Matthew Poole and continuators on Genesis 31

1 AND he heard the words of Labans sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our fathers: and of that which was of our fathers, hath he gotten all this glory .

These riches, which are called glory, Gen. 45. 13. Psal. 49. 16. Isa. 66. 12. compared with Isa. 60. 6. because their possessours use to glory in them, and by them gain glory and esteem from others.

2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not towards him as before .

And this change of his countenance argued a change in his mind and presaged some evil intentions in him towards Iacob.

Marginal references: Heb. as yesterday and the day before.

4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flocks.

Rachel is first named here, as also Ruth 4. 11. because she was his chief, and, by right, his first and onely designed wife. And therefore it is observable, that in the enumeration of Iacobs Wives and Children, Gen. 46. Leah is onely mentioned by her name, ver. 15. but Rachel is called Iacobs wife, ver. 19. by way of eminency and in a peculiar manner.

Where they might more freely discourse of their business and without fear or interruption.

5 And said unto them, I see your fathers countenance, that it is not toward me as before: but the God of my father hath been with me .

Either 1. Hath blessed me, hath stood constantly by me, when your father hath failed and deceived me. O[illegible: 1+ letters], 2. Hath appeared unto me, as ver. 13.

6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

Both of my mind and body, as I would have done for my self, as became a faithful servant to do.

7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times : but God suffered him not to hurt me.

(i. e.) Oft-times, as that certain number is commonly used, as Levit. 26. 26. Numb. 14. 22. 1 Sam. 1. 8. Iob 19. 3. &c.

Marginal references: Neh. 4. 12.

8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages, then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-straked shall be thy hire , then bare all the cattle ring-straked.

All is here, as oft elsewhere, put for the greater or the better part, as appears from chap. 31. 1, 8. Or, for all that Iacob desired to be such.

Hence it appears that Laban through envy and covetousness did break his agreement made with Iacob and altered it as he thought meet, and that Iacob patiently yielded to all such changes.

10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle, were ring-straked, speckled, and grizled .

Which were marked with spots like hail in colour and proportion, as the word signifieth.

Marginal references: Or, he-goats.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me ▪ now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

Of which see Gen. 28. 19, 20. And this God here mentions to shew his acceptance of that action of Iacobs, his mindfulness even of the past and forgotten services of his people, and his purpose now to fulfil the promise there made to him.

Marginal references: chap. 28. 18.; chap. 32. 9.

14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our fathers house ?

We can expect no further benefit from him, but deceit and oppression, and injury, and therefore are willing to leave him. This was the fruit of his unnatural and unworthy carriage to them that it did eat out their natural affection to him.

15 Are we not counted of him strangers ? for he hath sold us , and hath quite devoured also our money .

As if we had no more right to his estate than strangers.

In stead of a good part of his Estate which by the Law of God and Nature belongs to us, 2 Cor. 12. 14. wherewith he should have endowed us upon our Marriage, he hath made sale of us for this 14 years hard service, seeking onely his own, not our advantage.

Hath not onely with-held from us, but spent upon himself, that money which he got by thy care and industry, whereof a considerable part was due in equity to us and to our Children.

Marginal references: chap. 29. 15, 27.

16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our Father, that is ours and our childrens: Now then whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Not onely by Gods special gift, but by the natural right which Children have to a share in his Estate, and upon the account of thy faithful and laborious service.

19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stollen the images that were her fathers .

Quest. 1. What were those Teraphims or images? Ans. They were images made in the shape of men, 1 Sam. 19. 13, 16. which the Gentiles worshipped as subordinate Gods, ver. 30, 32. of this chapter, to which they committed the protection of their Families, 1 Sam. 19. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. which they used to consult about-secret or future things, and from which they received answers about them, Ezek. 21. 21. Zech. 10. 2. Of these see more Iudg. 17. 5. and 18. 14, 17. &c. Ho[illegible: 1+ letters]. 3. 4. And these Idols Laban worshipped together with the true God. Quest. 2. Why did Rachel steal them? Ans. Partly lest her father by consulting them should discover their flight and the course which they took; and partly because she seemed yet to retain a superstitious conceit of them, as may be gathered from Gen. 35. 2. Others, because they were pretty and precious things, made of Silver and Gold, which she took as a part of what was due to her both as his daughter and for her Husbands service. Others, that she might remove so great an occasion of her Fathers Idolatry, and shew him the vanity of such Gods as might be stoln away.

Marginal references: Heb. Teraphim.

20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

Heb. Stole away the heart of Laban, to wit, his daughters, his cattle, and his gods, upon which his heart was vehemently set, as M[illegible: 1+ letters]s was, Iudg. 18. 24. But if this had been meant, it had been imputed to Rachel and not to Iacob, who knew nothing of the Gods. Or rather, stole away from the heart, &c. the Hebrew eth being put for meeth as Gen. 4. 1. and 49. 25. 1 King. 8. 43. compared with 2 Chron. 6. 33. Mic. 3. 8. i. e. without the knowledge and consent of Laban, which sence is confirmed by the words next following, and by ver. 26, 27. and by the like use of the phrase, 2 Sam. 19. 3. Thus he fled because he knew Labans selfish and unrighteous and cruel disposition, that he would always hinder him from departing either by fraudulent pretences, or by open force, nor suffer so great a diminution in that estate, which he thought one time or other he might in good measure recover to himself.

Marginal references: Heb. the heart of Laban.

21 So he fled with all that he had, and he rose up and passed over the river , and set his face toward the mount Gilead .

Euphrates, which lay between Mesopotamia and Chaldea, Gen. 15. 18. which for its largeness and famousness is oft called the River emphatically, as Exod. 23. 31. Ios. 24. 2, 3. &c.

(i. e.) Resolutely directed his course. See Ier. 50. 5. Luk. 9. 51, 53.

A very high and long mountain beyond Iordan adjoyning to the Mountain of Lebanon, at the foot of which there was a large and fruitful country which from the Mountain received the name of Gilead, Deut. 34. 1. Ier. 8. 22. and 22. 6. This Mountain is here called Gilead by anticipation, as appears from ver. 48.

22 And it was told Laban on the third day , that Jacob was fled.

That he heard of it no sooner must be ascribed to the great distance which Laban had put between his and Jacobs flocks, Gen. 30. 36. and to the care and art which Iacob used to prevent a sooner discovery.

24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad .

Neither perswading him by flattering promises and cunning▪ Artifices, nor compelling him by threatnings, to return. For so these general words must be limited, as is evident from Gods design in them, and from the following Relation. So this is a Synecdochical expression.

Marginal references: Job 33. 15.; Heb. from good to bad.

26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stollen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives taken with the sword ?

By force and violence. A false accusation; for they freely consented, ver. 14, 15, 16.

28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters ? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing .

As was usual at the parting of Friends. See the note on Gen. 29. 11.

But indeed Iacob took the wisest course for the security of his Person and Estate, especially having the direction and protection of God in it.

29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed, that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Isaac or Abraham, by which he disowns him for his God, and [illegible: 1+ letters]itly reproacheth him with the novelty of his Religion which was first brought in by his father. Compare ver. 53.

30 And now though thou wouldst needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy fathers house, yet wherefore hast thou stoln my Gods .

Laban could not be so senceless as to take those for true Gods which could be stollen away, but he calleth them Gods, because they were the means or representations whereby he worshipped his Gods.

32 With whomsoever thou findest thy Gods, let him not live : before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee: for Jacob knew not that Rachel had stollen them.

I give my consent that he shall die by the hands of Justice. A rash and inconsiderate sentence.

Marginal references: chap. 44. 9.

33 And Laban went into Jacobs tent, and into Leahs tent , and into the two maid-servants tents: but he found them not. Then went he out of Leahs tent, and entred into Rachels tent.

The Men and Womens Tents were distinct and separate. See Gen. 18. 2. and 24. 67.

35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my Lord, that I cannot rise up before thee ; for the custom of women is upon me: and he searched, but found not the Images.

Quest. How could that occasion hinder her from rising up to her Father? Answ. 1. It might be attended in her, as it was and is in some other women, especially in those hot countries, with a greater flux of blood, or with more than ordinary infirmity and sickness; and this Laban might know to be usual with her by former observation or information. 2. She offers this as a reason not why she could not rise up to shew a civility to him, but why she could not rise up from his face, or from before him, as the words in the Hebrew sound, i. e. so as to give way to him that he might come and search there for the Images: because menstruous women were antiently esteemed polluted and to pollute the things which they touched or sat upon, as you may see by Levit. 15. 19, 20, 21, 22. Which law though it were not yet given and written, yet that as well as divers other Ceremonial Rites might be enjoyned by God and observed by sober Heathens at that time, especially by such as were akin to Abraham, as Laban and his Family were, who by that means might easily come to the knowledge of such matters. Add to this, one of the seven precepts given to the Sons of Noah was that of uncovering nakedness; which both Jewish and Christian writers take to be a very comprehensive expression and to include all such things as have a natural turpitude in them, among which this is confessed to be one. And the words thus understood contain a solid and satisfactory reason why Laban should not now come near her, nor search the things upon which she sat upon, which had been an uncivil and immodest thing.

36 And Jacob was very wroth, and chode with Laban, and Jacob answered, and said to Laban, What is my Trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me ?

With so much fury and violence.

38 This twenty years have I been with thee: thy ewes, and thy she-goats have not cast their young , and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

Which thou owest in a great measure to my care and diligence in ordering them, and principally to Gods blessing given to thee for my sake, by thy own confession, Gen. 30. 27.

39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee, I bare the loss of it: of my hand didst thou require it , whether stollen by day, or stollen by night.

Which was unjust and unreasonable, except where it fell out through the Shepherds default, See Exod. 22▪ 13. Quest. How could Jacob pay these losses, seeing he came empty from his Fathers house, and got nothing by his service for the first 14 years, but his wives? Ans. Either 1. he had some supplies sent from his Father, though it be not mentioned in this History: or 2. he might have some inconsiderable allowances or priviledges from Laban, out of which he could easily de[illegible: 1+ letters]ray these charges which because of his great care and watchfulness did but seldom happen: or 3. these losses were put to his account, to be satisfied by him as soon as he should be able to do it.

Marginal references: Exod. 22. 12.

40 Thus I was in the day, the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from mine eyes .

Through my extraordinary thoughtfulness and care about thy cattle, especially in cases of danger.

42 Except the God of my Father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty: God hath seen my affliction , and the labour of mine hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

(i. e.) The God whom my father Isaac worships with reverence and godly fear, as appears by comparing ver. 53. The act is here put for the Object, as it frequently is, and particularly God is called our fear, Isa. 8. 13. And fear is one of Gods names amongst the Rabbins. He calls him not Isaacs God, but his fear, because Isaac was yet alive and in the state of probation and served God with fear and trembling. See Gen. 27. 33. The Jews observe, that God is not called the God of any particular person, as of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, till after their death.

With compassion and intention of good to me for it. Gods seeing is oft used for his relieving and helping, as Gen. 16. 13. and 29. [illegible: 1+ letters]2. Exod 3. 7, 9. Or, hath shewed or proved it, to wit, that he hath seen, &c. Compare Gen. 20. 16. Either way it is an Ellipsis of the pronoun, which is usual, as appears by comparing 1 King. 10. 7. with 2 Chron. 9. 6. and Psal. 41. 9. with Io[illegible: 1+ letters]. 13. 18.

43 And Laban answered, and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattel are my cattel, and all that thou [illegible: 1+ letters]eest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born ?

He pretends that to be an act of his natural affection and kindness which was indeed the effect of his fear.

44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou: and let it be for a witness between me and thee .

Both to our own consciences of our mutual Obligations, and to God against either of us who shall break it, that he may severely punish us for it.

45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar .

In Testimony of his compliance with Labans proposal and his entring into this Covenant. See Exod. 24. 4.

46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones: and they took stones, and made an heap, and they did eat there upon the heap .

To wit, afterwards, ver. 54. though it be here mentioned by anticipation.

Or rather by or beside the heap, as the Hebrew particle al is oft understood, as Psal. 23. 2. and 81. 7.

47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed .

Both names signifie the same thing, an heap of witness, onely Laban gives the name in the Syrian Language; but Iacob, though he had been long conversant in Syria and understood that Language, yet he chose to give it in Hebrew, which was both a secret renouncing of the Syrian Manners and Religion together with their Language, and an implicit profession of his conjunction with the Hebrews as in their Tongue so in their Religion.

Marginal references: That is, the heap of witness.

50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters , no man is with us ; See, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

The curse is here understood, as it commonly is, to maintain a greater reverence for Oaths, and to beget a greater dread of the curse belonging to the violators of it.

(i. e.) Here is now no man with us, who, when we are parted, can witness and judge between us and punish the Transgressour. Or thus, Though now we have many with us, as witnesses of this agreement, yet shortly when we shall be parted, no man will be with us, to observe and report our actions to the other, or to do the injur'd person right.

53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father , judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.

He joyns Idols with the true God, and secretly chargeth the Religion of Iacob and Abraham with novelty, and prefers his own as the most antient Religion. See Ios. 24. 2. whence we may learn, that Antiquity of it self is no certain argument of the true Church or Religion.

54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread, and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

Either to give God thanks for the great mercies and deliverances vouchsased to him, or to beg Gods blessing upon the present treaty and upon their whole family. But it is not so probable that Iacob would chuse that time for the offering of Sacrifices when Laban was present, whom he could neither honestly admit to them, nor conveniently exclude from them. And therefore seeing the same Hebrew word signifies killing as well as sacrificing, as appears from Numb. 22. 40. 1 Sam. 28. 24. 1 King. 1. 9. 2 Chron. 18. 2. &c. I rather understand it of his killing of beasts in order to a Feast, which he made for his brethren, whom he called, as it here follows, to eat bread, &c. under which phrase all meats are usually comprehended in Scripture, as hath been already noted, and will appear hereafter. And this practise was usual in those times to confirm Covenants by a Feast. See Gen. 26. 30.

Marginal references: Or, killed beasts.