Genesis 31 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Genesis 31

Jacob Flees from Laban

31:1 Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. 3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. 10 In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ 12 And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. 16 All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

17 So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods. 20 And Jacob tricked¹ Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. 21 He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates,² and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23 he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

25 And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your³ father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” 31 Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.

36 Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? 37 For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 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. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? 44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,⁴ but Jacob called it Galeed.⁵ 48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, 49 and Mizpah,⁶ for he said, “The LORD watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight. 50 If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac, 54 and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.

55 ⁷ Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.

Footnotes

[1] 31:20 Hebrew stole the heart of; also verses 26, 27
[2] 31:21 Hebrew the River
[3] 31:29 The Hebrew for your is plural here
[4] 31:47 Aramaic the heap of witness
[5] 31:47 Hebrew the heap of witness
[6] 31:49 Mizpah means watchpost
[7] 31:55 Ch 32:1 in Hebrew

Commentary

v1-2: Laban's sons begin to see what Jacob has done. He has greatly improved Laban's flocks, but has personally gained from that work. Thus, Laban's attitude towards him cools.

v3: Compare 28.20-21; 30.25; it is time for Jacob to leave. Like Abraham and Isaac, Jacob cannot stay with this branch of his family; he has to return to the land of promise.

Jacob has also endured much conflict, with Esau and Laban, and with Rachel and Leah; partly this is due to his own character, and thus he brings problems upon himself; and partly their own character brings them into conflict with Jacob. But doubtless his own character is being refined.

v4: Jacob explains his actions to Rachel and Leah.

v5-7: God's faithfulness to Jacob. Jacob has struggled and suffered, but God has been faithful to him. Laban had maintained his deceit, as in 25.29; he is not an easy man to deal with. He has mistreated Jacob, and separation is the only solution.

v5-13: God witnessed Laban's mistreatment of Jacob; He gave Jacob great flocks.

v14-16: Rachel and Leah are in agreement;

they have witnessed what their father has done to Jacob;
they have both felt as outsiders;
they both now have children, contrast 30.1.

This agreement contrasts with their previous rivalry. Perhaps their shared suffering, and their common enemy, affects their relationship together.

v17-21: Jacob leaves secretly. He is already three days journey away (30.36), so he has a head start.

We notice too that Laban has his idols, some of which Rachel steals. This is not a good environment for Jacob to raise his family.

v22-23: Laban pursues Jacob, and quickly catches him. Jacob has flocks and children, and cannot travel quickly, see 33.13-14.

v24: God protects Jacob, as He had Abraham (20.3). We see that God is committed to His own, even though our attitudes and actions are not perfect.

v25-30: Laban's words to Jacob; 'You have carried away my daughters like captives; I might have sent you away with joy.' This seems unlikely, given the animosity. Perhaps Laban simply wants his last opportunity to attack Jacob verbally; he clearly said more than he should, for God had commanded him not to address Jacob in this way. He refers to his vision of God, but his 'obedience' is grudging at best.

He refers to his stolen idols, another foolish thing to say, given his vision from God.

v31-32: Jacob was rightly afraid of Laban, but he is ignorant of Rachel's theft of the idols.

v33-35: Rachel, having stolen, now lies to cover her theft. Rebekah was also guilty of lies, in 27.8-10. We note the trials and travels of Abraham and Sarah; of Isaac and Rebekah; of Jacob and Rachel; and none are perfect. The Bible never describes the godly and faithful as being without fault.

v36-37: Jacob's rebuke to Laban; the accusation of theft is unsubstantiated.

v38-42: Jacob has worked for Laban for 20 years; Laban has mistreated him, changing his wages 'ten times.' Jacob lived in the wilderness, tending the sheep; he bore the loss of those who died. Only God has been caring, in preserving him through this period, and finally rebuking Laban.

The Lord God did not rebuke Laban earlier; not because He did not care, but through His own patience. There are times when He leaves His people in trials for a period before intervening.

v43-44: Laban's next argument; 'all is mine.'

v45-47: Although Laban and Jacob make a covenant, they use different languages; another indication of the strife between them.

v48-50: Laban cannot resist another go at Jacob; "If you ill-treat my daughters..."

v51-52: The pillar they erect; to mark the boundary between their territories.

v53-55: The god of Nahor, apparently a reference to idols (Josh 24.2); in contrast Jacob worshipped the true God. Jacob offers a sacrifice to the true God.