Observations Upon the Old Testament, Genesis · Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI.
Ver. 1. GOtten all this glory] i. e. riches. Riches procure men honour and glory in the eyes of the world. And worldly men esteem them as their chiefest glory, Psal. 49. 16, 17. Riches and glory, or honour are joyned together, Prov. 3. 16. 8. 18. Eccl. 6. 2.
V. 2. Countenance] Bewrayes the heart; its looking glasse.
V. 3. Returne] Thus God removes all Jacobs feares and doubts. And Jacob makes use of it, ch. 32. 9.
V. 5. Hath been with me] To bid me returne, v. 3, 13.
V. 7. Ten times] That is, many times. So, Numb. 14. 22. Job 19. 3. Lev. 26. 26. Zech. 8. 23. yet ten times may well be in six yeares, if sheep in Mesopotamia bring forth young twice a yeare, as some say now they do in Italy.
suffered him not] Gods restraining grace in the wicked, ch. 20. 6.
V. 8. Ring straked] With a round strake like a ring, of a contrary colour about their leg. Thus Laban ties and restraines him to that one mark.
all the cattel… For the greatest part.
V. 9. God hath] No fraud in Jacob.
V. 10. In a dream] Sent of God, six yeares afore this time, and this apparition, v. 13.
V. 11. Angel] The God of Bethel, v. 13. which appeared to him in Bethel, ch. 28. 13. ch. 48. 16. the Angel of the Covenant, Mal. 3. 3. Exod. 23, 20, 21.
V. 13. I am the God] This Apparition was six yeare after the former.
of Bethel] Putting him in minde of his promise and vow there made by him, and accepted by God, thus approving the name it self, and his service there vowed, ch. 28. 18, 19, 22.
now arise] Without delay.
V. 14. Rachel and Leah] The younger first named, as the best beloved, and who should have been the elder wise. So, Ruth 4. 11.
V. 15. Strangers] Dealt with us as strangers rather then children.
hath sold us] To thee for fourteen yeares service.
our money] What we might have had in money or mony worth, for thy fourteen years service being our husband; whereas in good conscience he should have given us that as our portion, he hath converted it to his own use. And should he do so with the wages God hath given thee, for us and our children, for thy last six yeares service also?
V. 16. Whatsoever God hath said] This is a binding reasun, which answers all doubts, and secures against all after-claps.
V. 18. To go to Isaac] By the way he stayed about six yeares at Succoth, and at Shalem a City of Shechem, till Dinah was marriageable, who came from Laban at six or seven yeares of age, ch. 30. 21. 33. 18. 34. 1. After he stayed at Bethel, but not long, notwithstanding Gods command for his dwelling there, ch. 35. 1. as appears by the birth of Benjamin by the way, when he left Bethel, ch. 35 16, 17, 18. and the number of Benjamins children, when they all went down into Egypt, ch. 46. 21. Joseph being then fourty yeares old, and Benjamin but twenty seven, though he were borne within a yeare after Dinahs ravishing, nor doth it appear that Jacob stayed long about the tower of Edar, before he came to Isaac to Mamre. ch. 35. 21, 22, 23, 27.
V. 19. Rachel had stollen the images] Teraphim. Laban calls them his gods, his houshould-gods, …deos penates, v. 30. Images likely in the shape of men, 1 Sam. 19. 13, 16. where the word plural Teraphim signifies one image, used in divine worship by idolaters, Judg. 17 5. 18. 14, 17, 20 Hos. 3. 4. consulted withal as Oracles, Ezech. 21. 21. Zech. 10. 2. as Ahaziah did with Beelzebub, 2 King. 1. 2. put down by Josiah and other godly Kings, 2 Kings 23. 24.
V. 21. The river] Euphrates, Josh. 24. 2, 3.
Gilead] Ag eat mountain, or tract of mountaines Eastward of Jordan, running through the Kingdomes of Sihon and Og, the tribes, two 1/2 Deut. 3. 12. and having in several parts several names, as Gilead, Seir, Hermon and Libanus, the countrey under it very fertile, called the land of Gilead, Jer. 22. 6. 8. 22. 46. 11. Gen. 37. 25. Numb. 32. 1. Here called Gilead by Anticipation; See v. 47.
V. 22. The third day] Ch. 30. 36. 31. 19. Labans fact proved Jacobs advantage, Job 5. 12, 13.
V. 23. Seven dayes journey] From the time he set forward in his pursuit, three days of Jacobs journey were spent ere Laban knew of it. Likely three dayes more in his return from his sheep-shearing to his home, and in preparing. Then these seven dayes in pursuit were twice swifter, and gained more way then Jacob could in his slow pace, chap. 33. 14. This then is the thirteenth day of Jacobs journey.
V. 24. And God came] So, ch. 20. 3, 7. Numb. 22. 9.
take heed] A commination and rebuke, v. …9, 42.
either good or bad] V. 29. Not simply; but to this end to bring him back again, or hinder him in his journey, or any way to hurt him, as is the present intent of thy pursuit, 2 Sam. 13. 22.
V. 26. As captives] They went willingly, ver. 14, 15, 16.
V. 27. Sent thee away with mirth] He had no such minde then, nor willingly now, but as God over-powered him.
V. 28. To kisse] A Ceremony used both at meering and parting, ch. 29. 11. 27. 26. Exod. 4. 27. Gen. 31. 55. 33. 4. Ruth 1. 14. 2 Sam. 14. 33.
foolishly] Jacob did it wisely, and that Laban himselfe knew.
V. 29. It is in the power] A vain brag, like Pilates, John 19. 10, 11.
V. 30. Stollen my gods?] Vanity of idolatry and idolaters, that their gods can be stollen: gods plurally is spoken of one image, Ex. 32, 8. And so Teraphim plurally signifies somtimes one image, 1 Sam. 19. 13. 16. Though Jacob was twenty yeares with Laban, yet Laban continued an idolater. Not thinking yet those Teraphims to be gods, but that he worshipped God in them, by them and with them.
V. 32. Let him not live] A severe judgement, proceeding from confidence of innocency: uttered in detestation of theft, but much more of idolatry, yet done more rashly then wisely, when he extended it beyond the innocency of his own person.
V. 33. Tent] Each sort had several tents. See, Annot. on ch. 23. 2.
V. 35. The custome of women] Lev. 15. 19.
V. 36. Wroth and chode] Be angry, but sin not, Eph. 4. 26. upon just cause, whence innocency is slandered.
V. 37. May judge] Lay the blame where it is due.
V. 39. I bear the losse of it] Though against the rule of right, Exod. 22 10, 13.
V. 40. Thus I was] Labans iniquity drives Jacob to praise and justifie himself. So, 1 Cor. 15. 10. 2 Cor. 11. 1. Hos. 12. 12. Deut. 26. 5.
V. 41. Ten times] V 7, 8.
V. 42. The feare of Isaac] V. 53. ch. 27. 33. 32, 9… Psal. 76. 11. Esay 8. 13. As elsewhere called the Hope of Israel.
yesternight] V. 24.
V. 43. And all that thou seest is mine] 1 Kings 20 3. A brag, as if Jacob had nothing by desert from Laban, or gift from God.
and what can I do] As if he should say, I cannot hurt them but I must hurt my self. But why did he then so pursue? surely not to make this ensuing Covenant; it was not his minde then. Jacob may thank God for all, who had thus bridled, if not altered Laban.
V 44. A Covenant] Ch. 21. 32.
V. 45. A stone] Heap of stones, v. 46, 48, 51. as, chap. 28. 19.
a pillar] A Monument of the Covenant.
V. 46. Brethren, gather stones] Jacob speaks to his own family and Labans too, v. 51.
did eat there upon the heap] After the Covenant made, v. 54.
V. 47. Jegar-Sahadutha] In Labans Syrian language ….
Galced] The same in Jacobs Hebrew language. Hence likely the mountain and countrey took the name of Gilead.
V. 48. This heap is a witnesse] A signe, memo rial, which may be alledged in after-times as a witnesse.
Galeed] Therefore by anticipation so called, v. 21.
V. 49. Mizpah] Near Mount Hermon and Lebanon, Josh. 11. 3. watch-tower. There were afterwards divers places of that name; one in Judahs lot, Josh. 15. 38. another in Benjamins, Josh. 18. 26. another in Moab, 1 Sam. 22. 3.
V. 50. If thou shalt] Implying the words of a curse, as is usual in this case, ch. 14. 23 forbearing the expression of the words of the curse, either out of feare or unwillingnesse to mention it in particular, or as yielding to any curse in general, if they break Promise and Covenant; so, ch. 24. 3.
V. 52. To thee] For harme.
V. 53. The God of Nahor, the God of their father] Terah: both idolaters, Josh. 24. 2. The idolater sweares by his gods, his idols.
V. 54. Offered sacrifice] Killed beasts, for a feast, not sacrifice. Feasts used at the making of Covenants, ch. 26. 30. Numb, 22. 40. 1 Kings 1. 9. 19 21. 1 Sam. 28. 44.
V. 55. Blessed them] Thus God over-rules the wicked; so, ch. 33. 4. so he turned Balaams curse into a blessing, Numb. 23. 11. Deut. 23. 5. so the mindes of the Barbarians towards Paul, Acts 28. 4, 5, 6.