“And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.”
After that six years were expired, and calumnies and ill-will attended Jacob in Laban’s family, God ordered him to retire, ver. 3. (Haydock)
“And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.”
Ten times. Very often, or perhaps this exact number of times, ver. 41.
“If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.”
All, or the far greatest part, so that I was exceedingly enriched. (Menochius) — The Septuagint here agrees with the Vulgate. But the Hebrew and other versions, instead of white ones, read of divers colours, or ring-streaked, which takes away the intended opposition. (Calmet)
“And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.”
Are of divers colours. Their fancy was strongly impressed with these various colours, in consequence of the pilled rods, which they beheld: and which Jacob was directed by the angel to place in the troughs. — I have seen with displeasure, the injustice of Laban; (Haydock) and therefore, I, the Lord of all things, authorise thee to act in this manner. By this vision, the justice of Jacob would appear; and the authority for removing, given in a second vision, would suffice to induce the two principal wives of Jacob to give their consent to leave their father’s house, and to begin a long journey. During the last six years, Providence had given no increase of family, that the little children might be no impediment to the removal. (Haydock)
“Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.”
Eaten up. Laban kept for himself the dowry paid by Jacob for his wives, though he ought to have allotted it to them, with the addition of something more, in proportion to his immense wealth. (Menochius)
“And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.”
Gotten. Hebrew expresses over again, the cattle of his getting, &c., which is omitted in one manuscript, as well as in the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, though yet used in the Samaritan copy. (Kennicott) — To Isaac, who was still living, though he had apprehended death was at hand 20 years before. He continued to live other 20 years after. (Salien) — Jacob spent about 10 years at Sichem and at Bethel, before he went to dwell with Isaac. (Menochius)
“And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. images: Heb. teraphim”
Her father’s idols. By this it appears, that Laban was an idolater: and some of the fathers are of opinion, that Rachel stole away these idols, to withdraw him from idolatry, by removing the occasion of his sin. (Challoner) — Others think she was herself infected with this superstition, till Jacob entirely banished it from his family in Chanaan, chap. xxxv. 2. (Tirinus) — The Hebrew Teraphim, is translated images by the Protestants in this place, though it certainly denotes idols. But Osee iii. 4, they leave it untranslated, lest they should be forced to allow that images pertain to religious service, as well as sacrifice, &c., which are mentioned together, (Worthington) though they now indeed leave images in the same verse of Osee for what the Vulgate renders altar. These teraphims are consequently taken in a good as well as in a bad sense. They were, perhaps, made of rich metal, and taken by Rachel and Lia to indemnify them for the want of a dowry. This, however, was wrong, and done without the participation of their husband. (Haydock)
“And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. unawares: Heb. the heart of Laban”
Away. Hebrew, “Jacob stole the heart of Laban,” concealing his flight from him. (Menochius)
“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.”
The river Euphrates. — Galaad, as it was called afterwards, ver. 48. (Menochius)
“And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.”
Third day. He was gone to shear his sheep, distant three days’ journey.
“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. either: Heb. from good to bad”
Speak not. Laban did not comply exactly, but he used no violence. (Haydock)
“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 stolen them.”
Slain. Homer says, “the father judges his children and wives;” and thus Jacob pronounces sentence. The Rabbins pretend it had its effect soon after in the death of Rachel, chap. xxxv. 18. (Calmet)
“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.”
Vain. For who would imagine, that a woman should treat in this manner the objects of her father’s adoration? (Calmet) — It would hence appear, that she did not herself adore them, unless fear overcame her religion. (Haydock)
“And Jacob was 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?”
Angry. He was extremely quiet. But patience abused, turns to fury. (Menochius)
“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 stolen by day, or stolen by night.”
Exact it. Laban acted in opposition both to custom and to justice, (Calmet) while Jacob forebore to claim what he might have done, agreeably to both. (Haydock)
“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 mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.”
The fear of Isaac; or of that God, whom Isaac fears, on account of the danger to which he is exposed of losing his friendship; a thing which, Abraham being now departed in peace, has not to dread. (Calmet)
“And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?”
Are mine, or proceed from me originally; so that if I were to injure them, I should disregard the dictates of nature. (Menochius)
“And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. Jegarsahadutha: that is, The heap of witness, Chaldee Galeed: that is, The heap of witness, Heb.”
Testimony. Hebrew makes Laban give this etymology, Jegar-saha-dutha; while Galaad means the hill or the witness. The Syrian language had now begun to deviate some little from the Hebrew of Jacob. — Each, &c. This is added by the Vulgate. (Calmet)
“And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. Mizpah: that is, A beacon, or, watchtower”
Behold. Hebrew, “and Mitspah,” or “Hammitspah,” the watch-tower, whence God will see us. (Calmet)
“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.”
Over them. A wise precaution, which the rich Turks still observe when they give their daughters in marriage. (Busbeque, ep. 3.)
“And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;”
I have, &c. One Samaritan copy reads very properly, “thou hast set up,” (yarithi), ver. 45. (Kennicott).
“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.”
God of Nachor. Hebrew uses Elohim, which is often applied to idols, such as Nachor worshipped along with the true God. (Calmet) — Jacob swears by the one only God, whom his father revered. (Menochius) — The God of their father, is omitted in the Septuagint and is deemed an interpolation by Kennicott. The Samaritan reads again the God of Abraham. (Haydock)