Genesis 31

1 Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father. He got all his wealth from what our father owned."
2 He also saw that Laban was no longer as friendly as he had been earlier.
3 Then the Lord said to him, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. I will be with you."
4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where his flocks were.
5 He said to them, "I have noticed that your father is not as friendly toward me as he used to be; but my father's God has been with me.
6 You both know that I have worked for your father with all my strength.
7 Yet he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not let him harm me.
8 Whenever Laban said, "The speckled goats shall be your wages,' all the flocks produced speckled young. When he said, "The striped goats shall be your wages,' all the flocks produced striped young.
9 God has taken flocks away from your father and given them to me.
10 "During the breeding season I had a dream, and I saw that the male goats that were mating were striped, spotted, and speckled.
11 The angel of God spoke to me in the dream and said, "Jacob!' "Yes,' I answered.
12 "Look,' he continued, "all the male goats that are mating are striped, spotted, and speckled. I am making this happen because I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.
13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you dedicated a stone as a memorial by pouring olive oil on it and where you made a vow to me. Now get ready and go back to the land where you were born.' " 1
14 Rachel and Leah answered Jacob, "There is nothing left for us to inherit from our father.
15 He treats us like foreigners. He sold us, and now he has spent all the money he was paid for us.
16 All this wealth which God has taken from our father belongs to us and to our children. Do whatever God has told you."
17 So Jacob got ready to go back to his father in the land of Canaan. He put his children and his wives on the camels, and drove all his flocks ahead of him, with everything that he had gotten in Mesopotamia.
19 Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and during his absence Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father.
20 Jacob deceived Laban by not letting him know that he was leaving.
21 He took everything he owned and left in a hurry. He crossed the Euphrates River and started for the hill country of Gilead.
22 Three days later Laban was told that Jacob had fled.
23 He took his men with him and pursued Jacob for seven days until he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.
24 In a dream that night God came to Laban and said to him, "Be careful not to threaten Jacob in any way."
25 Jacob had set up his camp on a mountain, and Laban set up his camp with his relatives in the hill country of Gilead.
26 Laban said to Jacob, "Why did you deceive me and carry off my daughters like women captured in war?
27 Why did you deceive me and slip away without telling me? If you had told me, I would have sent you on your way with rejoicing and singing to the music of tambourines and harps.
28 You did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-bye. That was a foolish thing to do!
29 I have the power to do you harm, but last night the God of your father warned me not to threaten you in any way.
30 I know that you left because you were so anxious to get back home, but why did you steal my household gods?"
31 Jacob answered, "I was afraid, because I thought that you might take your daughters away from me.
32 But if you find that anyone here has your gods, he will be put to death. Here, with our men as witnesses, look for anything that belongs to you and take what is yours." Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen Laban's gods.
33 Laban went and searched Jacob's tent; then he went into Leah's tent, and the tent of the two slave women, but he did not find his gods. Then he went into Rachel's tent.
34 Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in a camel's saddlebag and was sitting on them. Laban searched through the whole tent, but did not find them.
35 Rachel said to her father, "Do not be angry with me, sir, but I am not able to stand up in your presence; I am having my monthly period." Laban searched but did not find his household gods.
36 Then Jacob lost his temper. "What crime have I committed?" he asked angrily. "What law have I broken that gives you the right to hunt me down?
37 Now that you have searched through all my belongings, what household article have you found that belongs to you? Put it out here where your men and mine can see it, and let them decide which one of us is right.
38 I have been with you now for twenty years; your sheep and your goats have not failed to reproduce, and I have not eaten any rams from your flocks.
39 Whenever a sheep was killed by wild animals, I always bore the loss myself. I didn't take it to you to show that it was not my fault. You demanded that I make good anything that was stolen during the day or during the night.
40 Many times I suffered from the heat during the day and from the cold at night. I was not able to sleep.
41 It was like that for the whole twenty years I was with you. For fourteen years I worked to win your two daughters - and six years for your flocks. And even then, you changed my wages ten times.
42 If the God of my fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac, had not been with me, you would have already sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my trouble and the work I have done, and last night he gave his judgment."
43 Laban answered Jacob, "These young women are my daughters; their children belong to me, and these flocks are mine. In fact, everything you see here belongs to me. But since I can do nothing to keep my daughters and their children,
44 I am ready to make an agreement with you. Let us make a pile of stones to remind us of our agreement."
45 So Jacob got a stone and set it up as a memorial.
46 He told his men to gather some rocks and pile them up. Then they ate a meal beside the pile of rocks.
47 Laban named it Jegar Sahadutha, while Jacob named it Galeed.
48 Laban said to Jacob, "This pile of rocks will be a reminder for both of us." That is why that place was named Galeed.
49 Laban also said, "May the Lord keep an eye on us while we are separated from each other." So the place was also named Mizpah.
50 Laban went on, "If you mistreat my daughters or if you marry other women, even though I don't know about it, remember that God is watching us.
51 Here are the rocks that I have piled up between us, and here is the memorial stone.
52 Both this pile and this memorial stone are reminders. I will never go beyond this pile to attack you, and you must never go beyond it or beyond this memorial stone to attack me.
53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor will judge between us." Then, in the name of the God whom his father Isaac worshiped, Jacob solemnly vowed to keep this promise.
54 He killed an animal, which he offered as a sacrifice on the mountain, and he invited his men to the meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters good-bye, and left to go back home.

Genesis 31 Commentary

Chapter 31

Jacob departs secretly. (1-21) Laban pursues Jacob. (23-35) Jacob's complaint of Laban's conduct. (36-42) Their covenant at Galeed. (43-55)

Verses 1-21 The affairs of these families are related very minutely, while (what are called) the great events of states and kingdoms at that period, are not mentioned. The Bible teaches people the common duties of life, how to serve God, how to enjoy the blessings he bestows, and to do good in the various stations and duties of life. Selfish men consider themselves robbed of all that goes past them, and covetousness will even swallow up natural affection. Men's overvaluing worldly wealth is that error which is the root of covetousness, envy, and all evil. The men of the world stand in each other's way, and every one seems to be taking away from the rest; hence discontent, envy, and discord. But there are possessions that will suffice for all; happy they who seek them in the first place. In all our removals we should have respect to the command and promise of God. If He be with us, we need not fear. The perils which surround us are so many, that nothing else can really encourage our hearts. To remember favoured seasons of communion with God, is very refreshing when in difficulties; and we should often recollect our vows, that we fail not to fulfil them.

Verses 22-35 God can put a bridle in the mouth of wicked men, to restrain their malice, though he do not change their hearts. Though they have no love to God's people, they will pretend to it, and try to make a merit of necessity. Foolish Laban! to call those things his gods which could be stolen! Enemies may steal our goods, but not our God. Here Laban lays to Jacob's charge things that he knew not. Those who commit their cause to God, are not forbidden to plead it themselves with meekness and fear. When we read of Rachel's stealing her father's images, what a scene of iniquity opens! The family of Nahor, who left the idolatrous Chaldees; is this family itself become idolatrous? It is even so. The truth seems to be, that they were like some in after-times, who sware by the Lord and by Malcham, ( Zepheniah 1:5 ) ; and like others in our times, who wish to serve both God and mammon. Great numbers will acknowledge the true God in words, but their hearts and houses are the abodes of spiritual idolatry. When a man gives himself up to covetousness, like Laban, the world is his god; and he has only to reside among gross idolaters in order to become one, or at least a favourer of their abominations.

Verses 36-42 If Jacob were willingly consumed with heat in the day, and frost by night, to become the son-in-law of Laban, what should we refuse to endure, to become the sons of God? Jacob speaks of God as the God of his father; he thought himself unworthy to be regarded, but was beloved for his father's sake. He calls him the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac; for Abraham was dead, and gone to that world where perfect love casts out fear; but Isaac was yet alive, sanctifying the Lord in his heart, as his fear and his dread.

Verses 43-55 Laban could neither justify himself nor condemn Jacob, therefore desires to hear no more of that matter. He is not willing to own himself in fault, as he ought to have done. But he proposes a covenant of friendship between them, to which Jacob readily agrees. A heap of stones was raised, to keep up the memory of the event, writing being then not known or little used. A sacrifice of peace offerings was offered. Peace with God puts true comfort into our peace with our friends. They did eat bread together, partaking of the feast upon the sacrifice. In ancient times covenants of friendship were ratified by the parties eating and drinking together. God is judge between contending parties, and he will judge righteously; whoever do wrong, it is at their peril. They gave a new name to the place, The heap of witness. After this angry parley, they part friends. God is often better to us than our fears, and overrules the spirits of men in our favour, beyond what we could have expected; for it is not in vain to trust in him.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 31.13Genesis 28.18-22.

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. jegar sahadutha: [This name in Aramaic means "a pile to remind us."]
  • [b]. galeed: [This name in Hebrew means "a pile to remind us."]
  • [c]. mizpah: [This name sounds like the Hebrew for "place from which to watch."]
  • [d]. abraham . . . nahor: [Abraham was Jacob's grandfather and Nahor was Laban's grandfather.]

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 31

This chapter relates how that Jacob observing that Laban and his sons envied his prosperity, and having a call from God to return to his own country, acquaints his wives with it; and reports to them Laban's ill usage of him, and the wonderful appearance of God to him, and for him, and his orders to him to depart from thence, Ge 31:1-13; to which they agreed, knowing full well their father's unkindness, and that they had nothing to expect from him, and therefore judged it best to go off with what they had got through the gift of God unto them, Ge 31:14-16; upon which Jacob set out privately, with all he had, towards his own country, while Laban was shearing his sheep, Ge 31:17-21; three days after, Laban, being informed of it, pursued after Jacob, and overtook him at Mount Gilead; but was warned by the way to be cautious what he said to him, Ge 31:22-25; yet nevertheless he warmly expostulated with him about his secret flight, not giving him the opportunity of taking his leave of his children, and especially for taking away his gods, Ge 31:26-30; to which Jacob gave an answer, Ge 31:31-35; and in his turn was warm likewise, and chided Laban severely for his hot pursuit of him, his charge of stealth, when he could find nothing on him, his hard labour for the space of twenty years with him, and his ill requital of him for it, Ge 31:36-42; however, upon the whole, an amicable agreement was made between them, and they parted in a friendly manner, Ge 31:43-55.

Genesis 31 Commentaries

Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.