Genesis 31:1-21

Jacob Leaves Secretly for Canaan

1 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth."
2 Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly.
3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, "1Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and 2I will be with you."
4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field,
5 and said to them, "3I see your father's attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but 4the God of my father has been with me.
6 "5You know that I have served your father with all my strength.
7 "Yet your father has 6cheated me and 7changed my wages ten times; however, 8God did not allow him to hurt me.
8 "If 9he spoke thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth speckled; and if he spoke thus, 'The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth striped.
9 "Thus God has 10taken away your father's livestock and given them to me.
10 "And it came about at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, and mottled.
11 "Then 11the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'
12 "He said, 'Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for 12I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.
13 'I am 13the God of Bethel, where * you 14anointed a pillar, where * you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and 15return to the land of your birth.' "
14 Rachel and Leah said to him, "Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father's house?
15 "Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For 16he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price.
16 "Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever * God has said to you."
17 Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels;
18 and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered, his acquired livestock which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, 17to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac.
19 When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the 18household idols that were her father's.
20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.
21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River, and set his face toward the hill country of 19Gilead.

Genesis 31:1-21 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References 19

  • 1. Genesis 32:9
  • 2. Genesis 28:15
  • 3. Genesis 31:2
  • 4. Genesis 21:22; Genesis 28:13, 15; Genesis 31:29, 42, 53; Isaiah 41:10; Hebrews 13:5
  • 5. Genesis 30:29
  • 6. Genesis 29:25
  • 7. Genesis 31:41
  • 8. Genesis 15:1; Genesis 31:29
  • 9. Genesis 30:32
  • 10. Genesis 31:1, 16
  • 11. Genesis 16:7-11; Genesis 22:11, 15; Genesis 31:13; Genesis 48:16
  • 12. Exodus 3:7
  • 13. Genesis 28:13, 19
  • 14. Genesis 28:18, 20
  • 15. Genesis 28:15; Genesis 32:9
  • 16. Gen 29:20, 23, 27
  • 17. Genesis 35:27
  • 18. Genesis 31:30, 34; Genesis 35:2; Judges 17:5; 1 Samuel 19:13; Hosea 3:4
  • 19. Genesis 37:25

Footnotes 12

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