Genesis 30:32-43

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 30:25-36

We have here, I. Jacob's thoughts of home. He faithfully served his time out with Laban, even his second apprenticeship, though he was an old man, had a large family to provide for, and it was high time for him to set up for himself. Though Laban's service was hard, and he had cheated him in the first bargain he had made, yet Jacob honestly performs his engagements. Note, A good man, though he swear to his own hurt, will not change. And though others have deceived us this will not justify us... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 30:37-43

Here is Jacob's honest policy to make his bargain more advantageous to himself than it was likely to be. If he had not taken some course to help himself, it would have been a bad bargain indeed, which he knew Laban would never consider, or rather would be well pleased to see him a loser by, so little did Laban consult any one's interest but his own. Now Jacob's contrivances were, 1. To set peeled sticks before the cattle where they were watered, that, looking much at those unusual... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:32

I will pass through all thy flock today ,.... Not alone, but Laban and his sons with him: removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle ; that is, such as were black and had white spots on them, or were white and had black spots on them; and the "speckled", according to Jarchi and Ben Melech, were such as had small spots on them; and the "spotted" were such as had larger: and all the brown cattle among the sheep ; the russet coloured ones, or the "black" F15 חום ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:33

So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come ,.... Either by the success I shall have, and the blessing of God upon me, making it prosperous; it will appear in time to come, and to all posterity, that I have most righteously and faithfully served thee: or rather, such a separation being made in Laban's flock, all the spotted ones being removed, and only white ones left with Jacob to keep; it would be a clear case hereafter, if any such should be found with Jacob, they were not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:34

And Laban said ,.... Being well pleased with the proposal Jacob made, as knowing that, generally speaking, cattle of a colour produced those that were of the same; and whereas Jacob proposed to have a flock of sheep of only white in colour, committed to his care, and to have such for his own that should be produced of them, that were speckled, spotted, and brown, Laban concluded from the general nature of things that he could have but very few, if any, and therefore was for striking the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:35

And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted ,.... That had strakes of a different colour from the rest on their shoulders, thighs, logs, or feet, or in any part of the body: the word here used stands in the room of that before translated "speckled"; this Laban did, as the context shows; he went about it immediately at the motion of Jacob, with which he was pleased: and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted ; so that there might be neither male nor... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:36

And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob ,.... Not three days' journey for a man, but for cattle; this distance there was between the place where Laban and his sons kept the spotted, speckled, and brown cattle, and that in which Jacob kept the flock only consisting of white sheep; and this was done, that the flocks might not be mixed, and that there might be no opportunity to take any of the spotted ones, and that they might not stray into Jacob's flock; or lest any of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:37

And Jacob took him rods of green poplar ,.... Of the white poplar tree, called green, not from the colour, but from the moisture, being such as were cut off of the tree: and of the hazel and chestnut tree ; the former some take to be the almond tree, as Saadiah Gaon, and others; and the latter to be the plantain or plane tree, so Ainsworth, and others: and pilled white strakes in them ; took off the bark of them in some places, and left it on in others, which made white strakes: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:38

And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks ,.... Opposite them, in the view of them: in the gutters in the watering troughs, when the flocks came to drink ; that is, in places of water, where troughs or vessels were made, into which the water ran convenient for the cattle to drink out of; and here he placed his party coloured rods right over against the flocks: that they should conceive when they came to drink ; as it was most likely they should when they were together... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:39

And the flocks conceived before the rods ,.... At them, and in sight of them; which had such influence upon them through thee force of imagination, and a divine power and providence so directing and succeeding this device, that they brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted ; such as Jacob was to have for his hire; and, though there was no doubt a more than ordinary concourse of divine Providence attending this affair; yet there have been many strange things brought about... read more

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