I. Genesis 30:34 – And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.
§ Laban thinks he is getting a deal
J. Genesis 30:35 – And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, [and] every one that had [some] white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave [them] into the hand of his sons.
§ Ringstraked – עקד `aqod, streaked, striped, marked with stripes
§ Spotted – טלא tala', to patch, spot, be spotted, be colored, having large spots like patches on a garment
§ Speckled – נקד naqod, speckled, marked with points
§ Why is it distinguished that the male goats he removed were ringstraked and spotted, but the female goats he removed were speckled and spotted? Did he leave behind the male goats that were speckled? Or the female goats that were ringstraked? This may be key to some of the upcoming verses
§ All the brown/black sheep were Jacob’s
§ Was this Laban putting the goats and sheep into the hands of his sons or Jacob putting them in the hands of his sons?
o V. 32 Jacob says HE will pass through the flock removing…, in v. 34 Laban said basically to do what he said. So it appears here that Jacob passed through the goats and the sheep and gave them to his sons and not Laban’s.
K. Genesis 30:36 – And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
§ This “he” appears to be Laban, and it seems that Laban may have not taken any goats or sheep.
§ This appears to be more evidence that all of the goats and sheep remained in close proximity and not 3 days away with Laban, for why would Laban simply make an exchange and tend all of Jacob’s flocks while Jacob tended all of Laban’s? That doesn’t make any sense? Wouldn’t they each just take care of their own flocks?
L. Genesis 30:37 – And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which [was] in the rods.
§ Green poplar
o לח lach - moist, fresh, new
o לבנה libneh - a tree which exudes milky-white gum, white poplar
§ Hazel – לוז luwz, almond tree, almond wood
§ Chestnut – ערמון `armown, plane-tree as stripped of bark
§ Pilled – פצל patsal, verb, to peel
§ Strakes – פצלות pĕtsalah, noun, stripe, peeled spot or stripe or strip
§ White – לבן laban
§ If Jacob’s sons were tending his flocks nearby, this elaborate explanation of peeling branches could just be Jacob building a corral that lead Laban’s white she-goats to where a spotted he-goat was waiting near the watering trough.
§ What else could this have been, we know that white goats don’t give birth to spotted goats just by looking at peeled sticks.
M. Genesis 30:38 – And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
§ The only time that the flocks would have been together would have been when they were getting water
§ Jacob was ensuring that when the she-goats bred with the multi-colored he-goats.
N. Genesis 30:39 – And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
O. Genesis 30:40 – And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.
P. Genesis 30:41 – And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
§ Conceive among the rods – it takes two to conceive, was the male speckled or white
§ We are told earlier that all of the speckled and spotted cattle were removed and went with Laban’s sons
§ If both parents were white how would they give birth to spotted kids?
Q. Genesis 30:42 – But when the cattle were feeble, he put [them] not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
R. Genesis 30:43 – And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
§ Man – Jacob
o Cattle – צאן tso'n, small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
o Maidservants – שפחה shiphchah, maid, maid-servant, slavegirl
o Menservants – עבד `ebed, slave, servant
§ Increased Exceedingly à Just as God promised him
Chapter 31
I. Jacob Plans his Departure (Genesis 31:1-21)
A. Genesis 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.
§ Did they actually say this within earshot of Jacob?
§ How childish it is to covet material things of this earth rather than rejoice with those who are blessed.
o Proverbs 27:4 - Wrath [is] cruel, and anger [is] outrageous; but who [is] able to stand before envy?
§ Glory? Jacob had a bunch of sheep and goats far from what should be considered glory
B. Genesis 31:2 – And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it [was] not toward him as before.
§ Psalm 118:6 – The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
§ Proverbs 23:6-7 - Eat thou not the bread of [him that hath] an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee.
§ How often did they see each other? No mention of how often Laban made the three day hike back to Jacob, couldn’t have been too often Laban was at least 140 years old.
C. Genesis 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.
§ LORD - יהוה Yĕhovah
§ Jacob was becoming quite content working for Laban and building his wealth, but Jacob “waited” on the Lord to tell him when to leave Haran
§ Psalm 121:8 - The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
§ No mention of a dream here, did the Lord speak audibly to Jacob?
§ No condition placed on this promise other than for Jacob to return to the land. Even though this doesn’t seem like much how many would be obedient here? This would be a tremendous undertaking today to pack up and move to another region, but how much more difficult would it have been then? Its hard to leave a known for an unknown, Jacob knows Esau is still waiting back in Canaan .
§ Jacob’s oldest son Reuben is at most 13 years old, so some of the boys are now old enough to be influenced by the example of Laban’s household.
D. Genesis 31:4 – And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
§ He called Rachel and Leah “to the field” an open area. Was Jacob leery of spies? Jacob was taking extra precautions to ensure that Laban would not find out about his intentions.
§ This was very wise of Jacob (maybe the wisest thing he’s done yet) to make sure that he and his wives were in agreement (Happy wife happy life!)
§ Note that he did not consult with Bilhah and Zilpah
E. Genesis 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.
§ Laban is beginning to look at Jacob with contempt
§ Jacob states that God has been with him, tying Laban’s contempt for him as the result of God blessing him
F. Genesis 31:6 – And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
§ Jacob has a clean conscience, he gave Laban all he had regardless of how he was treated
G. Genesis 31:7 – And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
§ The only recorded change was giving Leah instead of Rachel, Jacob states here that there were at least nine other occasions where Laban did not live up to his end of the bargain.
§ Compare this to Jacob who when asked of Laban “what shall I give thee?” he responded , nothing. Jacob earned what he was given and did not want to be indebted to Laban for anything.
§ Another parallel to the Exodus of the nation ofIsrael Egypt Egypt Haran
§ Another parallel to the Exodus of the nation of
§ Notice how Jacob patiently explains all of these events to give background and prove to his wives that God has protected him and bless him from their father. He doesn’t just state, “God has told us to go we need to go!” But he patiently brings them along to the point of this realization.
o This method should be employed by Christians today. Rather than just spout off that “God told me this” A process should be given as to how they arrived at that conclusion and what circumstances surrounded the event.
H. Genesis 31:8 – 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.
§ Jacob is understanding how God blesses him, and his argument is a good one, “what could I do? God will bless me no matter what the arrangement is between Laban and I”
I. Genesis 31:9 – Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given [them] to me.
§ Proverbs 13:22 - A good [man] leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner [is] laid up for the just.
J. Genesis 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] ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
K. Genesis 31:11 – And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, [saying], Jacob: And I said, Here [am] I.
§ Angel of God -אלהים 'elohiym מלאך mal'ak, messenger of the divine ones
L. Genesis 31:12 – 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.
§ Confirmation that God told Jacob what he was to do in the previous chapter to increase the speckled goats and it was by the hand of God that they multiplied
§ Jacob was acting in obedience in whatever it was that he did to cross the white goats with the speckled.
§ God records the injustices done to his children and though He is often slow to act, He will rise up to defend His own.
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