphrates.—Galaad, as it was called afterwards, verse 48. Menochius.
Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
Verse 22. Third day. He was gone to shear his sheep, distant three days’ journey.
He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.
God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.”
Verse 24. Speak not. Laban did not comply exactly, but he used no violence. Bible.
Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.
Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?
Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;
and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.
It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’
Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my gods?”
Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’
Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them.
Verse 32. Slain. Homer says, “the father judges his children and wives;” and thus Jacob pronounces sentence. The Rabbins pretend it and its effect soon after in the death of Rachel. Calmet. 35:18. Calmet.
Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them. He went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.
Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt around all the tent, but didn’t find them.
She said to her father, “Don’t let my lord be angry that I can’t rise up before you; for I’m having my period.” He searched, but didn’t find the teraphim.
Verse 35. Vain. For who would imagine, that a woman should treat in this manner the objects of her father’s adoration? Calmet.—It would hence appear, that she did not herself adore them, unless fear overcame her religion. Bible.
Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?
Verse 36. Angry. He was extremely quiet. But patience abused, turns to fury. Menochius.
Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.
“These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t eaten the rams of your flocks.
That which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
Verse 39. Exact it. Laban acted in opposition both to custom and to justice, ( Calmet.) while Jacob forebore to claim what he might have done, agreeably to both. Bible.
This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.
These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”
Verse 42. The fear of Isaac; or of that God, whom Isaac fears, on account of the danger to which he is exposed of losing his friendship; a thing which, Abraham being now departed in peace, has not to dread. Calmet.
Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine! What can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?
Verse 43. Are mine, or proceed from me originally; so that if I were to injure them, I should disregard the dictates of nature. Menochius.
Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”
Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.
Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
Verse 47. Testimony. Hebrew makes Laban give this etymology, Jegar-saha-dutha; while Galaad means the hill or the witness. The Syrian language had now begun to deviate some little from the Hebrew of Jacob.—Each, and so forth This is added by the Vulgate. Calmet.
“Jegar Sahadutha” means “Witness Heap” in Aramaic.
“Galeed” means “Witness Heap” in Hebrew.
Laban said, “This heap is witness between me and you today.” Therefore it was named Galeed
and Mizpah, for he said, “The LORD watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
Verse 49. Behold. Hebrew “and Mitspah,” or “Hammitspah,” the watch-tower, whence God will see us. Calmet.
If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.”
Verse 50. Over them. A wise precaution, which the rich Turks still observe when they give their daughters in marriage. Busbeq. ep. 3.
Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.
Verse 51. I have, and so forth One Sam. copy reads very properly, “thou hast set up,” (yarithi), verse 45. Kennicott.
May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac.
Verse 53. God of Nachor. Hebrew uses Elohim, which is often applied to idols, such as Nachor worshipped along with the true God. Calmet.—Jacob swears by the one only God, whom his father revered. Menochius.—The God of their father, is omitted in the Septuagint and is deemed an interpolation by Kennicott. The Sam. reads again the God of Abraham. Bible.
Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.
Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.
Verse 55. Night (de nocte) when it was just at an end, and day-light appeared.—His daughters, with Dina, and so forth Thus all ended well and in peace, by the divine interposition, after the most serious alarms. Bible.