Gen. 31 Jacob observing Laban’s envy, on God’s command and promise, with the consent of his wives, departs secretly, Gen. 31:1–21. 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…

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

And this change of his countenance argued a change in his mind, and prosaged some evil intentions in him towards Jacob.

Rachel is first named here, as also Ruth 4:11, because she was his chief, and, by right, his first and only designed wife. And therefore it is observable, that in the enumeration of Jacob’s wives and children, Gen. 46, Leah is only mentioned by her name, Gen.

Either, 1. Hath blessed me; hath stood constantly by me, when your father hath failed and deceived me. Or, 2. Hath appeared unto me, as Gen. 31:13.

With all my power, both of my mind and body, as I would have done for myself, as became a faithful servant to do.

Ten times, i.e. ofttimes, as that certain number is commonly used, as Lev. 26:26, Num. 14:22, 1 Sam. 1:8, Job 19:3;c.

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

i.e. Were marked with spots, like hail in colour and proportion, as the word signifieth.

Where thou vowedst a vow unto me; of which see Gen. 28:19–20. And this God here mentions to show his acceptance of that action of Jacob’s, his mindfulness even of the past and forgotten services of his people, and his purpose now to fulfil the promise there made to him.

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.

Are we not confuted of him strangers? as if we had no more right to his estate than strangers? Instead of a good part of his estate, which by the law of God and nature belongs to us, 2 Cor.

That is ours; not only by God’s special gift, but by the natural right which children have to a share in his estate, and upon the account of thy faitithful and laborious service.

Quest. 1. What were those teraphim or images? Answ. They were images made in the shape of men, 1 Sam. 19:13, 1 Sam. 19:16, which the Gentiles worshipped as subordinate gods, Gen. 31:30, Gen. 31:32, to which they committed the protection of their families, 1 Sam.

Heb. Stole away the heart of Laban, to wit, his daughters, his cattle, and his gods, upon which his heart was vehemently set, as Micah’s was, Judg. 18:24. But if this had been meant, it had been imputed to Rachel, and not to Jacob, who knew nothing of the gods.

The river Euphrates, which lay between Mesopotamia and Chaldea, Gen. 15:18, which for its largeness and famousness is oft called the river emphatically, as Ex. 23:31, Josh. 24:2–3;c. And set his face, i.e. resolutely directed his course. See Jer. 50:5, Luke 9:51, Luke 9:53.

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

Neither persuading him by flattering promises and cunning artifices, nor compelling him by threatenings, to return. For so these general words must be limited, as is evident from God’s design in them, and from the following relation. So this is a synecdochical expression.

By force and violence. A false accusation; for they freely consented, Gen. 31:14–16.

To kiss my sons and my daughters, as was usual at the parting of friends. See Poole on “Gen. 29:11”. But indeed Jacob took the wisest course for the security of his person and estate, especially having the direction and protection of God in it.

The God of your father, Isaac or Abraham, by which he disowns him for his God, and tacitly reproacheth him with the novelty of his religion, which was first brought in by his father. Compare Gen. 31:53.

Laban could not be so senseless as to take those for true gods which could be stolen away; but he called them gods, because they were the means or representations whereby he worshipped his gods.

Let him not live; I give my consent that he shall die by the hands of justice. A rash and inconsiderate sentence.

The men and women’s tents were distinct and separate. See Gen. 18:2, Gen. 24:67.

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 great flux of blood, or with more than ordinary infirmity and sickness; and this Laban might know to be usual…

With so much fury and violence.

Thy she-goats have not cast their young, which thou owest in a great measure to my care and diligence in ordering them, and principally to God’s blessing given to thee for my sake, by thy own confession, Gen. 30:27.

Which was unjust and unreasonable, except where it fell out through the shepherd’s default. See Ex. 22:13. Quest. How could Jacob pay these losses, seeing he came empty from his father’s house, and got nothing by his service, for the first fourteen years, but his wives? Answ. Either, 1.

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

The fear of Isaac, i.e. the God whom my father Isaac worships with reverence and godly fear, as appears by comparing Gen. 31:53. 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 God’s names amongst the rabbins.

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

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.

In testimony of his compliance with Laban’s proposal, and his entering into this covenant. See Ex. 24:4.

To wit, afterwards, Gen. 31:54, though it be here mentioned by anticipation. They did eat there upon the heap, or rather by or beside the heap, as the Hebrew particle al is oft understood, as Ps. 23:2, Ps. 81:7.

Both names signify the same thing, a heap of witness; only Laban gives the name in the Syrian language; but Jacob, 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,…

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 violaters of it. No man is with us, i.e.

The God of Nahor, the God of their father. He joins idols with the true God, and secretly chargeth the religion of Jacob and Abraham with novelty, and prefers his own as the most ancient religion. See Josh. 24:2.

Then Jacob offered sacrifice; either to give God thanks for the great mercies and deliverances vouchsafed to him, or to beg God’s blessing upon the present treaty, and upon their whole family.