Speckled and spotted— The speckled cattle were those marked with little points or pricks, which the Greeks called στιγματα. The spotted were those marked with broader and larger spots, such as are often seen in the Eastern cattle especially. There were two other sorts (see ch. Genesis 31:10.); 1st, The ring-straked; that is, marked with spots or strakes, as by binding with cords. Symmachus renders it white-footed; and the Targums, having marks on their feet. Bishop Patrick says it signifies, most properly, spots, or rather circles or rings about their feet and legs. 2nd, The Grisled, which signifies marked with white spots, like hail upon black or any other colour, for ברד (barad) is hail.
Of such shall be my hire— Jacob's bargain was this: that all the party-coloured sheep and goats should be removed from Laban's flocks under his care, and that he would from that time require for his wages only such party-coloured ones as should be produced by the white or uniformly coloured cattle: a bargain apparently so advantageous, that Laban joyfully acquiesced in it, Genesis 31:34. Accordingly the division was made, and the flocks were separated three days journey from each other, that they might have no intercourse. The bargain too was no less acceptable to Jacob, as it would afford a visible demonstration of God's interposition in his behalf, and consequently a full proof of his righteousness, Genesis 31:33 i.e.. his fair and just dealing with Laban. Nor do I conceive that the least reasonable charge of over-reaching and treachery can be brought against Jacob for what he did, as mentioned in the subsequent verses: for it is evident that the whole was the work of God, who punished the injustice of Laban by giving the best of his flocks to Jacob. And as it is clear that a vision was made to Jacob, (see ch. Genesis 31:10, &c.) probably before he thought of the method used, so it is reasonable to believe that God himself instructed him in the use of that method. But then, it may be asked, Is that method really efficacious or not, to produce the end which we are informed it produced? We think not: but God might be pleased to enjoin it on Jacob as a trial of his faith, and as an external and visible sign of his immediate interposition; as he has been often pleased to attach efficacy to signs, otherwise and in themselves utterly unavailable to the end proposed. In this view Jacob is wholly exculpated, and we cannot well account for the transaction upon any other hypothesis; since, had it been a merely natural effect of the pilled rods that such cattle were brought forth, it is probable Laban would not have been ignorant of it, and that similar effects would have since followed from the same cause. Shuckford is of the same opinion with us: "God being determined," says he, "to reward Jacob's fidelity, and punish Laban's injustice, revealed to him in a dream, (ch. Genesis 31:10.) that the cattle should be speckled and spotted, and directed him to use these pilled rods as a testimony of his dependance on God. Jacob accordingly obeyed; no more thinking that the laying pilled rods was a natural way to cause the cattle to bring forth speckled young, than Naaman did, that washing in the river Jordan was a cure for the leprosy." See ch. Genesis 31:16.
There follows, between this and the thirty-seventh verse, in the Samaritan copy, a paragraph similar to that in the next chapter, Genesis 31:11, &c. concerning the angel's appearance to Jacob: and as that event is related by him there as a matter which had he fallen him before, it is not improbable that the relation might be in its proper place here: in which view, it still more confirms our opinion of God's revealing this method of proceeding to Jacob; by which he is entirely exculpated; though, without this insertion from the Samaritan, the whole appears sufficiently plain from ch. Genesis 31:11.