Genesis 31:1

And he heard the words of Laban's sons,.... That is, Jacob, as is expressed in the Septuagint and Syriac versions, either with his own ears, overhearing their discourse in their tents, or in the

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. He heard the words of Laban's sons.

GENESIS CHAPTER 31 Jacob observing Laban’ s envy, on God’ s command and promise, with the consent of his wives, departs secretly, . Laban pursues him; God in a dream warns him not to treat Jacob ill; he overtakes him on Mount Gilead; taxes him sharply for his secret departure, and with stealing his gods, . Jacob excuses his departure, ; denies the taking either gods or aught else that was Laban’ s, . Laban searches, but finds not, . Jacob is wroth, and rebukes him vehemently for all he had suffered from him, . He owns God as his defence in the day of his affliction, . They make a covenant, in which Laban obliges Jacob not to hurt his daughters, nor take other wives to them, . Jacob swears by the fear of Isaac, and offers sacrifice, ,54. Laban returns to his place, . cir. 1739 These riches, which are called glory, , compared with , because their possessors use to glory in them, and by them gain glory and esteem from others.

Genesis 31:1 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. Ver. l. And he heard the words of Laban’ s sons.] These were chips off the old block, as they say; as like the father, as if spit out of his mouth. Avarice made them think, as Sejanus did, Quicquid non acquiritur, damnum; all lost, that fell beside their own lips. As a ship may be overladen with gold and silver, even unto sinking, and yet have compass and sides enough to hold ten times more: so, covetous men, though they have enough to sink them, yet have they never enough to satisfy them. Hath he gotten all this glory.] That is, All this wealth, which easily gets glory; and goes therefore joined with it. This regina pecunia doth all, and hath all here below, saith Solomon. Money beareth the mastery, and is the monarch of this world. None so admired, or so soon admitted, as he that is well heeled. The Chaldee word for money, signifies to do some great work. It was commonly said in Greece, that not Philip but his money took their cities. And a certain Grecian coming to Rome, where the honour of a lord was offered unto him, answered - Oυκεθελωδομναι, ουθαρεχωδομεναι. Allin had a cardinal’ s hat there bestowed upon him by the Pope: but because his hat had so thin lining - he wanted wealth, I mean, to support his state - he was commonly called, The starveling cardinal; and nobody cared for him. Tacitus. ΰγψλεο, from ΰγψ strong, and λεο to prepare. Oυ Fιλιππος, αλλατο Fιλιππουχρυσιον . - Plut. in Emyl.. Manl., loc. com., p. 441.

XXXI. JACOB’S FLIGHT.—THE PURSUIT OF HIM BY LABAN, AND THEIR .(1) Laban’s sons.—No mention hitherto had been made of Laban having any other children than Leah and Rachel. If his sons were by the same wife, they would be men about fifty-five or sixty years of age. In saying that Jacob had taken “all that was their father’s” they were guilty of exaggeration; for Laban was still rich, and probably, upon the whole, was a gainer by the presence of one so highly gifted as Jacob. Their word “glory” suggests that, enriched by cattle and commerce, Jacob had now become a person of great importance in the eyes of the people of Haran.

CHAPTER XXXI Laban and his sons envy Jacob, 1, 2; on which he is commanded by the Lord to return to his own country, 3. Having called his wives together, he lays before them a detailed statement of his situation in reference to their father, 4-5; the services he had rendered him, 6; the various attempts made by Laban to defraud him of his hire, 7; how, by God's providence, his evil designs had been counteracted, 8-12; and then informs them that he is now called to return to his own country, 13. To the proposal of an immediate departure, Leah and Rachel agree; and strengthen the propriety of the measure by additional reasons, 14-16; on which Jacob collects all his family, his flocks and his goods, and prepares for his departure, 17, 18. Laban having gone to shear his sheep, Rachel secretes his images, 19. Jacob and his family, unknown to Laban, take their departure, 20, 21. On the third day Laban is informed of their flight, 22; and pursues them to Mount Gilead, 23. God appears to Laban in a dream, and warns him not to molest Jacob, 24. He comes up with Jacob at Mount Gilead, 25; reproaches him with his clandestine departure, 26-29; and charges him with having stolen his gods, 30. Jacob vindicates himself, and protests his innocence in the matter of the theft, 31, 32. Laban makes a general search for his images in Jacob's, Leah's, Bilhah's, and Zilpah's tents; and not finding them, proceeds to examine Rachel's, 33. Rachel, having hidden them among the camel's furniture, sat upon them, 34; and making a delicate excuse for not rising up, Laban desists from farther search, 35. Jacob, ignorant of Rachel's theft, reproaches Laban for his suspicions, 36, 37; enumerates his long and faithful services, his fatigues, and Laban's injustice, 38-41; and shows that it was owing to God's goodness alone that he had any property, 42. Laban is moderated, and proposes a covenant, 43, 44. Jacob sets up a stone, and the rest bring stones and make a heap, which Laban calleth Jegar-Sahadutha, and Jacob Galeed, 45-47. They make a covenant, and confirm it by an oath, 48-53. Jacob offers a sacrifice; they eat together; and Laban and his companions, having lodged in the mount all night, take a friendly leave of Jacob and his family next morning, and depart, 54, 55. NOTES ON CHAP. XXXI Verse 1. And he heard the words of Laban's sons] The multiplication of Jacob's cattle, and the decrease and degeneracy of those of Laban, were sufficient to arouse the jealousy of Laban's sons. This, with Laban's unfair treatment, and the direction he received from God, determined him to return to his own country. Hath he gotten all this glory.] All these riches, this wealth, or property. The original word כבד signifies both to be rich and to be heavy; and perhaps for this simple reason, that riches ever bring with them heavy weight and burden of cares and anxieties.

1. Laban’s sons] See Genesis 30:35. It has hitherto been a contest of wits between Laban and Jacob. Jacob has had the best of it. Laban’s sons are jealous and thoroughly alienated. glory] R.V. marg. wealth. The Hebrew word kâbôd, usually rendered “honour” or “glory,” has sometimes the meaning of “wealth,” as here and Psalms 49:17, “for when he dieth he shall carry nothing away, his glory shall not descend after him.” Cf. Isaiah 10:3.

- Jacob’s Flight from Haran 19. תרפים terāpı̂ym, Teraphim. This word occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament. It appears three times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the Pentateuch. It is always in the plural number.

1. Heard the words of Laban’s sons — Either overheard with his own ears, or had them reported to him. Perhaps angry words at times passed between them in the fields or by the way.