Genesis 31:32 Komentář

Jacob was a very honest good man, a man of great devotion and integrity, yet he had more trouble and vexation than any of the patriarchs. He left his father's house in a fright, went to his uncle's in distress, very hard usage he met with there, and now is going back surrounded with fears. Here is, I. His resolution to return (v. 1-16). II. His clandestine departure, (Gen 31:17-21). III. Laban's pursuit of him in displeasure (Gen 31:22-25). IV. The hot words that passed between them (v. 26-42). V. Their amicable agreement at last (Gen 31:43, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 31 This chapter relates how that Jacob observing that Laban and his sons envied his prosperity, and having a call from God to return to his own country, acquaints his wives with it; and reports to them Laban's ill usage of him, and the wonderful appearance of God to him, and for him, and his orders to him to depart from thence, Gen 31:1; to which they agreed, knowing full well their father's unkindness, and that they had nothing to expect from him, and therefore judged it best to go off with what they had got through the gift of God unto them, Gen 31:14; upon which Jacob set out privately, with all he had, towards his own country, while Laban was shearing his sheep, Gen 31:17; three days after, Laban, being informed of it, pursued after Jacob, and overtook him at Mount Gilead; but was warned by the way to be cautious what he said to him, Gen 31:22; yet nevertheless he warmly expostulated with him about his secret flight, not giving him the opportunity of taking his leave of his children, and especially for taking away his gods, Gen 31:26; to which Jacob gave an answer, Gen 31:31; and in his turn was warm likewise, and chided Laban severely for his hot pursuit of him, his charge of stealth, when he could find nothing on him, his hard labour for the space of twenty years with him, and his ill requital of him for it, Gen 31:36; however, upon the whole, an amicable agreement was made between them, and they parted in a friendly manner, Gen 31:43.

Now Rachel had taken the images,.... Hearing her father inquire about them, and her husband having given leave to search for them, and to put to death whoever should be found to have them, took them from the place where she had before laid them: and put them into the camel's furniture; perhaps the camel's furniture she rode on, and therefore it was in her tent, which some understand of the saddle on which she rode; rather, it seems to be the saddle cloth or housing, in which she might wrap the images and put them under her clothes; though some interpret it of the straw or litter of the camel, which is not so probable: and sat upon them; the images, which, if she had the veneration for, as some suggest, she would never have used in such a manner: and Laban searched all the tent, but found them not; excepting the place where Rachel sat; but Aben Ezra thinks she was not in the tent, but in some place without it, and if so, there needs no exception.

Now let us consider how the just person ought to behave if enmity arises. First, let him avoid it; it is better to go away without strife than to settle down with contention. Next, let him possess a property that he can carry off with him so that he cannot be held under any obligation by the adversary but may say, “Identify whatever of yours I may have.” And Laban searched and found nothing of his with Jacob. He was a great man and truly happy who could lose nothing of his and possess nothing of another’s, that is, possess nothing too little and nothing to excess. Therefore the person who has no lack of anything has been perfected; the person who has nothing to excess is just—this is to observe the proper mean of justice. How powerful virtue is! Alliance with it brought gain but did not inflict loss. This is what perfection is; it gives the greatest advantage to those who hold to it but brings them no disadvantage whatsoever.Accordingly the man who desired to do harm to Jacob was not able to send him away empty. For the wise person is never empty but always has the garment of prudence on himself and is able to say, “I was clad with justice, and I clothed myself with judgment,” as Job said. Surely these are the inner veils of the spirit, and no one can take them away except when someone strips them off by his own guilty action. In fact, Adam was found stripped so, and naked, whereas Joseph was not naked even though he had thrown off his external clothing, as he possessed the safe covering of virtue. Therefore the wise person is never empty. How could he be empty? He has taken from the fullness of Christ and keeps what he has received. How could he be empty? His soul is filled, for it guards the garments of grace it has received. We must be afraid that someone may lose the veil of blamelessness and that ungodly people may transgress the bonds of justice with onslaughts of sacrilege and persecution and snatch away the garment of the soul and of the spirit. This does not readily happen unless a person has first been stripped of his clothing by the voice of his iniquity. On this account David also says, “If there is iniquity in my hands, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies. Let the enemy pursue my soul and take it.”

Therefore none of the enemies can take your soul unless it has first been made empty. Do not be afraid of those who can plunder treasures of gold and silver; such people take nothing from you. They take away what you do not have, they take away what you are not able to possess, they take away not an ornament to your soul but a burden on it. They take away what does not enrich your heart but weighs it down; “for where your treasure is, there also will your heart be,” as you have heard in today’s reading. Many people shut in their gold with bars upon their gates, but they have no confidence in either their bolts or their barricades. Many people employ guards, but they too are generally more afraid of the guards. Many go to bed upon buried gold; their gold is beneath the ground, and so is their heart. Watch out, then, that you do not entrench your heart in the ground while you are still living. We have no need to be afraid of thieves who steal such gold; but you must watch out for the usurer who examines the wealth of your soul, if you have bargained for any coin of more serious sin. He confines your heart in the earth and buries your soul in the ground, where you have hidden your gold. He crushes your spirit with interest compounded a hundredfold and buries it in a heavy tomb, from which no one rises again. Follow the example of holy Jacob; he had no part in the vices of others, nor was he empty and devoid of his own virtues, but he was filled with the fruit of justice.

Laban and his sons envy Jacob, Gen 31:1, Gen 31:2; on which he is commanded by the Lord to return to his own country, Gen 31:3. Having called his wives together, he lays before them a detailed statement of his situation in reference to their father, Gen 31:4-5; the services he had rendered him, Gen 31:6; the various attempts made by Laban to defraud him of his hire, Gen 31:7; how, by God's providence, his evil designs had been counteracted, Gen 31:8-12; and then informs them that he is now called to return to his own country, Gen 31:13. To the proposal of an immediate departure, Leah and Rachel agree; and strengthen the propriety of the measure by additional reasons, Gen 31:14-16; on which Jacob collects all his family, his flocks and his goods, and prepares for his departure, Gen 31:17, Gen 31:18. Laban having gone to shear his sheep, Rachel secretes his images, Gen 31:19. Jacob and his family, unknown to Laban, take their departure, Gen 31:20, Gen 31:21. On the third day Laban is informed of their flight, Gen 31:22; and pursues them to Mount Gilead, Gen 31:23. God appears to Laban in a dream, and warns him not to molest Jacob, Gen 31:24. He comes up with Jacob at Mount Gilead, Gen 31:25; reproaches him with his clandestine departure, Gen 31:26-29; and charges him with having stolen his gods, Gen 31:30. Jacob vindicates himself, and protests his innocence in the matter of the theft, Gen 31:31, Gen 31:32. Laban makes a general search for his images in Jacob's, Leah's, Bilhah's, and Zilpah's tents; and not finding them, proceeds to examine Rachel's, Gen 31:33. Rachel, having hidden them among the camel's furniture, sat upon them, Gen 31:34; and making a delicate excuse for not rising up, Laban desists from farther search, Gen 31:35. Jacob, ignorant of Rachel's theft, reproaches Laban for his suspicions, Gen 31:36, Gen 31:37; enumerates his long and faithful services, his fatigues, and Laban's injustice, Gen 31:38-41; and shows that it was owing to God's goodness alone that he had any property, Gen 31:42. Laban is moderated, and proposes a covenant, Gen 31:43, Gen 31:44. Jacob sets up a stone, and the rest bring stones and make a heap, which Laban calleth Jegar-Sahadutha, and Jacob Galeed, Gen 31:45-47. They make a covenant, and confirm it by an oath, Gen 31:48-53. Jacob offers a sacrifice; they eat together; and Laban and his companions, having lodged in the mount all night, take a friendly leave of Jacob and his family next morning, and depart, Gen 31:54, Gen 31:55.

Let him not live - It appears that anciently theft was punished by death; and we know that the patriarchs had the power of life and death in their hands. But previously to the law, the punishment of death was scarcely ever inflicted but for murder. The rabbins consider that this was an imprecation used by Jacob, as if he had said, Let God take away the life of the person who has stolen them! And that this was answered shortly after in the death of Rachel, Gen 35:16-19.

ENVY OF LABAN AND SONS. (Gen. 31:1-21) he heard the words of Laban's sons--It must have been from rumor that Jacob got knowledge of the invidious reflections cast upon him by his cousins; for they were separated at the distance of three days' journey.

The Flight. - Through some angry remarks of Laban's sons with reference to his growing wealth, and the evident change in the feelings of Laban himself towards him (Gen 31:1, Gen 31:2), Jacob was inwardly prepared for the termination of his present connection with Laban; and at the same time he received instructions from Jehovah, to return to his home, together with a promise of divine protection. In consequence of this, he sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him in the field, and explained to them (Gen 31:4-13), how their father's disposition had changed towards him, and how he had deceived him in spite of the service he had forced out of him, and had altered his wages ten times; but that the God of his father had stood by him, and had transferred to him their father's cattle, and now at length had directed him to return to his home.