Genesis 31:7

7 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn't allow him to hurt me.

Genesis 31:7 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:7

And your father hath deceived me
In the bargain he had made with him about his wages for keeping his cattle the six years past, after the fourteen years' servitude were ended: and changed my wages ten times;
that is, either very often, many times, as the number ten is sometimes. Used for many, see ( Leviticus 26:26 ) ; or precisely ten times, since he repeats it afterwards in the same form to Laban's face, ( Genesis 31:41 ) ; he had now served him six years upon a new bargain; that he should have all that were of such and such different colours, which were produced out of his flock of white sheep. Laban was at first highly pleased with it, as judging it would be a very good one to him, as he might reasonably think indeed: and it is highly probable he did not attempt any alteration the first year, but observing Jacob's cattle of the speckled sort prodigiously increasing, he did not choose to abide by the any longer. Now it must be observed, that the sheep in Mesopotamia, as in Italy F24, brought forth the young twice a year; so that every yeaning time, which was ten times in five years, Laban made an alteration in Jacob's wages; one time he would let him have only the speckled, and not the ringstraked; another time the ringstraked, and not the speckled; and so changed every time, according as he observed the prevailing colour was, as may be concluded from ( Genesis 31:8 ) : but God suffered him not to hurt me;
to hinder his prosperity, or having justice done him for his service; for whatsoever colour Laban chose for Jacob to have the next season of yeaning, there was always the greatest number of them, or all of them were of that colour, whether speckled or ringstraked


FOOTNOTES:

F24 "Bis gravidae pecudes.----", Virgil. Georgic. l. 2.

Genesis 31:7 In-Context

5 and said to them, "I see the expression on your father's face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
7 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn't allow him to hurt me.
8 If he said this, 'The speckled will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled. If he said this, 'The streaked will be your wages,' then all the flock bore streaked.
9 Thus God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.