Genesis 30:31-41

31 dixitque Laban quid dabo tibi at ille ait nihil volo sed si feceris quod postulo iterum pascam et custodiam pecora tua

32 gyra omnes greges tuos et separa cunctas oves varias et sparso vellere et quodcumque furvum et maculosum variumque fuerit tam in ovibus quam in capris erit merces mea

33 respondebitque mihi cras iustitia mea quando placiti tempus advenerit coram te et omnia quae non fuerint varia et maculosa et furva tam in ovibus quam in capris furti me arguent

34 dixit Laban gratum habeo quod petis

35 et separavit in die illo capras et oves hircos et arietes varios atque maculosos cunctum autem gregem unicolorem id est albi et nigri velleris tradidit in manu filiorum suorum

36 et posuit spatium itineris inter se et generum dierum trium qui pascebat reliquos greges eius

37 tollens ergo Iacob virgas populeas virides et amigdalinas et ex platanis ex parte decorticavit eas detractisque corticibus in his quae spoliata fuerant candor apparuit illa vero quae integra erant viridia permanserunt atque in hunc modum color effectus est varius

38 posuitque eas in canalibus ubi effundebatur aqua ut cum venissent greges ad bibendum ante oculos haberent virgas et in aspectu earum conciperent

39 factumque est ut in ipso calore coitus oves intuerentur virgas et parerent maculosa et varia et diverso colore respersa

40 divisitque gregem Iacob et posuit virgas ante oculos arietum erant autem alba quaeque et nigra Laban cetera vero Iacob separatis inter se gregibus

41 igitur quando primo tempore ascendebantur oves ponebat Iacob virgas in canalibus aquarum ante oculos arietum et ovium ut in earum contemplatione conciperent

Genesis 30:31-41 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 30

This chapter gives an account of Rachel's envy of her sister for her fruitfulness, and of her earnest desire of having children, which she expressed to Jacob in an unbecoming manner, for which he reproved her, Ge 30:1,2, of her giving her maid Bilhah to Jacob, by whom he had two sons, Dan and Naphtali, Ge 30:3-8; and of Leah's giving her maid Zilpah to him, by whom he had two other sons, Gad and Asher, Ge 30:9-13; and of Reuben's mandrakes he found in the field, and the agreement made between Rachel and Leah about them, Ge 30:14-16; and of Leah's bearing Jacob two more sons and one daughter, Ge 30:17-21, and of Rachel's also bearing him a son, whose name was Joseph, Ge 30:22-24; upon which he desires leave of Laban to depart into his own country, his time of servitude being up, Ge 30:25,26; which brought on a new agreement between him and Laban, that for the future he should have all the speckled, spotted, and brown cattle for his service, Ge 30:27-36; and the chapter is concluded with an account of a cunning scheme of Jacob's to increase that sort of cattle, which succeeded, and by which he became rich, Ge 30:37-43.