my bire. 32. I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the fpeckled and spotted cattel, and all the brown cattel among the sheep, and the spotted, and Speckled among the goats, and of fuch shall be 33. So fhall my righteousness answer me in time to come, when it Jodll come for my hire before thy shall face: every one that is not speckled and Spotted amongst the goats, and brown amongst the sheep, that shall be accounted frollen with me. 33. Answer for me: Or, bear witnefs on my behalf; (v. Exod. 20. 16.) Or, my Innocence fhall appear. When it shall come for my hire: Or, when thou Balt come against my hire: That is, q. d. My Innocence will appear to thy. Face when thoufhalt after this contend with me about my Wages: For now fuch Agreement is made, that each of their fhares is marked out. 34. And Laban faid, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. 36. And he fet three days journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Facob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. 35. He removed: i. e. Laban did, as appears by comparing the next Verfe. 36. The reft: viz. Those that were not ring-ftraked, &c. 37. And Facob took him rods of green poplar, and of the bafel, and chefnut-tree, and pilled white ftrakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.` 38. And he fet the rods which be bad pilled, before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering-troughs, when the flocks came to drink, that 38. He fet the rods before the flocks: This facob did at that time when the Cat tel they should conceive when they came tel were to drink. tel were wont to conceive. 'Tis very well known in this cafe, that what is with young does eafily ftamp the likenefs of that which is feen, and strongly apprehended upon the thing which is brought forth. Though Jacob ufed this Art, yet his Succefs was owing to the Divine Providence, and this course ('tis probable) was warranted by the Divine Command. (See ch. 31. 9, 10, 11, 12.) which onely could justifie this practice of his. 39. And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattel ring-ftraked, Speckled and Spotted. 40. And Jacob did feparate the lambs, and fet the faces of the flocks toward the ring ftraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban: and he put his own flocks by themselves; and put them not unto Laban's cattel. 40. And fet the faces, &c. Here is a fecond Inftance of Jacob's Policy. He the Cattel in the flock did fet the faces of of Laban, toward the ring-ftraked, and all the brown (as the words may be rendred) that fo, when Laban's Flocks looked on the fpeckled, they might bring forth fpeckled alfo. And then a third Policy was, That he would not put his own among Laban's Cattel, that they might not, by seeing them, bring forth fuch as they were. 41. And it came to pass, whenfover the stronger cattel did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattel in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42. But when the cattel were feeble, he put them not in: fo the feebler were Laban's and the Stronger Facob's: 42. Feebler: Or, later, as feveral Versions render it. Stronger: Or, more early and forward, which were generally the best and strongest. 43. And the man increafed exceedingly, and had much cattel, and maid fervants, and men-fervants, and camels, and affes. СНАР. CHA P. XXXI. The ARGUMENT. Jacob difpleafed at Laban's carriage towards him, having communicated his purpose to his wives, departeth fecretly towards his own Country. Rachel takes with ber her Father's Images. Laban purfues Jacob, being warned of God not to hurt him. Laban over-takes him, and expoftulates with him about his fecret departure, and the injury done him in taking away his Images, which Rachel concealed. Jacob's plea. They make a - Covenant at Galeed. I. A Laban's fons, faying ND he heard the words Jacob hath taken away all that was our fathers; and of that which was our fathers hath he gotten all this glory. 1. HE heard ie 2265. See ch.30.43. Glory: pare Pfal.49.16. and Ifa. 66. 12. 2. And Facob beheld the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as before. 3. And the LORD faid unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. 4. And Jacob fent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, 5. And faid unto them, I fee your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before: but the God of my father hath been with me... 6. And ye know that with all my power I have ferved your father. 7. And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times but God fuffered him not to burt me. 7. Ten times: i.e. Very often. Compare 1 1739: 8. If he faid thus, The Speckled hall be thy wages; then all the cattel bare speckled: and if he faid thus, The ring ftraked fhall be thy bire, then bare all the cattel ringStraked. 9. Thus God hath taken away the cattel of your father, and given them to me. 10. And it came to pass at the time that the cattel conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and faw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattel were ring-ftraked, fpeckled, and grified. 11. And the Angel of God Spake unto me in a dream, faying, Ja. cob. And I faid, Here am I. 11. Angel of God: The God of Bethel, v. 13: 12. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes and fee, all the rams which leap upon the cattel are ring-straked, Speckled, and grifled: for I have feen all that Laban doth "unto thee. 13. I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedft the pillar, and where thou vowedit a vow unto me: now 4rife, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. 14. And Rachel and Leah anfwered, and faid unto him, Is there get any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? ∙15. Are we nat counted of bim Strangers? for he hath fold us, and bath quite devoured alfo our money. 14. Is there, &C. .e. There is not, as appears from what follows. 15. Sold us: i. e. Inftead of giving us portions, he hath fold us for fourteen years fervice. Devoured: i. e. Hath taken that which of right years fervice. belonged to us, viz, the profit of fourteenken from our 16. For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then whatfoever Gad bath faid unto thee, do. 17. Them 17. Then Jacob rofe up, and fet his fons and his wives upon camels. 18. And he carried away all his cattel, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattel of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-Aram; for to go to Ifaac his father in the land of Canaan. 19. And Laban went to fhear his sheep and Rachel had ftollen the images that were her fathers. : 19. Images: Teraphim in the Hebrew: The Greek and Vulgar render them Idols. They were fuch Images as were worshipped in Laban's family, as Jofephus tells us; And Laban calls them his Gods, (v. 30.) It is likely they were his Household-gods which were worfhipped by his Ancestors. And perhaps had both their Name and their Original from Terah. They seem to have been in the fhape of Men, 1 Sam. 19. 13. It is affirmed by Abravenel, that they were inftruments of Divination, (which is confirmed from Ezek. 21. v.21. with Zech. 10. 2.) and that Rachel took them away that Laban might not know how to purfue them. And though Laban acknowledged the true God, yet this did not excufe his confulting and worshipping of Teraphim, as appears from 1 Sam. 15. 23. 2 Kings 23. 24. The Religi ous worshipping of an Image being unlawfull, and afterwards exprefsly forbid, though the worshipper did profess the worship of the true God, as Laban did, (v. 25. with v. 29.) Compare Exod.20.23. with Levit. 26.1. I fled. 21. River: i. e. 20. And Facob ftole away unawares to Laban the Sy ,rian, in that he told him not that he 21. So he fled with all that he had, and he rose up, and passed over the river, and fet his face toward the mount Gilead. Euphrates, as the 22. And it was told Laban on the third day that fasob was fled. 23. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead. 24. And |