Chapter 26

(Verses 1 through 5) And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed; because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.

Whether or not there had been other famines in the land we cannot be sure, since none are mentioned. But there had been one in Abraham’s days before Isaac was born. Now there was another, and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines who lived at Gerar. This may have been the same Abimelech who had been Abraham’s friend. But, more likely, he was the son of that Abimelech. (The name Abimelech can actually mean, “my father the king,” and may have been the common manner of addressing the king of the Philistines, regardless of what his actual name may have been.) He may have had some idea of going down into Egypt , as had Abraham; but the LORD appeared to him, and told him to not go there, but to remain in the land in which he was. The LORD renewed to him and to his seed the promise He had made to Abraham, both that to them He would give all these countries, and that in his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed. That is, He renewed both the natural and the Spiritual promises. And notice should be taken that neither these promises nor their renewal was based upon anything that Isaac or his seed would do, but were for the sake of Abraham. Abraham had obeyed the voice of the LORD, and had kept His charge, His commandments, His statutes, and His laws.

(Verses 6 through 11) And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: and the men of the place asked him of his wife: and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how sadist thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou should have brought guiltiness upon us. And Abimelech charged all his people, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. 

This is exactly the same deception that Abraham had previously practiced upon the Pharaoh of Egypt, and upon Abimelech of the Philistines many years before. Isaac had the same fear of these people that Abraham had held, which seems to give us an insight into the customs of these people in that day. They seemed to think that there was nothing wrong with having casual sex with an unmarried woman, and neither did they, apparently, think it wrong to kill a man in order to take his wife. But they were very strict against adultery with a married woman. But when Abimelech discovered that Rebekah was indeed Isaac’s wife, he charged all his people, under penalty of death, to leave them both completely alone. :”He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

(Verses 12 through 16) Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until He became very great; for he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him. For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.

While Isaac remained near Gerar, the LORD blessed him so greatly that he became greater than the Philistines under Abimelech. He even reopened all the wells that the servants of Abraham had made in his day. After Abraham’s death the Philistines had filled them up with earth. Now that Isaac had opened them up again the Philistines were envious of him. And Abimelech asked him to leave from their territory.

(Verses 17 through 25) And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar , and dwelt there. And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. And his servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him. And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah. And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. And he went up from thence to Beersheba . And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham’s sake. And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there: and there Isaac’s servants digged a well.

The valley of Gerar was some little distance from the city of Gerar where Abimelech and his people lived. So Isaac left the city of Gerar , and went to the valley of Gerar , and pitched his tent. While there he found that the Philistines had filled up all the wells that Abraham had had his servants dig in the valley while he lived there; so he opened them again, and called them by the same names that Abraham had given them. His servants also dug some new wells. The servants of the Philistines laid claim to the first one, which was one in which the underground stream of water was strong enough to fill it, and cause it to overflow and run continuously, instead of their having to draw the water from it. Since Abimelech had already admitted that Isaac (with his servants) was stronger than the Philistines, the servants of the Philistines were playing a dangerous game. But Isaac graciously let them have this well which he called Esek (contention) and had his servants dig another. Apparently emboldened by his gracious treatment of them, the Philistines claimed this one also. So he named it Sitnah (accusation or hatred) and had his servants dig another. At this point the Philistines, probably, thought they had pushed Isaac about as far as they dared, so they did not start any strife about it. So Isaac named this well Rehoboth, which means “streets or wide spaces.” He gave it this name because he felt that the LORD had made room for him, and that he would now prosper in the land. After this he moved up to Beersheba . And the very night after his arrival there, the LORD appeared to him again, told him to not be afraid, and identified Himself as the God of Abraham. He also declared to him that He was with him, and would bless him and multiply his seed. Again He makes this promise, not for Isaac’s sake, but for the sake of his father Abraham. So there Isaac built an altar, called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent. He also had his servants dig another well.

(Verses 26 through 33) Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army. And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing that ye hate me, and have sent me away from you? And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now blessed of the LORD. And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. And they rose up betimes in the morning, and sware one to another: and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac’s servants told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. And he called it Shebah: therefore the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day.

Since God had so greatly blessed Isaac, the Philistines were afraid, and decided that their safest course of action was to get Isaac to make a covenant with them that he would do them no harm. Accordingly their king and their greatest general, together with the king’s friend went to visit him. Although the same names are given for the king and the “chief captain” that were used concerning these officers when they went to see Abraham, and made a covenant with him, it is not at all certain that they were the same men, since Abimelech, according to Cruden’s Dictionary of Proper names, means “our father the king,” and Phichol, “the mouth of all;” and the Philistines considered their king, regardless of his name, as “our father the king;” and certainly their principal general, or “chief captain” was able to speak for all, and was thus “the mouth of all.” Of course, it is possible that these were the same men with whom Abraham dealt. But it had been many years since He made the covenant with them. That treaty was made when Abraham was approximately an hundred years of age; and he was at his death one hundred and seventy five years old. So if these ware the same men, they are at a ripe old age themselves. However, they came to Isaac; and Isaac’s first question to them was, “Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?” One can hardly blame him for such a question. They had asked him to leave from their city; and when he left, and settled in another location, their servants continued to try to force him to go farther away, by trying to take from him the wells that his servants dug. But they soon declared that they came to get a covenant with him that he would not do them any harm: and he very graciously made a feast for them, and entertained them that night. The next morning they all took the oath of their covenant, and the Philistines went home. That same day Isaac’s servants had success in digging a well in which they found water. When they told him about it, he named the well Shebah, which means “oath.” This is at the same place where Abraham had made his covenant with the Philistines, Beersheba ; and the city that is there is still called Beersheba .

(Verses 34 and 35) And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: which were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

Esau married two women of the Hittites when he was forty years old: and these wives were not at all pleasing to Isaac and Rebekah. No reason is given for their lack of harmony, so we have no reason to inquire into the matter.  

(Verses 1 through 5) And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; and make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and bring it.

The last six verses of Chapter 25 and all of Chapters 27 through 33 should be sufficient to prove to anyone who believes the word of God that God does not, and is not obligated to, work according to man’s rules of what is fair, or right. This is not to say that He is not right in what He does, but simply that, He is not bound by what man considers right, or fair. All His works are right, because He is the Creator of all things, and has the right to do what He will with His own. And one must remember that God had declared before the brothers, Esau and Jacob were born, “The elder shall serve the younger.” This, in itself was not, according to man’s custom, fair. But it was right.

These first five verses set the stage for a series of events that man would not consider fair. The one who commits the deception is the one who is blessed of God, while the one who is doing what he was told to do is made to lose that which, according to man’s custom should have been his. Isaac had become old and blind. He told his son Esau to go out and kill a deer, prepare it in a manner that he especially liked, and bring it to him for him to eat, that for the joy it would give him, he might be able to bless Esau. Isaac’s wife Rebekah heard him give these instructions to Esau. Then Esau went out to do what his father had instructed him.

(Verses 6 through 13) And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. And Jacob said unto Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: my father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

There seems to be little room for explanation concerning this. In it the whole plot of the deception was laid out by Rebekah the mother of both Esau and Jacob. We were told earlier that Isaac loved Esau, and Rebekah loved Jacob. We would usually think that this only meant that Esau was Isaac’s favorite, and Jacob was Rebekah’s favorite, which is not altogether unusual in a family. But it would hardly be expected to go this far. Yet we must remember that this is actually the work of the LORD to bring about the fulfillment of His word as already spoken.

(Verses 14 through 17) And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: and she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

Thus we have all the groundwork laid for the deception of Isaac, so that the blessing which, according to custom, should have been Esau’s, would be Jacob’s. We point out this with no intention to find fault with God or His works, but simply to remind you that He has the right to do what He will with that which He has created, and you and I have no right to question Him or what He does. Romans 9:11—24 gives us the key to the whole matter. “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth;) it was said unto her, ‘The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated’. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For He saith to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, ‘Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew My power in thee, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth.’ Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, ‘Why doth He yet find fault? For who hath resisted His will?’ Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say unto Him that formed it, ‘Why hast thou made me thus?’ Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction: and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory, even on us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” God had chosen Jacob instead of Esau. And we have no right to question the matter, and certainly none to question God Who has done it.

(Verses 18 through 23) And he came unto his father, and said My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me. And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.

When Jacob came to Isaac, Isaac was a little suspicious that he was not Esau as he claimed. But after having him come close to him so that he could feel of him, he was convinced by the disguise Rebekah had put upon Jacob. So Isaac blessed Jacob. This was only what we might call a preliminary blessing, because as we shall soon see there was an additional blessing after Isaac had eaten of the meat Rebekah had prepared, and Jacob had brought to him.

(Verses 24 through 29) And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat; and he brought him wine, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine: let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be thou lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be everyone that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

So the deception of Isaac was complete. And He blessed Jacob with the same blessing, in substance, that God had pronounced upon Abraham. In this we see the continuation of the blessing of the LORD upon the seed of Abraham was made to follow the lineage which the LORD had chosen, not that which was according to the custom of men. Throughout history, even to the present day we find that blessing fulfilled in a natural sense, as well as in the spiritual. In all history, the ones who have cursed, or abused the Jew, have received a curse; and they who have blessed, or befriended him have been blessed.

(Verses 30 through 33) And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from hunting. And he also had prepared savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? Where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

Jacob had just left his father when Esau came in with the venison he had prepared for Isaac. Of course, since Isaac had already eaten of the meat Jacob had brought him, he was greatly troubled that he had been deceived. It had been his intention to bless Esau; but Jacob had deceived him. And he blessed Jacob instead. But he realized that the blessing was of God, and not of himself. So he declared that Jacob would indeed be blessed. He could not change that.

(Verses 34 through 37) And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

When Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, he thought so little of it that he sold it to Jacob for one meal. He thought that, to satisfy his hunger one time was more important than his birthright. Now that he had also lost the blessing that should go with that birthright, he was terribly disappointed, and, no doubt, angry. So he blamed the whole thing on Jacob. And Jacob was to be blamed, but only in part: for Esau had agreed to sell his birthright to Jacob for what we would consider almost nothing. So part of the blame for that was upon Esau. But we have to remember that the whole matter was only the fulfilling of what God had said before the boys were even born. Esau begged his father to bless him also; but Isaac recounted to him the blessings that he had pronounced upon Jacob, and asked, “And what shall I now do for thee, my son?”

(Verses 38 through 40) And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; and by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

There is little here to require comment, except that, as Esau begged his father for a blessing, Isaac did indeed bless him; but only with natural blessings, “the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.” (The dew is a product of the atmospheric heaven.) He also foretold that he would rise up, and free himself from servitude to Jacob. But there is no promise that those who bless him shall be blessed, and those who curse him shall be cursed. Even today the Arabs are, probably, the wealthiest nations on earth; and although a few of them do believe in the Christ, by far the greater portion of them do not.

(Verses 41 through 45) And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget what thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

No doubt, there are those who would think Esau justified in his purpose to kill Jacob. But such was not according to God’s purpose. So the word of what he had planned was brought to Rebekah, and she immediately took steps to thwart that plan. She called Jacob and told him what Esau planned to do; and she told him to leave, go to her brother in Haran , and stay a while with him, to give Esau “a cooling off” space, after which she would send for Jacob, and he could safely return home.

(Verse 46) And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

We can see that Rebekah was a very wise woman. She not only told Jacob what to do, but also arranged to have Isaac tell him the same thing, that he might openly go as she had instructed him without his father’s knowing that he was running away from Esau. Earlier we were told that Esau had married wives of the daughters of the Hittites who were in the land. The Hittites are “the sons of Heth.”

(Verses 1 through 5) And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan . Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

 Apparently what Rebekah told Isaac was very effective. He called Jacob, and gave him the same instructions Rebekah had already given him, concerning where he was to go. He also blessed Jacob, and charged him to not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan , but to take a wife of the daughters of Laban, his mother’s brother. In most instances today, we frown on marriage between two parties of that near kin. But it was not so in that day, and for a long time thereafter. Isaac also called upon God to bless Jacob with “the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee, that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave to Abraham. Thus he signified that he understood that God had purposed that the descendants of Jacob, and not Esau, should be the people in whom the “seed of Abraham” should be counted.

(Verses 5 through 9) When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padan-aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padan-aram; and Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

When Esau realized that the daughters of the Canaanites were not pleasing to Isaac, he, no doubt, thought that by taking the daughter of Ishmael Isaac’s brother as his wife would please his father. Whether or not it did, we cannot say; for there is no scriptural record of Isaac’s reaction to this. However, as history proves, it united him to Ishmael who is the head of the Arabic people.

(Verses 10 through 16) And Jacob went out from Beersheba , and went toward Haran . And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed and, behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

This is the first account we have of God’s dealing directly with Jacob. Heretofore Isaac has been the priest of the family, and God has enabled him to bless and instruct Jacob. Now God appears to Jacob in a dream, speaking directly to him, and repeating to him the promise already made to Abraham and Isaac. He also promises that He will not leave Jacob until He has fulfilled His promise to him, and has returned him safely to the land of Canaan .

(Verses 16 through 22) And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had set up for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el: but the name of that place was called Luz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that Thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.

The dream Jacob had made such a profound effect upon him that when he awakened the next morning he was greatly afraid. He considered the place one that would strike dread into anyone, and he called it the house of God and the gate of heaven. He took the stone that he had used as a pillow, set it up as an altar (“pillar”) and poured a libation of oil upon the top of it. He named the place Beth-el, which means “the house of God.” Before he left he made a vow that if the LORD would keep him safe, give him food to eat and clothes to wear, and bring him again to his father’s house, he would claim Him as his God, and consider this stone as the house of God. Further, he would pay to God tithes of all with which the LORD would bless him. Although Abraham did give tithes to Melchizedek of all the spoils of war that he had taken , in his battle against the kings, this is the first incident recorded of any man’s vowing to pay to the LORD tithes of all with which the Lord would bless him.

(Verses 1 through 8) Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. and he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth. And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place. And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.

Apparently Jacob’s journey from Beth-el to Padan-aram was uneventful. And when he arrived, about the first thing that caught his attention was a well that was primarily used for watering the sheep, of which there were three flocks lying nearby. Jacob struck up a conversation with the shepherds of these flocks, asking from whence they were, and finding that they were from Haran , he asked if they were acquainted with Laban the son of Nahor. They told him that they knew him, and that he was well. Then they called his attention to an approaching flock, and told him that the one keeping that flock was Laban’s daughter Rachel. While Rachel and her flock were approaching, he called their attention to the fact that it was not yet time for the sheep to be gathered together, but rather they should still be feeding. And he told them to water the sheep, and take them out to pasture. Their reply was  that, they could not do so until all the flocks were gathered at the well, and till “they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.” This seems clear enough except verse 8. We do not know whether this was just a matter of custom that all had to be watered in some special order, or just that these shepherds were afraid of those to whom they refer as “they,” and  feared what they might do if someone got ahead of them.

(Verses 9 through 14) And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son; and she ran and told her father. And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. And Laban said unto him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

When Rachel and Laban’s sheep arrived, Jacob disregarded what the other shepherds had told him about their manner of watering the sheep; and he opened up the well, and watered Rachel’s flock. Whether the other shepherds watered their flocks, or not we are not told. Some have tried to make a great thing of Jacob’s kissing Rachel when he first met her. But this was simply a common custom in that day, especially in the case of people, both men and women, who were of close kinship, as witnessed by the fact that when Laban met Jacob, he kissed him. It was not the lips to lips kiss of lovers. They simply kissed each other on the cheek; and in some cases on both cheeks. Jacob then introduced himself to Rachel as her father’s brother, and the son of her aunt. In the usage of the day, brother did not always mean exactly what we consider it today. It simply meant a near kinsman. So Rachel went quickly and told the news to her father Laban, who immediately went out to welcome his nephew Jacob. And Jacob stayed with Laban a month before anything was ever said about any future plans.

(Verses 15 through 20) And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had for her.

After Jacob had remained with Laban for a month, Laban decided that it was not fair that Jacob should work for him for nothing, as he evidently had during that month, so he asked Jacob to name his price for continuing to remain with him and work for him. We have already seen Laban’s younger daughter Rachel at the well. But he also had another daughter, older than Rachel; and her name was Leah. We are told that Leah was “tender eyed;” and some tell us that that phrase means “near sighted;” and since, in that day they had no corrective measures for near sightedness, as we do today, such a person would, probably, develop a squint of the eyes that would take away from the beauty of the face. But Rachel was beautiful, with no blemish of the face. And Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel. So he proposed that he would serve Laban seven years if Laban would give him Rachel for a wife. To this Laban agreed, and told Jacob to abide with him. So Jacob served him seven years; and he loved Rachel so much that those years seemed only a few days to him. This may seem a little strange to us today, since Rachel was, most likely, not even yet old enough that we would consider her “of age,” and Jacob was well over forty years old.

(Verses 21 through 30) And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve thee for Rachel? Wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

In our modern day of so much dating between young couples, and particularly those who are engaged, we might wonder how Laban could pull off the deception he did on Jacob. But we have to remember that customs were quite different in that day. Although Jacob was abiding with Laban, that is in his household, he may have had very little contact with any of the women. So, after the feast with all the drinking of wine that, no doubt, accompanied it, darkness had come on before Leah was brought to him. In addition to this, she, probably was covered with a veil so that he could not have seen her face if there had been light. So, in the tent, where there was no light, all he knew was that a woman had been brought to him; and he trusting Laban, believed that it was Rachel. When the light of the morning came, he discovered the deception, and was, of course, angry at Laban for tricking him. Laban’s excuse was that in his country the younger daughter could mot be married before the older daughter: and if Jacob would stay with her for a week, he could also have the wife he had all the time wanted, Rachel. Of course, he would then have to serve Laban another seven years. One wonders if this was actually the custom of that area, or if Laban, being unsuccessful in getting Leah married, had concocted this way of getting that done. At any rate, Jacob agreed to this proposition also, and after his week with Leah, he was given Rachel also. This clearly shows that in the matter of marriage the woman had little, or no, right to agree or disagree. And this seems a little strange, since, in the matter of Rebekah’s going with Abraham’s servant, to become the bride of Isaac, she was asked directly if she would go with the man; and her answer settled the matter. Jacob loved Rachel better than he did Leah. So he served the other seven years.

(Verses 31 through 35) And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, He opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, He hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah ; and left bearing.

Although Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah, he had no children by Rachel, for, at this time, she was barren. But Leah bore four sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. The center column notes in our bible give the meanings of the names of these four sons as: Reuben; “See a son:” Simeon; “hearing:” Levi; “joined:” and Judah ; “praise.” From this, and what Leah said as she named these sons, one may get a reasonable idea of her feelings at the times of their births.

(Verses 1 through 8) And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, Who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may have children by her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore she called his name Dan. And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

This shows us how important it was to women of that day to have children. Of course, we have already seen Sarah and Abraham, in their effort to help God accomplish His purpose, using this same approach to their problem. We have also seen that it completely failed in their purpose, and actually caused trouble. Here, however, we find no ill effects of it insofar as the setting up of two separate peoples is concerned. Dan and Naphtali are henceforth recognized as legitimate sons of Jacob; and from them sprang two of the tribes of Israel . Rachel was well satisfied with the results of this, and felt that she had prevailed against her sister. Thus the names of these two boys were given to them because of the feelings of Rachel. She called the first one Dan, which means “judging,” or “he that judges,” because she felt that God had rendered judgment for her against her sister. The second she named Naphtali, meaning “my wrestling” or “my twisting;” for she felt that she had been wrestling with her sister, and had prevailed against her. Both she and Leah felt that only by bearing Jacob children could they be first in his affections.

(Verses 9 through 13) When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her to Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

Here we see a continuation of the rivalry between Rachel and Leah. Since Leah was having no more children, she had Jacob take her handmaid Zilpah as a wife, and she bore him two sons. The first of these sons Leah named Gad. This name can mean, “a band, or troop; happy; or armed and prepared.” Apparently, from what Leah said, her meaning of it was “troop.” The name, Asher, means “blessedness or happiness.” So Leah was very happy with the result of her plan.

(Verses 14 through 21) And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes. And she said, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? And wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

According to the dictionary, mandrake is “an herb--- having poisonous, emetic, and narcotic qualities, the root of which is shaped like a human foot, and has given rise to many superstitions.” Apparently one of those superstitions is that it would heal barrenness in a woman. That seems to be Rachel’s reason for so badly wanting it, as well as Leah’s hesitancy in letting her have it. Apparently it did Rachel no good; for Leah had two more sons and a daughter before Rachel had any children. Leah named her fifth son Issachar, which means “wages,” for she said, “God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband.” Zebulun means “wished for habitation;” and was so named because Leah felt that surely Jacob would now stay with her, since she had borne him six sons. The name, Dinah, means “judgment” or “who judges;” No reaction of Leah is given to show why she called her daughter Dinah.

(Verses 22 through 24) And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: and she called his name Joseph; and said, the LORD shall add to me another son.

Apparently Rachel laid aside her trust in superstitions, and prayed to the LORD concerning her barren condition. He heard her prayer, and caused her to conceive; and she bore a son, and called his name Joseph, which means, “He shall add;” for she said “The LORD shall add to me another son.” In Rachel’s statement, “God hath taken away my reproach,” we can see the common attitude toward barrenness of a woman in that day. It was a reproach, and she was considered a little less than a woman.

(Verses 25 through 36) And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done unto thee. And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it. And he said, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me. For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased into a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also? And he said, What shall I give thee? and Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock: I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire. So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me. And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.

Jacob decided that he had served Laban long enough without beginning to build up some flocks and herds for himself. So he approached Laban about the matter, and asked him to let him and his family return to Jacob’s country. Laban wanted Jacob to remain with him, because he had learned from experience that the LORD had blessed him since Jacob came to him. So, at Jacob’s suggestion they worked out an agreement, which on the surface seems very appropriate. It seems totally unnecessary to recap the details of this agreement, since they were all very clearly spelled out in the conversation between Jacob and Laban. And Jacob agreed to continue to keep Laban’s flocks, and lead them to pasture.

(Verses 37 through 43) And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. And set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted. And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle. And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s> And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

There is even today among some people a belief that the trick Jacob was using will actually work. But I have to feel that it was not the striped rods that caused the cattle to bring forth speckled, spotted, and ringstraked offspring, but the work of the LORD to bring about that which He had purposed; and that He did this, not because of the trick Jacob was trying to use, but because it was in keeping with His purpose. If we were trying to judge the LORD according to man’s rules of fairness, we would certainly consider this as being unfair. But He has a right to do whatever he sees fit to do without any regard to what men think. He has declared, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.” So it is none of our business when He does things of this kind. Remember that He chose Jacob over Esau, which is also contrary to man’s rules. Now He has caused Jacob to become rich, though he had nothing when he came to Haran .

Chapter 31

(Verses 1 through 16) 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. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, and said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare  all the cattle ringstraked. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. And it came to pass at the time the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled. And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob, and I said, Here am I. And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams that leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto Me: now arise, and get thee out from this land, and return to the land of thy kindred. And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Are we not counted of him as strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Because Jacob was becoming rich, the sons of Laban began to talk among themselves , and say that he had taken away from Laban all this wealth; and Laban began to look less favorably upon Jacob. Jacob noticed these things, and decided that it was time for him to move on before trouble really got started. Also God spoke to Jacob, and told him to return to the land of his fathers, and He would be with him. So Jacob called Rachel and Leah to the field where he was keeping the flocks, and told them what he had decided and what the LORD had told him. He also gives us a little insight into the way in which Laban had treated him, and how the LORD had counteracted what Laban tried to do. Rachel and Leah, realizing that there was no inheritance for them in their father’s house, were ready to do as Jacob had been instructed of the LORD. They considered that since God had taken away Laban’s wealth, and given it to Jacob, it belonged to them and their children. So they were ready to go.

(Verses 17 through 21) Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; and he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan . And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s. And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead .

So, in order to avoid trouble with Laban, Jacob took his wives, his children, and all that he had, and fled without letting Laban know anything about his going. He crossed the river, and headed toward Mt. Gilead .

(Verses 22 through 24) And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead . And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

We do not know how far away Laban had had to go to shear his sheep. But he was gone for that chore when Jacob left. So it was three days later before he heard about the matter. He immediately gathered together all his brethren, (this could have included his sons and all other male kin he had available,) and went after Jacob, apparently with the intention of taking away from him all that he had, and, possibly, taking him prisoner and making a slave of him. Such was not unheard of in that day. But having pursued Jacob for seven days, Laban overtook, or approached near him in Mt Gilead. It was, likely, in the evening, and Laban decided to wait until morning to attack Jacob. But God Who told Jacob to return to his father’s land, was keeping watch over him, even now. He appeared to Laban in a dream that night, and warned him to speak neither good nor bad to Jacob.

(Verses 25 through 30) Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead . And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, and with tabret, and with harp? And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. And now, though thou wouldest be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore has thou stolen my gods?

So when Laban overtook Jacob, in keeping with the warning God had given him, he did not attack. Instead he began to complain against Jacob for acting foolishly by leaving without letting him know about it. He said that if Jacob had told him that he was going, he would have, as we would say, given him a going away party, which, he probably, would not have done. And he certainly would not have done so, unless God intervened, as He had in the night before this conversation. He apparently thought that in spite of the warning God had given him, he still had the power to do hurt to Jacob; but he did refrain from attempting anything of the sort. He then clearly showed that he was an idolater, when he accused Jacob of stealing his gods. If he were not an idolater, he would not have had gods for someone to steal.

(Verses 31 through 35) And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into his two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. Then he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

Jacob told Laban that he was afraid that if he told Laban that he was leaving, Laban would take Rachel and Leah his wives away from him. Then he told him to search everything he had, and see if he could find the gods he said were stolen. Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. So he told Laban that “with whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live. Even though Laban made a search of all Jacob’s tents, he could not find his idols, because Rachel had hidden them, and sat down upon them, and would not get up.

(Verses 36 through 42) And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

There is little here that would be hard to understand. Jacob had become so angry that he recounted to Laban through what hardships he had served him, as well as how Laban had tried to trick him by changing his wages ten times, to say nothing of the trick Laban worked on him on the night that should have been the time of his wedding to Rachel. Then he let Laban know that he was sure that only the warning of God to Laban was his protection at the present time. He reminded Laban that God was well aware of his affliction and labor, and had for that reason rebuked Laban in that dream in the night before.

(Verses 43 through 53) And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters , and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born? Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. And Jacob took a stone, and set it for a pillar. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap. And Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. And Laban said, this heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed; and Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent from each other. If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee. And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee; This heap be a witness, and this pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto, me for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.

Laban, although he wanted to take his daughters, his grandchildren, and all the wealth Jacob had away from Jacob,  confessed that there was nothing he could do. He was, no doubt afraid to attempt anything of that kind after God had warned him against saying anything either good or bad about the situation. So he wanted to make a covenant with Jacob. To solemnize the event, Jacob set up a stone for a pillar, and had his men gather stones and pile them in a heap. Then they climbed up on the top of that heap and ate together. Laban called the heap of stones Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. Both names mean exactly the same thing, “the heap of witness.” The difference of names is that the former is Syrian and the latter, Hebrew. This heap was also called Mizpah, which means “watch tower,” and was so called because it was to be a reminder that the LORD would watch between them when they were separated one from the other. It was also to bear witness that Jacob would neither afflict his wives nor take other wives beside them; and that he would not pass over this heap to do harm to Laban , and neither would Laban pass over this heap to harm Jacob. And Laban called upon “the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father,” to be their judge in this matter. This shows us that, although Laban had idol gods of his own, he remembered that Abraham, and his own grandfather Nahor, Abraham’s brother, and their father Terah, had worshipped God. So he called upon Him as witness of this covenant. “And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac,” Who was indeed the God of Abraham, Nahor, and Terah, also.

(Verses 54 and 55)Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount. And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his own place.

It is not completely clear whether or not Jacob invited Laban and his party to take part in the sacrificial meal; but , Probably he did, inasmuch as they waited until the next morning to take their leave of him. After kissing and blessing his daughters and their children, Laban returned to his own place.

(Verses 1 through 5) And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir , the country of Edom . And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: and I have oxen, and asses, and flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

Jacob did not remain in mount Gilead , but proceeded on his journey toward where his father dwelt. At one place the angels of God met him. And he, recognizing them as God’s host, called the name of that place, Mahanaim, which means, “twin hosts, or two hosts.” The only apparent reason for this name seems to be that he was distinguishing between his household and the host of God.. Then he sent messengers to his brother Esau to announce his arrival, to tell Esau that he had become rich enough that he would be no threat to him, and try to make reconciliation with him.

(Verses 6 through 8) And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men are with him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; and said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

When Jacob’s messengers returned, they told him that Esau was coming to meet him, and had four hundred men with him. So he, remembering the reason for their parting in the first place, was very much afraid that Esau was coming to destroy him and all his family. He then divided all the people that were with him, as well as all his livestock into two separate bands, so that if Esau did destroy one band, the other might escape.

(Verses 9 through 12) And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD Which sadist unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all Thy mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan: and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray Thee, from my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And Thou sadist, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

Here we have Jacob’s prayer for deliverance from his brother Esau. He was very much as are we. Although he well remembered what God had said to him, concerning His promise to be with him, and to bless him, yet he seemed hardly able to believe it. So he was very frightened. But as we shall see, God is always faithful to His promises. And from this incident we should receive a great lesson. First of all, in a crises, or even an imagined one, let us remember to go to the LORD in prayer, for although we may not have been aware of it, He is the One Who has always been our protector; and He is still able to deliver us from whatever danger there may be. At the same time remember all His promises, and thank Him for His mercy. As David so often said, “He is my Rock.” Therefore it is to Him we must turn when danger threatens.

(Verses 13 through 20) And he lodged there that night: and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space between drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

Without recounting all that he included in his offering to Esau, we would certainly admit that it was a substantial present that Jacob sent to him. He hoped, with this, to gain Esau’s good will, and have him forget his former anger. Jacob was trying to redress a grievance of long standing. And, although in this case we shall find that he and Esau were, at least for a time, reconciled, the Arabs of today still hold that same grievance against the Jews.

(Verses 21 through 23) So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company. And he rose up in that night, and took his two wives, and his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

The language of these verses seems a little unclear. However the center column note in my Bible gives a different reading on the phrase, in verse 22, “and passed over the ford Jabbok.” It gives “and caused them to pass over” as the alternate reading. This seems to agree better with the remainder of the context. If he passed over with them, he must have come back. And verse 23 seems to clearly indicate that he did not go with them. It says, “And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.” And as we continue on, we shall see that Jacob did remain in the place where he was.

(Verses 24 through 30) And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? and he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel ; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

There is only one thing in this text that has often generated arguments among men. That is the identity of the man with whom Jacob wrestled. And we have no right to argue concerning that; for the man would not even tell Jacob who he was. However Jacob was convinced that this man was God. This is signified by the fact that he named that place Peniel, which means “the face of God.” And when he named the place Peniel, he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” There is another name in this text that, in the past few years, has caused some discussion. That is the name “ Israel .” In all the Bibles I have used in my lifetime, the center column notes have given its meaning as, “a prince of God.” And Cruden’s dictionary of proper names gives it, “he will be prince with God.” Lately I have heard some say that its meaning is “one who wrestles.” Since I do not know the Hebrew Language, I cannot, of myself, verify its meaning. But in view of the statement of the man who wrestled with Jacob, I still believe that it has reference to his being a prince of God; for he said, ”Thy name shall be no more called Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Except for these two names, I find nothing in this that needs any comment.

(Verses 31 and 32) And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day; because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

In this we see that the name of that place can be spelled either of two ways, and yet it is the same word, whether spelled P-e-n-i-e-l, or P-e-n-u-e-l. Both have the same meaning; and both apply to the same place. Jacob did not get across the brook until sunrise, and he limped because of his thigh having been out of joint by the touch of the man with whom he wrestled.

Chapter 33

(Verses 1 through 4) And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Lea, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

Jacob was still somewhat apprehensive about meeting Esau. So he divided his children so that each would be with his own mother, and went ahead of them to meet his brother with these four groups following in the order he had arranged. He ceremoniously bowed himself to the ground seven times as he went to meet Esau. Then Esau ran to meet him; and they embraced and kissed each other as was the custom: and because of the joy each had for seeing the other, they wept. Some people of our modern western culture consider weeping as unbecoming to men; but it was not so in that day, and still is not in the middle eastern culture.

(Verses 5 through 11) And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children, and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant. Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. And he said, What meaneth thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore have I seen