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Texts -- Genesis 31:1-34 (NET)

Context
Jacob’s Flight from Laban
31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were complaining , “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father ! He has gotten rich at our father’s expense!” 31:2 When Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face , he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. 31:3 The Lord said to Jacob , “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives . I will be with you.” 31:4 So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah to come to the field where his flocks were. 31:5 There he said to them, “I can tell that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me . 31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could , 31:7 but your father has humiliated me and changed my wages ten times . But God has not permitted him to do me any harm . 31:8 If he said , ‘The speckled animals will be your wage ,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring . But if he said , ‘The streaked animals will be your wage ,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring . 31:9 In this way God has snatched away your father’s livestock and given them to me. 31:10 “Once during breeding season I saw in a dream that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked , speckled , and spotted . 31:11 In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob !’ ‘Here I am!’ I replied . 31:12 Then he said , ‘Observe that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked , speckled , or spotted , for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. 31:13 I am the God of Bethel , where you anointed the sacred stone and made a vow to me. Now leave this land immediately and return to your native land .’” 31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house ? 31:15 Hasn’t he treated us like foreigners ? He not only sold us, but completely wasted the money paid for us! 31:16 Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children . So now do everything God has told you.” 31:17 So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels . 31:18 He took away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated . Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac . 31:19 While Laban had gone to shear his sheep , Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father . 31:20 Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving . 31:21 He left with all he owned. He quickly crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead . 31:22 Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left . 31:23 So he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob for seven days . He caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead . 31:24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, “Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob .” 31:25 Laban overtook Jacob , and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. 31:26 “What have you done ?” Laban demanded of Jacob . “You’ve deceived me and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war ! 31:27 Why did you run away secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing , tambourines , and harps ? 31:28 You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren good-bye. You have acted foolishly ! 31:29 I have the power to do you harm , but the God of your father told me last night , ‘Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob .’ 31:30 Now I understand that you have gone away because you longed desperately for your father’s house . Yet why did you steal my gods ?” 31:31 “I left secretly because I was afraid !” Jacob replied to Laban . “I thought you might take your daughters away from me by force . 31:32 Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death ! In the presence of our relatives identify whatever is yours and take it.” (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) 31:33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent , and Leah’s tent , and the tent of the two female servants , but he did not find the idols. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s . 31:34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel’s saddle and sat on them.) Laban searched the whole tent , but did not find them.

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Jacob

    [ebd] one who follows on another's heels; supplanter, (Gen. 25:26; 27:36; Hos. 12:2-4), the second born of the twin sons of Isaac by Rebekah. He was born probably at Lahai-roi, when his father was fifty-nine and Abraham one hundre...
    [nave] JACOB Son of Isaac, and twin brother of Esau, Gen. 25:24-26; Josh. 24:4; 1 Chr. 1:34; Acts 7:8. Ancestor of Jesus, Matt. 1:2. Given in answer to prayer, Gen. 25:21. Obtains Esau's birthright for a some stew, Gen. 25:29-34...

  • Leah

    [ebd] weary, the eldest daughter of Laban, and sister of Rachel (Gen. 29:16). Jacob took her to wife through a deceit of her father (Gen. 29:23). She was "tender-eyed" (17). She bore to Jacob six sons (32-35), also one daughter, D...
    [isbe] LEAH - le'-a (le'ah; Leia, "weary," "dull"(?), "wild cow"): Rachel's sister, and the elder daughter of Laban (Gen 29:16). We are told that her eyes were "tender" rakkoth). Gesenius renders it "weak," Septuagint astheneis; ac...
    [nave] LEAH Daughter of Laban, Gen. 29:16. Married to Jacob, Gen. 29:23-26. Children of, Gen. 29:31-35; 30:9-13, 17-21. Flees with Jacob, Gen. 31:4, 14, 17; 33:2-7. "Builder of the house of Israel,'' Ruth 4:11.

  • Laban

    [isbe] LABAN - la'-ban: The person named Laban, labhan; (Laban, possibly connected with the root meaning "to be white," from which in Hebrew the adjective meaning "white" has just this form) is first introduced to the reader of Gen...
    [nave] LABAN Son of Bethuel, Gen. 28:5. Brother of Rebekah, Gen. 22:23; 24:15, 29. Receives the servant of Abraham, Gen. 24:29-33. Receives Jacob, and gives him his daughters in marriage, Gen. 29:12-30. Jacob becomes his servan...

  • Ingratitude

    [nave] INGRATITUDE. Of Mankind to God Num. 16:9, 10; Deut. 8:12-14 Deut. 6:11, 12. Deut. 28:47, 48; Deut. 31:16; Deut. 32:6, 15, 18 v. 13.; Judg. 2:10-12; Judg. 8:34, 35; Judg. 10:11, 13, 14 Neh. 9:25, 35; Psa. 106:7, 21; Jer. 2:...

  • PAPYRUS

    [isbe] PAPYRUS - pa-pi'-rus (Cyperus papyrus; bublos, biblos, whence biblion, a roll, ta biblia, "the Books" = the Bible): 1. Papyrus Paper 2. Egyptian Papyri 3. Aramaic Papyri 4. Greek Papyri 5. Their Discovery. 6. Classical Papyr...

  • JACOB (1)

    [isbe] JACOB (1) - ja'-kub: I. NAME 1. Form and Distribution 2. Etymology and Associations II. HIS PLACE IN THE PATRIARCHAL SUCCESSION 1. As the Son of Isaac and Rebekah 2. As the Brother of Esau 3. As the Father of the Twelve III....

  • Rachel

    [ebd] ewe, "the daughter", "the somewhat petulant, peevish, and self-willed though beautiful younger daughter" of Laban, and one of Jacob's wives (Gen. 29:6, 28). He served Laban fourteen years for her, so deep was Jacob's affecti...
    [isbe] RACHEL - ra'-chel (rachel, "ewe"; Rhachel (Gen 29:6; Jer 31:15, the King James Version "Rahel")): 1. Biography: An ancestress of Israel, wife of Jacob, mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel was the younger daughter of Laban,...
    [smith] (ewe, or sheep), the younger of the daughters of Laban, the wife of Jacob (B.C. 1753) and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. The incidents of her life may be found in Genesis29-33, 35. The story of Jacob and Rachel has always had...
    [nave] RACHEL, daughter of Laban and wife of Jacob. Meets Jacob at the well, Gen. 29:9-12. Jacob serves Laban fourteen years to secure her for his wife, Gen. 29:15-30. Sterility of, Gen. 29:31. Her grief in consequence of her ste...

  • Rebuke

    [nave] REBUKE Cain rebukes God, Gen. 4:13, 14. Pharaoh rebukes Abraham, for calling his wife his sister, Gen. 12:18, 19. Abimelech rebukes Abraham for a like offense, Gen. 20:9, 10. Abimelech rebukes Isaac for similar conduct, G...

  • Gilead

    [ebd] hill of testimony, (Gen. 31:21), a mountainous region east of Jordan. From its mountainous character it is called "the mount of Gilead" (Gen. 31:25). It is called also "the land of Gilead" (Num. 32:1), and sometimes simply "...
    [smith] (rocky region). A mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon. (Genesis 31:21; 3:12-17) It is sometimes called "Mount G...
    [nave] GILEAD 1. A region E. of the Jordan allotted to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half tribe of Manasseh, Num. 32:1-30; Deut. 3:13; 34:1; 2 Kin. 10:33. Reubenites expel the Hagarites from, 1 Chr. 5:9, 10, 18-22. Ammonites m...

  • PADANARAM

    [smith] By this name, which signifies the table-land of Aram , i.e. Syriac, the Hebrews designated the tract of country which they otherwise called the Aram-naharaim, "Aram of the two of rivers," the Greek Mesopotamia, (Genesis 24:10...

  • Wages

    [ebd] Rate of (mention only in Matt. 20:2); to be punctually paid (Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14, 15); judgements threatened against the withholding of (Jer. 22:13; Mal. 3:5; comp. James 5:4); paid in money (Matt. 20:1-14); to Jacob in ...
    [isbe] WAGES - wa'-jez, wa'-jiz (chinnam, maskoreth, pe`ullah, sakhar, sakhar; misthos, opsonion): (1) Chinnam means "gratis," without cost or any advantage, for nought, or in vain; wages in the sense of reasonable return. Jeremiah...
    [smith] The earliest mention of wages is of a recompense, not in money, but in kind, to Jacob from Laban. (Genesis 29:15,20; 30:28; 31:7,8,41) In Egypt money payments by way of wages were in use, but the terms cannot now be ascertain...
    [nave] WAGES Of Jacob, Gen. 29:15-30; 30:28-34; 31:7, 41. Parable concerning, Matt. 20:1-15. See: Master; Servant. Unclassified Scriptures Relating to Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14, 15; Deut. 25:4; Jer. 22:13; Hag. 1:6; Mal. 3:5; Luk...

  • Dream

    [ebd] God has frequently made use of dreams in communicating his will to men. The most remarkable instances of this are recorded in the history of Jacob (Gen. 28:12; 31:10), Laban (31:24), Joseph (37:9-11), Gideon (Judg. 7), and S...
    [nave] DREAM Evanescent, Job 20:8. Vanity of, Eccl. 5:3, 7. Revelations by, Num. 12:6; Job 33:15-17; Jer. 23:28; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17. The dreams of the butler and baker, Gen. 40:8-23; Pharaoh, Gen. 41:1-36. Interpreted by Jose...

  • Teraphim

    [nave] TERAPHIM, household idols. Used by Laban, stolen by Rachel, Gen. 31:19, 30-35; by Micah, stolen by the Danites, Judg. 17:5; 18:14, 17-20. Condemned and disposed of by Jacob, Gen. 35:2-4, with Gen. 31:35-39. Destroyed by Jos...

  • Haran

    [nave] HARAN 1. Father of Lot and brother of Abraham, Gen. 11:26-31. 2. Son of Caleb, 1 Chr. 2:46. 3. A Levite, 1 Chr. 23:9. 4. Called also Charran. A place in Mesopotamia to which Terah and Abraham migrated, Gen. 11:31; 12:4, 5...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Tent

    [isbe] TENT - tent ('ohel; skene; 'ohel is a derivative of 'ahal, "to be clear," "to shine"; hence, 'ohel, "to be conspicuous from a distance"): In the great stretches of uncultivated lands in the interior of Syria or Arabia, which...
    [nave] TENT Used for dwelling, Gen. 4:20; by Noah, Gen. 9:21; by Abraham, Gen. 12:8; 13:18; 18:1; by Lot, Gen. 13:5; by Moses, Ex. 18:7; by children of Israel, Num. 24:5, 6; 2 Sam. 20:1; 1 Kin. 12:16; by the Midianites, Judg. 6:5; ...

  • Sheep

    [ebd] are of different varieties. Probably the flocks of Abraham and Isaac were of the wild species found still in the mountain regions of Persia and Kurdistan. After the Exodus, and as a result of intercourse with surrounding nat...
    [isbe] SHEEP - shep: 1. Names: The usual Hebrew word is tso'n, which is often translated "flock," e.g. "Abel .... brought of the firstlings of his flock" (Gen 4:4); "butter of the herd, and milk of the flock" (Dt 32:14). The King J...
    [smith] Sheep were an important part of the possessions of the ancient Hebrews and of eastern nations generally. The first mention of sheep occurs in (Genesis 4:2) They were used in the sacrificial offering,as, both the adult animal,...
    [nave] SHEEP Offered in sacrifice, by Abel, Gen. 4:4; by Noah, Gen. 8:20; by Abraham, Gen. 22:13. See: Offerings. Required in the Mosaic offerings, See: Offerings. The land of Bashan adapted to the raising of, Deut. 32:14; Bozra...

  • Anointing

    [isbe] ANOINTING - a-noint'-ing: A distinction was made by the ancient Hebrews between anointing with oil in private use, as in making one's toilet (cukh), and anointing as a religious rite (mashach). 1. Ordinary Use: (1) As regard...
    [smith] in Holy Scripture, is either, I. Material--with oil--or II. Spiritual--with the Holy Ghost. I. MATERIAL.-- Ordinary . Anointing the body or head with oil was a common practice with the Jews, as with other Oriental nations. (...
    [nave] ANOINTING Of the body, Deut. 28:40; Ruth 3:3; Esth. 2:12; Psa. 92:10; 104:15; 141:5; Prov. 27:9, 16; Eccl. 9:8; Song 1:3; 4:10; Isa. 57:9; Amos 6:6; Mic. 6:15. Of guests, 2 Chr. 28:15; Luke 7:46; the sick, Isa. 1:6; Mark 6:...

  • GET; GETTING

    [isbe] GET; GETTING - A great many Hebrew words are in the Old Testament translated "get," "got," etc. The word "get" has two meanings: (1) with the idea of movement, "to go," etc.; (2) with that of acquisition, "to gain," "obtain,...

  • PALESTINE, 1

    [isbe] PALESTINE, 1 - pal'-es-tin (pelesheth; Phulistieim, Allophuloi; the King James Version Joel 3:4 (the Revised Version (British and American) "Philistia"), "Palestina"; the King James Version Ex 15:14; Isa 14:29,31; compare Ps...
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  • [Gen 31:13] O God Of Bethel, By Whose Hand

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The events recorded in Genesis stretch historically from Creation to Joseph's death, a period of at least 2500 years. The first part of the book (ch. 1-11) is not as easy to date precisely as the second part (ch. 12-50). The ...
  • Genesis provides the historical basis for the rest of the Bible and the Pentateuch, particularly the Abrahamic Covenant. Chapters 1-11 give historical background essential to understanding that covenant, and chapters 12-50 re...
  • The structure of Genesis is very clear. The phrase "the generations of"(toledotin Hebrew, from yaladmeaning "to bear, to generate") occurs ten times (really eleven times since 36:9 repeats 36:1), and in each case it introduce...
  • The Lord destroyed the corrupt, violent human race and deluged its world, but He used righteous Noah to preserve life and establish a new world after the Flood."Noah's experience presents decisively the author's assertion tha...
  • "The Babel account (11:1-9) is not the end of early Genesis. If it were, the story would conclude on the sad note of human failure. But as with earlier events in Genesis 1-11, God's grace once again supersedes human sin, insu...
  • One of the significant changes in the emphasis that occurs at this point in Genesis is from cursing in the primeval record to blessing in the patriarchal narratives. The Abrahamic Covenant is most important in this respect. H...
  • A major theme of the Pentateuch is the partial fulfillment of the promises to the patriarchs. The promises in Genesis 12:1-3 and 7 are the fountainhead from which the rest of the Pentateuch flows.397Walter Kaiser labeled the ...
  • "These verses are of fundamental importance for the theology of Genesis, for they serve to bind together the primeval history and the later patriarchal history and look beyond it to the subsequent history of the nation."414"W...
  • 12:1 This section begins with a wawdisjunctive in the Hebrew text translated "Now"in the NASB. It introduces an independent circumstantial clause (cf. 1:2). Probably the revelation in view happened in Ur. The NIV captures thi...
  • The second crisis Abram faced arose because of a famine in Canaan. Abram chose to sojourn in the Nile Valley until it was past. In this incident Abram tried to pass Sarai off as his sister because he feared for his life. By d...
  • Abram asked God to strengthen his faith. In response Yahweh promised to give the patriarch innumerable descendants. This led Abram to request some further assurance that God would indeed do what He promised. God graciously ob...
  • Abraham's purchase of a burial site in the Promised Land demonstrated his intention to remain in Canaan rather than going back to his native homeland. Since he was a sojourner in Canaan his friends probably expected him to bu...
  • A new toledotbegins with 25:19. Its theme is "the acquisition of the blessing and its development and protection by the Lord."625Moses set up the whole Jacob narrative in a chiastic structure that emphasizes the fulfillment o...
  • Yahweh appeared at the top of an angel-filled stairway restating the promise to Abraham and adding more promises of blessing and protection for Jacob. The patriarch acknowledged God's presence, memorialized the place with a m...
  • The long account of Jacob's relationship with Laban (chs. 29-31) is the centerpiece of the Jacob story (chs. 25-35). It is a story within a story, and it too has a chiastic structure. At its center is the account of the birth...
  • God formed Jacob's family, the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, as He had promised Jacob at Bethel. Unfortunately Jacob and his wives lived in envy and friction over how God chose to bless them."Jacob had planned to take Ra...
  • Jacob and Laban ("White") made an agreement that each man felt he could manipulate to his own advantage. However, God sovereignly overruled to bless Jacob as He had promised in spite of Laban's deceit and Jacob's devices (cf....
  • God had been faithful in blessing Jacob as He had promised Abraham and Isaac. Moses recorded the testimony to that fact in this section. Jacob acknowledged that God was responsible for his prosperity. God's goodness and His c...
  • God had promised to be with Jacob and to return him to Canaan (28:15). We see God doing this, in spite of Laban's opposition, in this section."It was only by divine prospering and protection (24) that Jacob brought anything, ...
  • Chapters 32 and 33 can be viewed as one episode in the life of Jacob. They describe his return to the Promised Land including his meeting with Esau. There are thematic parallels between these chapters and chapter 31.In spite ...
  • Jacob was ready to sacrifice part of his family expecting Esau to attack him, and he approached his brother as though Esau was his lord. In contrast, Esau welcomed Jacob magnanimously, reluctantly received his gift, and offer...
  • About 10 years had passed since Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, and he had not yet returned to Bethel to fulfill his vow there (28:20-22). His negligence evidently was due in part to the continuing presence of the idols ...
  • Joseph experienced God's blessing as he served faithfully in Potiphar's house. His master's wife repeatedly seduced him, but he refused her offers because he did not want to sin against God and betray Potiphar's trust. Joseph...
  • Joseph next tested his brother's loyalty to Benjamin by framing Benjamin and charging him with stealing Joseph's cup. These events prompted the brothers to acknowledge that God was punishing them for their treatment of Joseph...
  • The structure of chapters 46 and 47 is also chiastic.887AGod appears to Jacob (46:1-4)BJacob journeys to Egypt (46:5-27)CJoseph meets Jacob (46:28-34)DJoseph's brothers meet Pharaoh (47:1-6)C'Jacob meets Pharaoh (47:7-10)B'Jo...
  • This section contains a list of the individuals in Jacob's family about the time he moved to Egypt. As in chapter 31, where he left Paddan-aram, this move was also difficult for Jacob. Moses recorded a total of 70 persons (v....
  • Aalders, Gerhard Charles. Genesis. The Bible Student's Commentary series. 2 vols. Translated by William Heynen. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas...
  • The writer told us nothing about Micah's background except that he originally lived in the Hill Country of Ephraim with or near his mother (vv. 1-2). Micah's name means "Who is like Yahweh."As is true of so many details in th...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • God's preservation of His anointed servant David stands out in this section as it does in the first one in this chapter (vv. 1-7). In both cases it was one of Saul's own children that came to David's rescue. Jonathan protecte...
  • 34:1-3 David exulted in the Lord and called on his people to praise God with him.34:4-7 The psalmist's recent experience of God's answering his prayer for help and delivering him (vv. 4, 6) was only one example to him. Those ...
  • 105:7-11 God remembered His people (v. 7, cf. v. 42) so His people should remember Him (v. 5). God had been faithful to the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3, 7; 15:18-21; 22:15-18; 28:13-15). He made this covenant with Abraham...
  • 1:7 Zechariah received another revelation from the Lord three months after his previous one in Darius' second year, 520 B.C.35"On the same day (24 Shebat), five months earlier, the rebuilding of the temple had been resumed (c...
  • The first part of this oracle focused particularly on the true King who would come and exercise sovereignty over the nations (ch. 9). Now the emphasis changes to the people of the King, the Israelites, who will return to the ...
  • The first verse (9:51) sets the agenda for all that follows until Jesus' Triumphal Entry. It was now time for Jesus to begin moving toward Jerusalem and the Cross. As He did so, He immediately encountered opposition (cf. Acts...
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