Genesis 31:7

7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm 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 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 cattle of your father, and given them to me.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.