Genesis 31:1-55 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

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Bible Comments

Genesis 31:1. He heard the words of Laban's sons. Three causes are assigned for Jacob's abrupt removal: first, the bitter reproaches of Laban's sons: secondly, the consequent change in the countenance of Laban; and thirdly, the special command of God, who, ever faithful to his covenant, guarded Jacob with a watchful eye, and enriched him with a munificent hand.

Genesis 31:15. He hath sold us; that is, he hath given us in marriage for fourteen years' service, and not returned the wealth gained in that time, which is justly due as a portion to us and to our children.

Genesis 31:19. Rachel had stolen the images. Hebrews תרפים teraphim. Those images were made at first to represent the angels which had appeared to the fathers at sacrifice. They were next made in memory of dead men: some have thought Laban's gods of that kind. Be the origin what it might, it ultimately led to gross idolatry. The gods of India are constructed in characters so terrific as evidently to have had their origin in a guilty conscience. The devotion paid to those household gods was more than that paid to the Creator. The army would not march, nor would a family emigrate, without its gods. The Danites stole Micah's image. Judges 17. And when Troy was in flames, Eneas said to Anchises,

Tu, genitor, cape sacra manu patriosque penates:

Me, bello è tanto digressum et cæde recenti,

Attrectare nefas; donec me flumine vivo abluero. ÆN. 2:717.

“Do you, oh father, take charge of those hallowed teraphim, and the deities of our country: for me, just come from the field of battle, to touch them would be profanation, until I shall wash myself in the flowing river.” See Deuteronomy 21:6; 1 Kings 18:40.

Genesis 31:21. The river Euphrates, which according to Boiste's chart of the holy land, runs not more than sixty miles from Haran.

Genesis 31:23. Pursued after him. No doubt with an intent either to kill him, or to deprive him of his wives and property, as is apparent from Jacob's fears, and from the divine dream which deterred Laban from the execution of his wicked purpose.

Genesis 31:24. In a dream. God would not honour Laban with a visit of his angelic presence. It was merely in dreams that most of the heathen were favoured at all in this way.

Genesis 31:27. Sent thee away with mirth. Hypocrisy is a mark of consummate wickedness. Laban would have sent him away empty and sorrowful.

Genesis 31:32. Let him not live. It appears from the sentence pronounced by Joseph's brethren concerning the cup, as well as from this passage, that the ancients punished the grosser acts of theft with death.

Genesis 31:46. Jacob gathered stones and made a heap. This was also the custom of our Gothic fathers. In all places we find burrows raised for the dead, and for memorials of battles and events.

Genesis 31:47. Jeg ar-sahadutha, is the Syrian, and Gilead, the Hebrew name of this monument. It was a round heap of stones with a flat top. Gil is any thing round, and Ed or Eed is a witness or testimony.

Genesis 31:53. Jacob sware by the fear of his father. The fear of God being often put for the whole of religion, we are here to understand that Jacob sware by the religion of his father Isaac.

REFLECTIONS.

When the time was come for Jacob to return, the Lord permitted the envy of Laban's sons to operate on the father's countenance, and to hasten the purposes of providence. Why should we then be so much afraid of evil; for the Spirit and providence of God harmonizing together, shall make the envy of the wicked productive of our present and eternal good.

We learn that counsel and devotion are requisite before any step is taken in which the safety and happiness of a whole family is involved. After prayer to God, Jacob communicated his design to Rachel and Leah. They both at once entered into his views, and being of the same mind and judgment with their husband, they would fully second him in the design; and God set his seal to their counsel by commanding them to depart.

Did God, in addressing the patriarch on this occasion, say, I am the God of Beth-el; the place where Jacob had seen the ladder, and received the promises twenty years before. Then he is mindful to perform the promises to us in old age, which he made us in our youth. Let us keep our eye constantly on these promises, for they are more to be relied on than the favour of princes, and the strongest of human compacts.

Did Jacob steal away from Laban without leave, well knowing the deceit of his character; then cases may occur, in our intercourse with unreasonable men, in which it is proper to use the wisdom of the serpent, combined with the innocence of the dove; for when these cases come to be investigated, no guile must be found in our words, nor iniquity in our hands.

Did the pursuit of Laban and all his family, finally, through the restraining hand of providence, terminate in a covenant of peace, and in a paternal benediction? Let not any family called christian be less disposed to reconciliation and mutual love than Laban. On all such occasions, let us explain, and resume our wonted concord; let us hear a voice ever saying, Live in peace and love, and the God of peace and love shall be with you. But at the same time, how grateful should all men be, that God by his providence has restrained them from doing the evil, which had been purposed during an angry moment!

Related Commentaries of Genesis 31:1

Genesis 31:1-55

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.

2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.a

3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

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 ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.

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 ramsb which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

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 ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: 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.

14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

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.

17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

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.

19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the imagesc that were her father's.

20 And Jacob stole away unawaresd to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

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.

22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

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.

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.

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?

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?

28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searchede all the tent, but found them not.

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.

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?

37 Whereas thou hast searchedf 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.

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.

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.

40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

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.

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 labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

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?

44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

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.

47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha:g but Jacob called it Galeed.

48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

49 And Mizpah;h for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;

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.

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.

54 Then Jacob offeredi sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

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.