Genesis 31
31
Jacob Flees from Laban
1Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this #Ps. 49:16wealth.” 2And Jacob saw the #Gen. 4:5countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not #Deut. 28:54favorable toward him as before. 3Then the Lord said to Jacob, #Gen. 28:15, 20, 21; 32:9“Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will #Gen. 46:4be with you.”
4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, 5and said to them, #Gen. 31:2, 3“I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father #Gen. 21:22; 28:13, 15; 31:29, 42, 53; Is. 41:10; Heb. 13:5has been with me. 6And #Gen. 30:29; 31:38–41you know that with all my might I have served your father. 7Yet your father has deceived me and #Gen. 29:25; 31:41changed my wages #Num. 14:22; Neh. 4:12; Job 19:3; Zech. 8:23ten times, but God #Gen. 15:1; 20:6; 31:29; Job 1:10; Ps. 37:28; 105:14did not allow him to hurt me. 8If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: #Gen. 30:32‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. 9So God has #Gen. 31:1, 16taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
10“And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. 11Then #Gen. 16:7–11; 22:11, 15; 31:13; 48:16the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for #Gen. 31:42; Ex. 3:7; Ps. 139:3; Eccl. 5:8I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13I am the God of Bethel, #Gen. 28:16–22; 35:1, 6, 15where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now #Gen. 31:3; 32:9arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ”
14Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, #Gen. 2:24“Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15Are we not considered strangers by him? For #Gen. 29:15, 20, 23, 27; Neh. 5:8he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. 16For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
17Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of #Gen. 17:8; 33:18; 35:27Canaan. 19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the #Gen. 31:30, 34; 35:2; Judg. 17:5; 1 Sam. 19:13; Hos. 3:4household idols that were her father’s. 20And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. 21So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and #Gen. 46:28; 2 Kin. 12:17; Luke 9:51, 53headed toward the mountains of Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob
22And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. 23Then he took #Gen. 13:8his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. 24But God #Gen. 20:3; 31:29; 46:2–4; Job 33:15; Matt. 1:20had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you #Gen. 24:50; 31:7, 29speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”
25So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.
26And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and #1 Sam. 30:2carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? 27Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? 28And you did not allow me #Gen. 31:55; Ruth 1:9, 14; 1 Kin. 19:20; Acts 20:37to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now #1 Sam. 13:13you have done foolishly in so doing. 29It is in my power to do you harm, but the #Gen. 28:13; 31:5, 24, 42, 53God of your father spoke to me #Gen. 31:24last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ 30And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you #Gen. 31:19; Josh. 24:2; Judg. 17:5; 18:24steal my gods?”
31Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was #Gen. 26:7; 32:7, 11afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ 32With whomever you find your gods, #Gen. 44:9do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
33And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. 35And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot #Ex. 20:12; Lev. 19:32rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols.
36Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? 37Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! 38These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. 39#Ex. 22:10That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. #Ex. 22:10–13You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. 41Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I #Gen. 29:20, 27–30served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and #Gen. 31:7you have changed my wages ten times. 42#Gen. 31:5, 29, 53; Ps. 124:1, 2Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and #Gen. 31:53; Is. 8:13the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. #Gen. 29:32; Ex. 3:7God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and #Gen. 31:24, 29; 1 Chr. 12:17rebuked you last night.”
Laban’s Covenant with Jacob
43And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44Now therefore, come, #Gen. 21:27, 32; 26:28let us make a covenant, #Josh. 24:27you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”
45So Jacob #Gen. 28:18; 35:14; Josh. 24:26, 27took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48And Laban said, #Josh. 24:27“This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49also #Judg. 10:17; 11:29; 1 Sam. 7:5, 6Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”
51Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father #Gen. 16:5judge between us.” And Jacob #Gen. 21:23swore by #Gen. 31:42the Fear of his father Isaac. 54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55And early in the morning Laban arose, and #Gen. 29:11, 13; 31:28, 43kissed his sons and daughters and #Gen. 28:1blessed them. Then Laban departed and #Gen. 18:33; 30:25; Num. 24:25returned to his place.
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Genesis 31: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Genesis 31
31
Jacob Escapes from Laban
1Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were complaining, “Everything Jacob owns he has taken from our father! He gained all his wealth from what our father owned.” 2And Jacob saw that Laban no longer viewed him favorably as he once did. 3Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your ancestors where you were born; and remember, I will be with you.” 4So Jacob sent a message for Leah and Rachel to meet him in the field where his flocks were grazing. 5When they arrived, he said to them, “I can see that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me. 6You both know I have worked for your father as hard as I could, 7although he has cheated me and reduced # 31:7 Or “changed.” The implication is that Laban did not give him raises, but reduced his salary literally in the Hebrew “ten times” (a term not meant to define how many times, but a figure of speech for “many, many times”). my wages over and over. Yet God has not allowed him to harm me. 8If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, ‘The striped ones will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9Because of these miracles, God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me!”
10Jacob continued, “Once during the breeding season, I had a dream. I saw that the male goats who were mating were all speckled, streaked, or spotted. 11In the dream, the angel of God called me by my name, ‘Jacob.’ ”
“ ‘I am here,’ I answered.
12“Then he said, ‘Observe and note that all the male goats that are mating are speckled, streaked, or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, # 31:13 As translated from the Septuagint and ancient Targums. The Hebrew is “I am the God of Bethel.” where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and return to the land of your birth.’ ”
14Then Rachel and Leah answered him, “Our father doesn’t want us to inherit a portion from his estate. 15Hasn’t he treated us as outsiders and not as members of his family? Not only did he sell us like property, but he has also spent our purchase price! 16Our father’s wealth that God has given you was legally ours and our children to begin with! So, go ahead and do whatever God has told you.”
17Jacob immediately put his wives and children on camels 18and took with him all the livestock and everything he had amassed in Paddan-Aram. He set out to return to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
19One day, when Laban had gone to his fields to shear his sheep, # 31:19 Sheep shearing was done in the spring, and it was a time of celebration and festivities that could have lasted a week (see 1 Sam. 25:2, 8, 11; 2 Sam. 13:23). Laban was preoccupied with the festivities and didn’t realize that his household gods had been stolen and that Jacob was secretly taking off with his daughters. Rachel stole her father’s household idols. # 31:19 This is the Hebrew word teraphim; they can be described as small, carved figurines passed down within the family or clan. Teraphim is taken from an Aramaic root word meaning “to inquire.” Apparently, Laban used these images for guidance by divination. Rachel’s taking her father’s gods meant she took his ability to discover where they had gone (see Judg. 17:5; 1 Sam. 19:13; Ezek. 21:21). Other scholars believe that the teraphim guaranteed the right of inheritance to whoever possessed them. According to ancient Akkadian writings, the possession of these family idols (gods) could verify legal title to the family estate. This was perhaps the reason for Laban’s angry accusation of Jacob (v. 30). 20Jacob had outwitted Laban the Aramean by secretly departing without telling him. 21He fled with all that he had, and after crossing the Euphrates, # 31:21 The Euphrates was known to the Hebrews simply as “the River.” It was about fifty miles from Laban’s home to the Euphrates. he headed for the hill country of Gilead. 22And it wasn’t until three days later that Laban discovered Jacob had left.
Laban Pursues Jacob
23Laban, along with some of his relatives, took off in pursuit and chased after Jacob for seven days. He had almost caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead, 24when God appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful that you neither harm nor threaten Jacob.” # 31:24 Or “that you speak not to Jacob a word either good or evil.” This is a merism, for God was not telling Laban to remain silent, but rather to neither harm nor threaten Jacob with his words.
25Now Jacob had set up his camp with his flocks on a hill, and Laban had him in his sights. Laban and his companions set up their camp nearby. 26Laban approached Jacob and said, “Nephew, what have you done? You’ve deceived me and carried away my daughters like captives on a battlefield. 27Why did you trick me and run away in secret without telling me? I would have sent you off joyously, celebrating with singing and dancing to the tambourine and stringed instruments. 28And why did you not even let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren goodbye? What you have done is foolish! 29I could harm you, but the God of your father spoke to me in a dream last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you neither harm nor threaten Jacob.’ 30Now I realize you ran away because you desperately long to return to your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”
31“I left in a hurry because I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “and I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. 32Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! So here, in the presence of our relatives, if you can find among our possessions anything that is yours, take it.” Now Jacob had no clue that Rachel had stolen the gods.
33Laban went immediately into Jacob’s tent to search. Then he went into the tents of Zilpah and Bilhah but found nothing. After searching Leah’s tent, he went into Rachel’s. 34Now Rachel had taken the family gods and put them in her camel’s cushion and sat on them. 35She said to her father, “Please my father, # 31:35 Or “my lord.” don’t be angry if I don’t rise before you, for I’m having my period.” When he rummaged through her tent, he did not find them.
36Then Jacob became angry and complained to Laban, “What have I done wrong? What sin have I committed that you would hotly pursue me as if you were chasing a criminal? 37You have rummaged through all my things, and did you find anything of your own property? If you did, set them here in front of your relatives and mine. Let them decide between the two of us.”
38Jacob continued, “For the last twenty years I have served you, and the whole time your sheep and goats did not miscarry, nor did I feast on any of your rams. 39If one from your flock was mauled by a wild beast, I didn’t bring it to you; I absorbed the loss myself. And you always made me pay for any missing animal, whether snatched by day or by night. 40Many times, scorching heat consumed me by day and hard frost by night; I endured sleepless nights. 41For these twenty years that I’ve lived among you, I slaved away fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flocks. And besides all that, you’ve reduced my wages over and over. 42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Awesome One of Isaac # 31:42 Or “the One whom Isaac worships” or “the Fear of Isaac.” The Hebrew is uncertain. , had not been on my side, you certainly would have sent me away empty-handed! But God in his mercy took notice of how much I’ve suffered and how hard I’ve worked—and that’s why he rebuked you last night in your dream!”
Laban and Jacob Make a Covenant
43Laban replied to Jacob, “These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren; and the flocks are mine. In fact, everything you see belongs to me. But from today I will not be able to do anything more for my daughters and grandchildren. # 31:43 Or “What can I do today about these daughters of mine and these children they have borne?” 44Come now, let’s form a covenant between you and me. Let it endure as a witness between us.” # 31:44 This covenant (treaty), memorialized by the heap of stones and their covenant meal, was an agreement to never harm each other. 45So Jacob took a stone, set it up as a pillar, 46and in the presence of his relatives, he said to them, “Everyone gather stones, and place them here in a pile.” And they did so, and afterward, they ate together next to the heap of stones. 47Laban and Jacob named the place in both languages, Aramaic # 31:47 Or “Jegar Sahadutha,” Aramaic for “Heap of Witness.” and Hebrew, # 31:47 Or “Galeed,” Hebrew for “Heap of Witness.” calling it Witness Heap. 48And Laban said, “Today, this heap of stones will be a witness between you and me of our enduring friendship.” He called it Witness Heap 49and Watchpost, # 31:49 Or “Mizpah,” which means “Watchpost [Lookout].” Jesus is our Mizpah. Eph. 2:14 states that Jesus made the Jew and the gentile one, breaking down the middle wall between them. Jacob, the father of the Israelites, and Laban, a gentile, found peace at Mizpah. for Laban declared, “May Yahweh keep his eyes on us when we are absent from each other. 50If you mistreat my daughters or marry other women besides my daughters, remember that even though no one else is with us, God is watching us. 51Here is the heap of stones and here is the memorial pillar that stands between us. # 31:51 Or “that I have set up between us.” 52This heap and this pillar stand as witnesses that I will never pass beyond them to harm you and that you will never pass beyond them to harm me. 53Now may the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor judge between us!” # 31:53 As translated from some Hebrew manuscripts and the Septuagint. Other Hebrew manuscripts add “the gods of their fathers.” Yahweh, the God of Abraham, was not the god of Nahor. Yahweh called Abraham out of Haran (see Gen. 12:4) and away from idol worship (see Josh. 24:2).
Jacob made his vow by the Awesome One of his father Isaac. # 31:53 Or “by [in the name of] the Fear of Isaac [the One whom Isaac feared].” 54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called everyone together for a meal, and they remained there all night on the mountain.
55Early the next morning, Laban kissed his daughters and grandchildren, blessed them, and then he returned home.
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