Genesis 31

1 And Iacob herde the wordes of Labas sonnes how they sayde: Iacob hath take awaye all that was oure fathers and of oure fathers goodes hath he gote all this honoure.
2 And Iacob behelde the countenauce of Laban that it was not toward him as it was in tymes past.
3 And the LORde sayde vnto Iacob: turne agayne in to the lade of thy fathers and to thy kynred and I wilbe with ye.
4 Tha Iacob sent and called Rahel and Lea to the felde vnto his shepe
5 and sayde vnto the: I se youre fathers countenauce yt it is not toward me as in tymes past. Morouer ye God of my father hath bene with me.
6 And ye knowe how that I haue serued youre father with all my myghte.
7 And youre father hath disceaued me and chaunged my wages .x. tymes: But God suffred him not to hurte me.
8 When he sayde the spotted shalbe thy wages tha all the shepe barespotted. Yf he sayde the straked shalbe thi rewarde tha bare all the shepe straked:
9 thus hath God take awaye youre fathers catell and geue the me.
10 For in buckynge tyme I lifted vp myne eyes and sawe in a dreame: and beholde the rammes that bucked the shepe were straked spotted and partie.
11 And the angell of God spake vnto me in a dreame saynge: Iacob. And I answered: here am I.
12 And he sayde: lyfte vp thyne eyes ad see how all therames that leape vpon the shepe are straked spotted and partie: for I haue sene all that Laban doth vnto ye.
13 I am ye god of Bethell where thou anoynteddest the stone ad where thou vowdest a vowe vnto me. Now aryse and gett the out of this countre ad returne vnto the lade where thou wast borne.
14 Than answered Rahel and Lea and sayde vnto him: we haue no parte nor enheritaunce in oure fathers house
15 he cownteth us eue as straungers for he hath solde vs and hath euen eaten vp the price of vs.
16 Moreouer all the riches which God hath take from oure father that is oures and oure childerns. Now therfore what soeuer God hath sayde vnto the that doo.
17 Tha Iacob rose vp and sett his sones and wiues vp vpon camels
18 and caried away all his catell and all his substace which he had gotte in Mesopotamia for to goo to Isaac his father vnto the lade of Canaan.
19 Laba was gone to shere his shepe and Rahel had stolle hir fathers ymages.
20 And Iacob went awaye vnknowynge to Laban the Sirie and tolde him not yt he fled.
21 So fled he and all yt he had and made him self redy and passed ouer the ryuers and sett his face streyght towarde the mounte Gilead.
22 Apo the thirde day after was it tolde Laba yt Iacob was fled.
23 Tha he toke his brethre with him and folowed after him .vij. dayes iourney and ouer toke him at the mounte Gilead.
24 And God came to Laba the Siria in a dreame by nyghte and sayde vnto him: take hede to thi selfe that thou speake not to Iacob oughte save good.
25 And Laba ouer toke Iacob: and Iacob had pitched his tete in yt mounte. And Laban with his brethern pitched their tete also apon the mounte Gilead.
26 Than sayde Laba to Iacob: why hast thou this done vnknowynge to me and hast caried awaye my doughters as though they had bene take captyue with swerde?
27 Wherfore wentest thou awaye secretly vnknowne to me and didest not tell me yt I myghte haue broughte yt on the waye with myrth syngynge tymrells and harppes
28 and hast not suffred me to kysse my childern and my doughters. Thou wast a fole to do
29 it for I am able to do you evell. But the God of youre father spake vnto me yesterdaye saynge take hede tha thou speake not to Iacob oughte saue goode.
30 And now though thou wetest thi waye because thou logest after thi fathers house yet wherfore hast thou stollen my goddes?
31 Iacob answered and sayde to Laba: because I was afrayed and thought that thou woldest haue take awaye thy doughters fro me.
32 But with whome soeuer thou fyndest thy goddes let him dye here before oure brethre. Seke that thine is by me and take it to the: for Iacob wist not that Rahel had stolle the.
33 Tha wet Laba in to Iacobs tete and in to Leas tete and in to .ij. maydens tentes: but fownde the not. Tha wet he out of Leas tete and entred in to Rahels tete.
34 And Rahel toke the ymages and put them in the camels strawe and sate doune apo the. And Laba serched all the tete: but fownde the not.
35 Tha sayde she to hir father: my lorde be not angrye yt I ca not ryse vp before the for the disease of weme is come apon me. So searched he but foude the not.
36 Iacob was wrooth and chode with Laba: Iacob also answered and sayde to him: what haue I trespaced or what haue I offended that thou foloweddest after me?
37 Thou hast searched all my stuffe and what hast thou founde of all thy housholde stuffe? put it here before thi brethern and myne and let the iudge betwyxte vs both.
38 This xx. yere yt I haue bene wyth the thy shepe and thy gootes haue not bene baren and the rammes of thi flocke haue I not eate.
39 What soeuer was torne of beastes I broughte it not vnto ye but made it good mysilf: of my hade dydest thou requyre it whether it was stollen by daye or nyghte
40 Moreouer by daye the hete consumed me and the colde by nyghte and my slepe departed fro myne eyes.
41 Thus haue I bene .xx. yere in thi house and serued the .xiiij. yeres forthy .ij. doughters and vi. yere for thi shepe and thou hast changed my rewarde .x. tymes.
42 And excepte the God of my father the God of Abraha and the God whome Isaac feareth had bene with me: surely thou haddest sent me awaye now all emptie. But God behelde my tribulation and the laboure of my handes: and rebuked the yester daye.
43 Laban answered ad sayde vnto Iacob: the doughters are my doughters and the childern ar my childern and the shepe are my shepe ad all that thou seist is myne. And what can I do this daye vnto these my doughters or vnto their childern which they haue borne?
44 Now therfore come on let us make a bonde I and thou together and let it be a wytnesse betwene the and me.
45 Than toke Iacob a stone and sett it vp an ende
46 ad sayde vnto his brethern gather stoones And they toke stoones ad made an heape and they ate there vpo the heape.
47 And Laba called it Iegar Sahadutha but Iacob called it Gylead.
48 Than sayde Laban: this heape be witnesse betwene the and me this daye (therfore is it called Gilead)
49 and this totehill which the lorde seeth (sayde he) be wytnesse betwene me and the when we are departed one from a nother:
50 that thou shalt not vexe my doughters nether shalt take other wyves vnto them. Here is no man with vs: beholde God is wytnesse betwixte the and me.
51 And Laban sayde moreouer to Iacob: beholde this heape and this marke which I haue sett here betwyxte me and the:
52 this heape be wytnesse and also this marcke that I will not come ouer this heape to the ad thou shalt not come ouer this heape ad this marke to do any harme.
53 The God of Abraham the God of Nahor and the God of theyr fathers be iudge betwixte vs.And Iacob sware by him that his father Isaac feared.
54 Then Iacob dyd sacrifyce vpon the mounte and called his brethern to eate breed. And they ate breed and taried all nyghte in the hyll.
55 And early in the mornynge Laban rose vp and kyssed his childern and his doughters and blessed the and departed and wet vnto his place agayne.

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.

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

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