Jacob’s Rebuke of Simeon and Levi
34: 30-31

Jacob’s rebuke of Simeon and Levi DIG: Why was this account included in the Bible? How does Jacob rebuke his sons? How do Jacob’s sons rebuke him? How does the slaughter and plunder of Shechem affect the birthright in Jacob’s family? Who ends up with the birthright?

REFLECT: Jacob got to a point in his life where he was spiritually dull. He was a passive father. How can you guard against that in your own life?

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed’ (34:30). It seems that his concern wasn’t for Dinah but for his own reputation. His outburst suggests more concern for public relations than his daughters honor.

Jacob was a passive father, and a passive father is destructive to the development of his children. Passive fathers destroy their children by refusing to discipline them and change their course of direction. Passive fathers produce insecure and angry children. Without a game plan for life, teenagers perish. God killed Eli the High Priest because he would not discipline his sons (First Samuel 2:22 and 4:4-11). David was a passive father. While Absalom was trying to get his attention, David was chasing Bathsheba and plotting to kill her husband. Where did Absalom learn to lie, cheat and murder? He did exactly what his father taught him to do. However, God is not a passive Father. He says: Have you forgotten the counsel that speaks with you as sons: My son, don’t despise the discipline of ADONAI or become despondent when He corrects you. For ADONAI disciplines those He loves and whips everyone He accepts as a son (Hebrews 12:5-6 CJB).

But Jacob’s sons seemed to have the last word. They said: Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute (34:31)? They believed that Jacob’s concern is misplaced and they were offended by it. When Shechem offered to pay for Dinah, in their eyes that turned Dinah into a prostitute and these hot heads couldn’t tolerate that.They felt that their father had been too willing to compromise, and they believed that their actions of avenging their sister were justified.⁵²⁹ But they did evil in the name of good.

Their instincts were correct for not wanting to assimilate with the Canaanites. The fact is that if they would have intermarried with them, Isra’el’s distinctive identity would have been destroyed and God’s covenant with Abraham would have been negated. Later, the nation of Isra’el was instructed by God to avoid defilement with the Canaanites and Isra’el’s foreign policy was to destroy them completely before they could defile the Israelites. God would say: Do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them, the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). But even though their instincts were correct in this matter, their actions were evil. They lied and acted carelessly in carrying out vengeance because God hadn’t told them to do anything. On his deathbed when Ya’akov was giving the patriarchal blessing, Simeon and Levi were cursed by not receiving their own territory in the Promised Land (49:5-7).

In addition, the slaughter of Shechem would have far reaching implications with the birthright of Jacob’s family. As the birthright had been an issue between Abraham’s children Ishmael and Isaac, and as it had been an issue in Isaac’s family between Esau and Jacob, it would also be an issue in Jacob’s family. Reuben, who was actually the firstborn, would forfeit his birthright by sleeping with Jacob’s concubine Bilhah (35:21). Then Simeon and Levi, who were next in line for the birthright, would also lose it over this incident. The next in line would be Judah, and he would become the Seed son, the one through whom the Messiah would be born.

When Jacob’s evil sons, justifying their own treachery, asked: “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” Ya’akov had no reply. He had indeed failed. He had opened the door to this, and now he was in desperate need of revival in his own soul, as well as a fresh word of guidance from Elohim. Though Scripture does not clearly say so, it seems most likely that Jacob went to his altar and cried out to God for forgiveness and for instruction. And God, who is gracious and long-suffering, answered him once again.⁵³⁰

One of the biggest questions we can ask about this account is, “Why was it told to us?” One the one hand, it does not seem to have much to do with the continuously progressive revelation of the history of redemption. We could leave this account out of the Bible and we would never seem to miss it. One the other hand, the knowledge of this account is extremely critical for our understanding of Jacob’s blessing and cursing which he uttered on his deathbed (to see link click Ld – The Blessing and Cursing of Jacob’s Sons). Knowing the actions of Levi and Simeon helps us to know why they not granted a geographical inheritance among the tribes of Isra’el (see Lf – Simeon and Levi are Brothers, Their Swords are Weapons of Violence). Unless we had realized the sin which they commited, we would not have been able to understand Jacob’s rebuke.

The Slaughter at Shechem by Simeon and Levi
34: 25-29

The slaughter at Shechem by Simeon and Levi DIG: What does the slaughter and looting of the city tell us about the spiritual condition of Jacob’s family?

REFLECT: Where do you need to make sure that anger does not get the best of you? How does a desire for revenge affect you and your faith in God?

The result of the plot was tragic and cruel. Three days later, while all of them were in the greatest amount of pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and went from one house to the next, attacked the unsuspecting city, killing each and every male until they were all dead. Adult circumcision is painful and would virtually incapacitate the men of Shechem for several days. In addition, the fever that would develop as a result of the cutting would only make them more vulnerable. The men of the city couldn’t really defend themselves. The brothers came upon them like vultures landing on lifeless corpses.⁵²⁸ They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left (34:25-26). They reasoned that because Shechem had taken Dinah to his house by force, they were prepared to take her from his house by force. They avenged sin by greater sin.

Simeon and Levi further reasoned that if their father was not going to defend the honor of his daughter, they would defend the honor of their sister. It was bad enough that she was raped and treated like a prostitute, but their father’s indifference about the whole situation made them even more furious. They all felt slighted because Leah was their mother. Jacob’s favoritism towards Rachael and her children was wearing very thin on Leah’s side of the family. Once again, Jacob’s favoritism was causing much pain.

Archaeological excavations have discovered that Shechem was a city of about six acres and therefore was probably occupied by between five hundred to a thousand people. The two brothers could not have possibly slaughtered everyone by themselves so their servants probably assisted them.  Looting followed the killing.

The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been raped. Only Simeon and Levi did the slaying, but all the other sons probably helped in the looting. They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. It was ironic because the men of Shechem had planned on seizing all of Jacob’s wealth, however now all their wealth belonged to the Hebrews! They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in their houses (34:27-29). So the combination of a passive father and vengeful, cruel brothers was a deadly combination for the men of Shechem.

Ya’akov probably didn’t realize what had happened until he saw the captives and the plunder coming back from Shechem with his sons. Dinah accompanied them and was no doubt in a state of shock. Although he must have been horrified with the magnitude of what had happened, Jacob’s lack of leadership had given the opportunity for Simeon and Levi to demonstrate that they were really men of treachery and not justice. Jacob would never forget it. On his deathbed he would say to them, “Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Ya’akov and disperse them in Isra’el” (49:7).

The Circumcision at Shechem
34: 18-24

The circumcision at Shechem DIG: What does the deception of Jacob’s sons say about the spiritual condition of the family? What does it say about Jacob’s spiritual leadership?

REFLECT: When we act like the world acts, what does this do to our testimony?

Their plan was to incapacitate the city. Taking the lead in the negotiations, Simeon and Levi had gambled that Hamor and his son Shechem were desperate to join with the Hebrews for commercial advantage, and they were right. They swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker! The unsuspecting royal family eagerly agreed to the condition of circumcision, beginning with Shechem himself. The young prince, who was the most honored of all his father’s household, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was greedy for financial gain like his father, plus he really was delighted with Jacob’s daughter (34:18-19). Shechem was so respected that the others were sure to follow his lead.

So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to their fellow townsmen and lay the whole proposition before them. The city gate was where official business was always discussed. They said: These men are friendly toward us, let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. In other words, let them become citizens of our city-state. We can marry their daughters and they cam marry ours. But the Hebrews will consent to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are (34:20-22).

The fact that the men of the city agreed to the proposal set before them demonstrated how eager they were to reap the economic benefit of intermarriage with the Hebrews even though it would require a certain amount of pain.⁵²⁶ They reasoned that their pain would be for their gain: Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? This was not brought up in the negotiations with the brothers, and they left out the little detail about Shechem raping Dinah. But why bother them with the details! The motivation was purely financial. Hamor and Shechem concentrated entirely on the financial gain intermarriage would provide for their fellow townsmen . So they asked: Let us give our consent to them, and they will settle among us (34:23).

It seems strange that neither Reuben nor Judah took part in this plot. Reuben, especially as Dinah’s eldest brother, should have taken charge if Jacob didn’t. Later developments show that both Reuben and Judah were much less willing to kill than the rest of their brothers (37:21 and 26). They were not cruel and probably didn’t want to participate in the killing after realizing what Simeon and Levi were really planning, though not to the extent of doing anything to prevent them from carrying out their plan. Jacob’s other sons were probably still too young to take an active part in the killing, but all the brothers probably did participate in the looting. In any case, Simeon and Levi took the lead.

Their treachery was cloaked in honor. I am sure that they were partly motivated to honor the good name of their sister, and their rejection of intermarriage with the Canaanites was admirable, but they were completely wrong in taking the law into their own hands in such a cruel and violent way.⁵²⁷

All the men who went out of the city gate were easily persuaded and readily agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem. As a result, every male in the city was circumcised and unable to protect themselves (34:24). Ready for vengeance, these two hotheads were ready to finish what they had started.

Because Their Sister Dinah Had Been Defiled,
Jacob’s Sons Replied Deceitfully
34: 8-17

Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully DIG: Why was Jacob silent during these negotiations? We hear nothing from him.

REFLECT: What does God think about intermarrying with the Canaanites in your city (Second Corinthians 6:14-18)? Why doesn’t the end justify the means here?

The royal family of Shechem approached the Hebrews with a proposal. At first King Hamor did all the talking and said to them: My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Hamor offers enticement to Jacob’s family by saying that this marriage will only be the beginning of a close and prosperous relationship between the people of Shechem and Jacob’s family. The marriage between Shechem and Dinah, in other words, will be the first in the right to intermarry. Hamor said: Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves (34:8-9).

You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it (34:10). This was an offer of city-state citizenship to Jacob and his family, something that the nomads of this period wanted badly. Abraham and Isaac never received such an offer. As far as the land went, God had already given it to Ya’akov, he didn’t need Hamor to offer it to him. Hamor couldn’t be trusted anyway; he gave a completely different story to his own people later (34:23). He was lying to Jacob and his sons in order to ultimately acquire everything they had. Clearly, nothing good could come from this proposal.

If Shechem had requested his father make the official contact with Ya’akov, it would have been out of place for Shechem to go by himself. So he went with his father and spoke as soon as he had the opportunity.⁵²⁴ Then Shechem, who had been standing quietly beside Hamor, said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask” (34:11). For such a barbaric beginning to their relationship, Shechem now appears so proper. But he has no sense of remorse or repentance regarding the rape. No apology was offered. It seems as though he expected them to welcome him with open arms. He was totally clueless. It is as if he expected Dinah’s brothers to say, “Yes, we favor you. All you did was rape our sister. Why should we hold that against you?”

Shechem continued his hopeless appeal: Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask of me. This was payment that the husband paid to the parents for their daughter. In the Near East, the bride price comes not with the bride, but for the bride. Normally, there was a going rate set by the community, but Shechem was willing to go way beyond it. Even though the rape of a prospective bride may have been the norm in the Canaanite civilization, the spoiled prince seemed to think he could buy anything: Only give me the girl as my wife (34:12). He really was romantically attracted, but from the Hebrew perspective, was showing it the wrong way. He had dishonored her and them at every turn.

Shechem must have assumed that he was negotiating from a position of strength. After raping Dinah, he kept her hostage in his house (35:26). The stakes were high. Clearly, this was a very dangerous situation for everyone involved. But Jacob is completely absent from these negotiations. Where was the spiritual leader of the family?

The brothers took the lead in the negotiations, which was not unusual in that society. Earlier, Laban had taken the lead in the negotiations for Rebekah (24:50, 55-59). But instead of taking charge of what was clearly a dangerous situation, Ya’akov allowed his sons to negotiate with the royal family of Shechem.⁵²⁵ Because their sister Dinah had been raped, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor (34:13). The brothers were careful not to show their hand, and as they walked back together from the fields they developed an evil plan.

Not content to leave the city’s judgment to God, as with the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Simeon and Levi resolve to take matters into their own hands. They said to the men of the city: We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us for all time. We will give our consent to you on one condition only; that you become like us by circumcising all your males in the city. That would be the condition of intermarriage. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. This demand was very believable because at the time some pagans made circumcision a condition of marriage. But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go (34:14-17).

Via the marriage of Dinah, the royal family of Shechem wanted to make a financial offer to the Hebrews that they couldn’t refuse. But they had no idea who they were dealing with, or how much danger they were really in. The conditions set by Jacob’s sons sounded quite fair and upfront, but their proposal dripped with treachery. Their real intent was murder.

The Rape of Dinah
34: 1-7

The rape of Dinah DIG: Where is Jacob’s outrage at the rape of his daughter? Why is it left to his sons to be filled with grief and fury? Why doesn’t he do something? Anything? Where is his responsibility as a parent? His spiritual leadership?

REFLECT: How do you deal with separation from the world (First John 2:15-17)? Can you be in the world, but not of the world (John 17:6-19)? What are the consequences of ignoring the world (Matthew 28:18-20)? What are the consequences of immersing yourself in the world (First Corinthians 5:1-13)? How can you find a balance between the two?

Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the young women of the land (34:1). This action loosened the stone that caused a landslide. Dinah was probably just a girl of fourteen to sixteen years old at the time. Jacob’s sons could keep themselves company, but Dinah needed the company of other girls her own age. So it is not surprising that she went into Shechem to find some girlfriends. This was not unreasonable, but in doing so she put herself at risk. The moral condition of Shechem was shameful. Not only was promiscuity common, but it was also part of their religious system itself. Young girls traveling alone were considered fair game at that time. Didn’t Ya’akov and Leah know this? Did they warn Dinah? Did they try to prevent her from going and she rebelled? Did Dinah feel like she could look out for herself and resented her parent’s overprotective attitude? We just don’t know. At any rate, she went and while visiting some of the girls of Shechem, she was noticed by the prince of the city.

There is much unsaid here. God had commanded Jacob to go back to Canaan. But how would his children find suitable mates? It seemed impossible to insist that they marry from their own people as Abraham and Isaac had done. And he certainly wasn’t going to send any of his children back to Laban! How could they stay totally separate from the Canaanites? How could they and their children stay morally clean in the spiritual toilet of Shechem? Was this why God wanted Jacob to take his family to Bethel and avoid these influences?

When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that Canaanite area, saw her, he grabbed her and raped her (34:2). I am sure that even as common as rape was amongst the godless Canaanites, little was denied Shechem, being the prince of the city. The word for raped is taken from the word defiled (Psalm 79:1). Defiled is used in the TaNaKh to describe a person who has contacted impurity through such things as skin diseases, bodily emissions, or touching something dead.⁵²⁰ So the rape of Dinah and the defilement of the Tabernacle are regarded with the same feelings and described by the same word.⁵²¹

His heart was drawn to Dinah, daughter of Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov), and he loved her and spoke tenderly to her trying to appease his own guilt. He knew what he did was wrong. After a woman was raped in this culture, she could not expect to ever have a valid marriage. She was normally relegated to the status of an outcast, so I am sure that Shechem thought he was doing a noble thing by marrying Dinah. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife” (34:3-4). He had no idea of the moral standard that he had violated or the moral line he had crossed, especially with her brothers.

Somehow this message got back to Jacob very quickly. When he heard that his daughter Dinah had been raped, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he kept quiet about it until they came home (34:5). But we never get the feeling that Jacob is distraught over the rape of his daughter. Later, when hearing of Joseph’s supposed death, Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days, he refused to be comforted and wept for him (37:34-35). We see none of that here. He made no attempt to send word to his sons about the tragedy. While waiting for his sons to come home, Shechem and his father Hamor went out to talk with Ya’akov about Dinah (34:6).

Word traveled fast and one way or another Jacob’s sons heard of the rape and they came in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had done a disgraceful thing in Isra’el by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing that should not be done (34:7). The rabbis teach that people had renounced rape since the Flood. The phrase, a thing that should not be done is similar to Tamar’s pleading prior to her rape by her half brother Amnon. She said to him: Don’t my brother, don’t force me. Such a thing should not be done in Isra’el. Don’t do this wicked thing (Second Samuel 13:12). There was no nation of Isra’el at the time of the rape. Yet Moses is writing Genesis for the people of Isra’el and, thus, there must be an application to the nation. So this defilement was not only against Dinah, but against Ya’akov, her brothers and, ultimately, against the people of God.⁵²²  But Jacob was passive and showed no spiritual leadership in this situation. Perhaps if Dinah were his daughter by Rachel rather than Leah, he would have acted differently.⁵²³

Dinah was Raped by Shechem
34: 1-31

Dinah was the daughter of Leah (to see a video about Dinah click here), and therefore, a member of the less appreciated portion of Laban’s family. Jacob had never loved Leah as much as he did Rachel (29:30), and eventually he favored Rachel’s children, Joseph and Benjamin, more than those of Leah. Such favoritism had plagued the family since the days when Isaac favored Esau and Rebekah favored Jacob, and preferential treatment would continue to be the source of considerable trouble throughout the rest of Genesis.

In addition, the hazards of intermarriage with the pagan Canaanites are always an issue in Genesis. Abraham had been concerned that Isaac might marry outside the patriarchal family, like Ishmael had (21:21, 24:3-4), and Esau had disappointed his parents with marriages to unbelieving Hittites (26:34-35, 27:46, 28:8). The danger of Jacob’s prolonged stay at Shechem, so near to his ultimate destination of Bethel, was not very wise.

Bad things can happen to anyone. Even good people are victimized or affected by disaster. But how people respond to the difficulty exposes their true character. Unfortunately Jacob’s response revealed indifference toward Dinah, and his leadership as the head of the family was missing in action.⁵¹⁸ By not going to Bethel as ADONAI had commanded, Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov) was endangering others far more vulnerable than himself.⁵¹⁹ It is no accident that the name of God is completely absent from this section.

Jacob’s Disobedience at Shechem
33: 18-20

Jacob’s disobedience at Shechem DIG: Instead of immediately returning to Bethel as God had commanded (31:3,13), Jacob lingered at the city of Shechem. How did this put his family needlessly at risk?

REFLECT: Whether it has been your sinful cravings, the lust of your eyes, or the boasting of what you have and do (First John 2:16), when have you stopped to linger in your life? How do you catch yourself or get out of that trap before it’s too late?

Jacob probably stayed longer in Succoth than he had originally planned, but he eventually moved on and arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan. It was not very far from Succoth, directly west of the Jabbok River and about twenty miles from the River Jordan. God had said that He would be with Ya’akov (28:15, 31:3), and the fact that he arrived safely back in Canaan was the fulfillment of that promise. According to the Canaanite society of that day he was a non-citizen, so he camped within sight of the city (33:18).

For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent (33:19). God had promised him the whole Promised Land, but this was the only part that Jacob actually owned. The land was excellent for his flocks and herds to graze. In addition, he dug a well that became known as the well of Sychar (John 4:6, 11-12). Years later, this was where the bones of Joseph would be reburied (Joshua 24:32). Shechem became an important city in biblical history. Located on Mount Gerizim, it would later become the territory of the tribe of Ephraim. It was very close to the city of Samaria, which became the capital of the northern kingdom of Isra’el. When Jacob arrived there, the city was controlled by the Hivites, a Canaanite tribe, which was ruled by a man named Hamor. He had a son named Shechem, which the city was eventually named after. Although the text does not mention it, Ya’akov must have visited Isaac and Esau several times during his stay in Shechem.⁵¹⁷

There Jacob set up an altar and called it El Elohei Isra’el, literally meaning God, the God of Israel (33:20). This was the first use of his new name. But God didn’t want the altar in Shechem; He wanted it in Bethel, as we shall see shortly.

Awesome God, thank You for revealing Yourself  to Your people, Isra’el. Thank You for continuing to reveal Yourself to all who call upon Your name.

The Results of Disobedience
33:18 to 34:31

God had commanded Jacob to go back to Bethel (31:3 and 13) and Ya’akov had vowed to do so (28:20). But when he crossed back into the Promised Land he decided to linger in Succoth and Shechem for several years. Nowhere did Jacob seek God about his decision, and indeed, there is no mention of ADONAI in this entire section. The pastures of Succoth and Shechem were green, and his possessions had increased to the point where movement was difficult. So Jacob settled down to what he thought was the simple life, having either put off or put aside the fulfillment of God’s promise to him. But there was a worldly cancer that spread into his family that was not seen in the family of Abraham or of Isaac. The two previous patriarchs had their problems, but nothing like we see in Jacob’s family.⁵¹⁵

Sometimes when we come off of a mountaintop experience, we meet the cruel cold reality of the world and we are unprepared for it. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, the people had molded a golden calf to worship; after Elijah defeated the prophets of Ba’al on Mount Carmel, he fell into a deep depression and after David defeated the Philistines and the Ammonites, reigning over all of Isra’el, and doing what was right for all his people, he became an adulterer and a murderer. King Solomon was the wisest man in the world and built God’s Temple; however, later in his life he became convinced that all was meaningless after his heart was turned to the gods of his many wives. Likewise, Jacob had wrestled with God and had finally received his blessing in the right way, but then he put God on the back burner.

This was the man who had seen the face of God! This was the man through whom God had promised that all the peoples of the earth would be blessed! This was the man who wanted the patriarchal blessing, which included being the spiritual leader of the family. And this was the man whom God’s goodness and mercy had followed all the days of his life! But he was also the man who was in spiritual decline at Shechem.⁵¹⁶ It is always the same. There is only one way to coast spiritually, that’s downhill, and Jacob was coasting.

Jacob Looked Up and There was Esau,
Coming with His Four Hundred Men
33: 1-17

Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men DIG: As Esau ran to meet Jacob, and as Ya’akov limped toward Esau, who was more surprised when they finally met? Why? Why was Easu no longer angry with Jacob?

REFLECT: Unrestrained fear can make God’s children do unhealthy things. How can you overcome fear with faith? When have you forgiven an offense against you? When have you needed forgiveness? What can you learn about forgiveness from Esau’s example? How important is it for people to agree on boundaries within their relationships? What type of boundaries might be appropriate? What are some ways to demonstrate a genuine desire for reconciliation in a broken relationship?

The next day, Jacob crossed the River Jabbok back to the southern bank. No sooner did he return to his family, than he looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men. As a final precaution, he divided his family into three groups. He divided the children with their mothers, Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants Bilhah and Zilpah. The rabbis teach that he arranged them to give protection to those he loved the most. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear (33:1-2). Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph was displayed long before he gave him his coat of many colors (37:23 NKJ). He himself went on ahead of the three groups. If Esav chose to attack, Jacob would take the brunt of it, while his wives and children could possibly escape. These are not the actions of a coward. He bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother (33:3). This was common in ancient eastern protocol. Ya’akov recognized Esav as ruler of the region.

Jacob had sufficiently prepared for his traumatic meeting with his estranged brother Esau. Before the wrestling match, Jacob had mad all sorts of preparations. But it seems that none of that really mattered. When they saw each other for the first time in more than twenty years, Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. Jacob was a different man than he was twenty years previously, but so was Esav. Being an earthy, worldly man, Esau had obtained everything a worldly man could have. Like Jacob, he had several wives and twelve sons, he was wealthy and powerful, being the king of Edom.   The rabbis did not believe that Esau actually came to kiss Jacob. They interpreted this, and kissed him, to mean that he came and bit him. Twenty years of emotion came on like a flood and they wept (33:4). For a while, neither brother could speak a word. Each had doubts and fears about the other for so long, and now that those fears were gone, it was too wonderful for words. God had transformed them both.

ADONAI can also transform us, and resolve the conflict that is the result of our character flaws. Sometimes we pray that God would work in the otherperson’s life so that we can be at peace with them. But perhaps we need to be willing to pray that the Lord would change us, that he would take away our bitterness, overcome our habits, help us to step back from our expectations, and take away our pride. We must be willing to cut these things out of our lives. The first step is to trust the Master Surgeon.

A remarkable story about transformation from hate and hostility to healing and harmony is found in the intertwined lives of Mitsuo Fuchida and Jacob DeShazer. The former expressed his hatred for the white demons as the pilot who led the attack on Pearl Harbor. The latter was an American bombardier involved in bombing raids against the despised Japanese in Doolittle’s Tokyo raid. After their respective famous raids, DeShazer had the harder time. Without enough fuel to return to the aircraft carrier, he and the other members of his crew abandoned the plane deep in Chinese territory, parachuting to what they hoped was safety. Unfortunately, they landed in an area held by the Japanese, and he spent over three years as a prisoner of war. A trial in Tokyo sentenced him to death, and that frequently seemed preferable to the abusive conditions he and his fellow prisoners were forced to endure.

Needless to say, this only increased the hate he felt for his captors. When his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, it was little consolation. But one of his comrades was a believer. About halfway through the period of imprisonment the man died and somehow, as a result, the prisoners were given a Bible by the Japanese. They all began to read it. This led to DeShazer’s conversion.

Suddenly I discovered that God had given me new spiritual eyes, and that when I looked at the Japanese officers and guards who had starved and beaten my companions and me so cruelly, I found my bitter hatred for them changed to loving pity. I realized that these Japanese did not know anything about my Savior and that if Messiah is not in a heart, it is natural to be cruel.

When Americans parachuted into the camp at the end of the war and released the prisoners, DeShazer returned home. But by then he was determined that He was going to be a missionary to the Japanese. He returned to Japan in 1948, where his preaching to the Japanese impressed them with how his hatred had turned to love. Eventually even some of those who had been his guards responded to his message and gave their lives to Yeshua.

While DeShazer suffered the torment of the POW camp, Fuchida became a national hero. He took place in numerous raids. His life was miraculously spared at the end of the war when he was called home to headquarters and was partway through a series of meetings in Hiroshima the day before the atomic bomb was dropped. But God had different plans for Fuchida. While taking a train to testify at war crimes trials, he received a tract about the life-changing experience of DeShazer.

Since the American pilot had found something in the Bible, I decided to purchase one myself, despite my traditionally Buddhist heritage. In the ensuing weeks, I read the Bible eagerly. I came to the climactic drama – the Crucifixion. I read Luke 23:24 the prayer of Jesus Christ at his death, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” I was impressed that I was certainly one of those for whom He had prayed. The many men I had killed had been slaughtered in the name of patriotism; for I did not understand the love which Christ wished to implant within every heart.

In 1950, Fuchida committed his life to Messiah. Despite the disbelief of his friends and scornful accusations from countrymen, Fuchida’s resolve remained strong, and he became a traveling evangelist for the gospel of Christ. He too had put his hatred behind him.

The years drew Fuchida and DeShazer close together as brothers in the faith. Once bitter enemies, now they were brothers through the saving power of Yeshua Messiah. The ultimate example of ADONAI’s ability to overcome hostility and change character in these two men was seen time and time again as they preached together, telling of the Lord’s love at rallies and conventions.⁵¹³

Then after some time, Esau looked up and saw the women and children. He asked: Who are these with you? Jacob answered: They are the children God has graciously given your servant. Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down (33:5-7).

After seeing Jacob’sfamily, Esau saw the large flocks and herds of animals that were still with Ya’akov. This reminded him of the five groups of animals he had met as he approached Jacob the day before. Although the shepherds had told him they were gifts from his brother, he respectfully inquired: What do you mean by all these droves I met? Ya’akov replied: To find favor in your eyes, my lord. But Esav had also become wealthy anddidn’t need it. I already have plenty, my brother. The gift Jacob had given him was larger than some cities gave to kings as tribute and it seemed that the gift was much too large. Esau said: Keep what you have for yourself (33:8-9).

But Jacob insisted. No, please! said Ya’akov. If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. He knew Esau didn’t need it in a material sense, but he pleaded: Please accept my present, literally meaning my blessing, that was brought to you. This was a reference to the patriarchal blessing now to be shared with Esau. And the reason was: for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need. In Hebrew it actually says: I have everything. Esau had plenty, but Jacob had everything because God had blessed him beyond measure. And because Ya’akov insisted, Esau accepted it (33: 10-11). A refusal to receive a present is, throughout the East, interpreted as an evidence of hostility. This is why Jacob was anxious about Esav accepting this gift.

No doubt, the two brothers then spent considerable time in telling each other all that had happened since they had separated twenty years earlier. They had a lot to catch up on. Esau had a large family and great possessions (36:1-8), and had undergone many experiences, which he shared with his brother. Jacob told him about his stay in Haran, and how ADONAI had led him through the years. No doubt Ya’akov was anxious to hear about his parents. Rebekah had probably died by this time, and Isaac was not only blind, but also completely incapacitated with age. Isaac died when he was 180 years old, and was probably about 160 when Jacob returned to Canaan.⁵¹⁴

Isaac was living in Hebron, where he later died. Esau assumed that Jacob would be traveling south in that direction. Apparently the four hundred armed horsemen were not meant to attack Ya’akov, but escort him home. Esau said: Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you. But Jacob said to him: My lord knows that the children are young and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. Ya’akov knew that Esau’s men would be annoyed with the slow pace they would have to follow, wanting to get back home as soon as possible. Jacob’s caravan, on the other hand, would need to move very slowly. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children. I will come to visit my lord in Seir at a later time. As history gradually unfolded, Mount Seir became the homeland of the Edomites, who were descendants of Esau (to see link click Io – The Wives and Sons of Esau). Seir is the region which is present-day Jordan. What is interesting is that even in the time of Jacob’s return to Canaan, Easu apparently had already been living in the region of Mount Seir. Genesis 32:16 below tells us that Esav went back to Seir. Finally, in Joshua 24:4 we are told that ADONAI Himself assigned Seir to be Edom’s homeland.

Then Esav said: Then let me leave some of my men with you. But why do that, Jacob asked: Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord (33:12-15). This was a polite refusal, saying that there was no need for an armed escort. It was a great blessing to see his brother, but they were still vastly different from one another. They would see each other again at their father’s funeral (35:29), but Jacob wisely determined that they needed to live their lives separately to achieve their own destinies.

So that day Esav went south on his way back to Seir. Ya’akov, however, could not bring himself to live in close contact with Esau, and he went north to Succoth on the east side of the Jordan River outside of the Promise Land, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Succoth which is the Hebrew name for booths or shelters (33:16-17). The rabbis teach that Jacob stayed there for eighteen months, first living in booths in the summer, then in a house in the winter, and then another summer in the booths again.

Even though the text states that Jacob and Esau agreed to meet each other in Seir, there is no indication that Jacob ever went there! But their respective descendants would meet in Seir! A few centuries later, when the children of Isra’el were freed from their slavery in Egypt they made their way to the Promised Land. But when they attempted to pass through Edom, the king of Edom refused Moshe’s request for passage, instead, he sent a powerful army out to stop them (see the commentary on Numbers Dj – The Resistance of Edom). The arrogance and air of superiority of Esau towards his brother had evidently filtered down through the generations before he had a change of heart upon meeting Jacob. It was too late to change their culture. Blood is blood and reconciliation and peace between brothers is of great importance and never impossible. But, we learn from these biblical texts that when the conflict is so bitter and so long, even making a momentary peace like between Jacob and Esau his brother there is no guarantee that the next generations will not awake the demon from the bottle and release it to not only start the enmity over and again, but make it more bitter and violent than before by repeating some of the mistakes of the past on either or both sides.

Even though Ya’akov had just come down from his mountaintop experience with pre-incarnate Messiah at the Jabbok River, Jacob had forgotten his vow to return to Bethel (28:20-21). ADONAI had even reminded Ya’akov of this when He had called him to leave Haran (31:3). But Jacob put it out of his mind and settled down, for a time, in earthly ease and prosperity in the city of Shechem. Like Lot, Jacob settled within sight of a godless Canaanite city. But because of his disobedience, trouble would be waiting for him there.

Jacob Wrestles with God
32: 24-32

Jacob Wrestles with God DIG: Why did ADONDI feel that it was necessary for Him to wrestle with Jacob? What was the significance of Jacob’s new name, Israel? Why did God slightly dislocate Jacob’s hip? What happened to give Jacob greater assurance in facing Esau?

REFLECT:How long does God have to wrestle with you before you yield every area of your life to Him? What does Elohim have to dislocate in your life before you come to the end of yourself? Do you need God to rename you to receive your blessing? What keeps people from being desperate for God’s blessing? How does an encounter with God foster a desire for His blessing? Have you experienced life change as a result of your faith in Christ? In what ways do you still need God to change you? What does a surrendered life look like from God’s perspective? What does a surrendered life look like from a human perspective?

Jacob was paralyzed at the thought of meeting Esau. He had expended his energy in elaborate preparations for the coming encounter with his brother. But instead, he had an encounter with God, for which he was completely unprepared.⁵⁰⁵

So Jacob was left alone. Sometime during the night, Jacob’s sleep was interrupted and suddenly he was conscious of an assailant. A man wrestled with him until daybreak at the river named Jabbok (32:24). It is significant that the name Jabbok means wrestler. There is a play on words here with wrestled and Jabbok. In Hebrew, the word Jabbok is yabok, and the word wrestle is yaaveik. The Hebrew word for wrestling is found only here and the next verse, and nowhere else in the TaNaKh. The word itself comes from the root avak that means dust. So the basic meaning of this word is to get dusty while wrestling. The name Jabbok was evidently given to the river at a later date to remember Jacob’s amazing experience that night.

Who was it that Jacob wrestled that night? Was it a man or an angel? His identity emerges gradually, and Ya’akov is quick to pick up on every clue. There seems to be no question that the writer of this passage (originally probably Jacob) intended it to be taken literally. As far as the mysterious wrestler was concerned, he was in the form of a man, but was actually an angel. Angels had eaten a meal with Abraham, and two of them had been the objects of the sexual desires of the Sodomites, so there is no doubt that angels can take on the physical characteristics of men if they need to do so. The Holy Spirit indicates that this was an angel as the LORD inspired Hosea to write: In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. He struggled with the Angel and overcame Him; he wept and begged for His favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with Him there. Adonai ELOHEI-Tza’ot, ADONAI is His name of renown (Hosea 12:3-5)! But in Jacob’s evaluation, his wrestling Partner was more than even an angel. It was none other than the Angel of the LORD, the pre-incarnate Messiah, and the visible manifestation of the invisible God. The rabbis teach that this man was the guardian angel of Esau.

As Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov) began to pray that night, little did he know that as he cried out to ADONAI for strength and deliverance that he would end up wrestling with God Himself. As he wrestled in prayer, it was as though he sensed that the LORD was really present with him. As he cried out more and more in prayer, God’s presence became more and more real to him until, suddenly, He was real! Jacob’s uplifted arms were actually clinging to ADONAI Himself, God in human form. Ya’akov felt that, if he ever let go, it would mean that God had left him with his prayer unanswered; and so he clung desperately, pleading all the while for His blessing. The LORD in His grace allowed Jacob to hang on, seeing that His servant’s faith and understanding were growing as he clung.⁵⁰⁶

At some point, when God saw that He could not overpower Jacob, He finally gave him the blessing he sought. It wasn’t that He couldn’t overpower Ya’akov, but He allowed Jacob to hold on. Then, to remind Ya’akov of the experience forever, He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched and slightly dislocated as he wrestled with him (32:25). This would be a continual reminder of this unique encounter. But Ya’akov continued to struggle for the blessing, despite having a dislocated hip. The rabbis teach that the laming of Jacob was his punishment for wanting to flee and not relying on God.

Then ADONAI said: Let Me go, for it is daybreak. The fact that the wrestling lasted until daybreak is significant. For the darkness symbolized Jacob’s situation. Fear and uncertainty had seized him.⁵⁰⁷ It was a long indecisive struggle. But once it dawned on Jacob who his assailant was, he pleaded: I will not let You go unless You bless me (32:26). Ya’akov wasn’t wrestling any more, he was just holding on. He found out that you do not get anywhere with God by struggling and resisting; the only way that you get anywhere with Him is by yielding and just holding on. Abraham had learned that, and that is why he believed ADONAI, and He credited it to him as righteousness (15:6). When you are willing to hold on, God is there ready to help you.⁵⁰⁸

The Lord desires men and women to persist in prayer and align themselves to His will. He delights in yielding to such prayers. Yeshua told his apostles a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ih – The Parable of the Persistent Widow).

But to show the transition between Jacob’s time of preparation and his time of fulfillment, the Angel of the LORD called attention to his name. Then the man asked him, “What is your name?” The rabbis teach that angels have no set names, but their names change according to the mission given to them. “Jacob,” he answered (32:27). Then the man said: Your name will no longer be Ya’akov, but Isra’el. He would no longer be called the supplanter (it’s a secondary meaning) but the prevailer (see Gm – Two Nations, One Womb). In Hebrew, Yisra’el is a combination of two Hebrew words, sarah and el. Literally it means, he who prevails victoriously with God. Other interpretations are such names as God strives, God fights, or may God contend. But the reason for the name change is because you have struggled with God, to gain the blessing, and with men such as Esau and Laban and have prevailed or overcome (32:28).

The significance of Jacob’s new name was ownership. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah when they believed in the LORD and became His own (15:6). In the future, the Lord would also change Simon’s name to Peter because he also believed in Him (Mark 3:16). Therefore, Jacob had a new name and a new limp. The new name would forever remind him of his new destiny, and the new limp would forever remind him that it is only when we stop wrestling and start clinging to God that we become strong and prevail. Paul may have this in mind when he penned these words: When I am weak, then I am strong (Second Corinthians 12:10).⁵⁰⁹

Now convinced that he was wrestling with no mere human, Ya’akov pleaded: Please tell me your name. But ADONAI answered his question, with a question: Why do you ask My name (32:29a)? The implication was this: think about it and you can figure it out yourself. This would be very similar to Manoah’s question, who was the father of Samson. Manoah asked the same question that Jacob did: What is your name? The LORD also replied: Why do you ask My name? But in the Judges passage, the Angel didn’t stop there; He answered the question and said: It is beyond understanding (Judges 13:17-18). The Hebrew word for beyond understanding, pele, is one of those words in the Hebrew text that is used only of God, and never used of a man. So in this way the Angel answered the question. When the verses of Genesis and Judges are combined, we can see that this is clearly the Messiah.

Then God blessed him there (32:29b). So Ya’akov received his blessing. Without realizing it completely, this was what Jacob wanted and needed. He had acquired his father’s blessing in a less than desirable way. Now wracked with fear at Esau’s revenge, his wrestling turned to frantic determination. This time the blessing was obtained from God.⁵¹⁰

The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip (32:31). This was the source of a Jewish eating tradition four hundred years later when Moses, being a compiler of the book of Genesis, makes a comment in his day looking back on this event. Therefore, to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon (32:32). This practice was not incorporated into Jewish law, and is not considered a part of being kosher today. But evidently this was the practice during the time of Moses. So Jacob called the place Peniel, meaning the face of God (Judges 8:8 and 17; First Kings 12: 25). He did think about it and recognized that God met him in the form of a man, (which was the only way he could have survived). He said: Because I saw God face to face, my life was spared (32:30). Having come to this realization, Ya’akov had the assurance that Esau could not destroy him, and his earlier prayer for deliverance was then answered.

Before returning to the Promised Land, Ya’akov was met by God. This event was a turning point in his life, being fully submitted to YHVH. As a sign of this, Jacob received a new name that indicated the nature of his new relation to ADONAI.⁵¹¹ He finally learned that in the LORD’s way of doing things, strength comes through weakness, which prepared him to meet Esau.⁵¹²

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
32: 3-23

Jacob prepares to meet Esau DIG: How long had it been since Jacob had been in Canaan? What had transpired in the mean time? Why wasn’t Esau angry at Jacob any more? What order did Jacob present his gifts to his brother? Did Jacob’s actions display a lack of faith or wisdom? Why?

REFLECT: When you have wronged someone and want to be forgiven, how do you show you are sincerely sorry? How can Jacob’s story help you more effectively ask for forgiveness for your sins? What obstacles get in the way of reconciling a broken relationship? How can reconciling with others foster a person’s spiritual growth?

Parashah 8: vaYishlach (He sent) 32:3-36:43
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People include Jacob renamed Isra’el, Esau, messengers, sons of Hamor, Dinah, Shechem, Deborah, Rachel, Benjamin, twelve sons, and Isaac.

The Scenes include Seir, Edom, the Jabbok River, Peniel, Succoth, Shechem, Luz, later named Bethel, Ephrath, and Mamre.

The Main Events include sending tribute; wrestling all night with God, Jacob renamed Isra’el after his encounter with God, meeting Esau, Dinah raped and the town circumcised, then murdered; house purified and altar built at Bethel, eternal promises of children and land repeated; the death of Rachel on the road; Benjamin’s birth, the visit to Isaac, his death, Esau’s generations, and Esau’s move to Edom.

Twenty years had passed since Jacob was in his homeland. ADONAI took him away from Canaan and it was ADONAI who brought him back. During his twenty-year absence, Jacob matured through many hard experiences he encountered while living in Padan-Aram. God grew him up! He had to mature, because, when he returned to Canaan, he would encounter many difficult situations which called for God’s wisdom. He would not have had such wisdom if it were not for the tough lessons YHVH had taught him while living with Laban. This parashah discusses some of the situations that Jacob encountered upon his return to Canaan.

Jacob was about to have a life-changing experience with God. He had just spent twenty some years in a frustrating relationship with Laban. When the LORD told him to leave and travel back to Canaan, Jacob must have thought that his worst troubles were behind him. Not so. This parashah records one of Jacob’s most serious, personal trials – his confrontation with his brother Esau. How prepared was Jacob to handle this? What had God been doing in his life in order to prepare him for such an encounter? Naturally, he was stronger and more mature from his experiences with Laban. Yet, there still remained one boulder left in his flesh which needed to be smashed. Since God is the God who sanctifies as well as saves, we are about to read about a great moment in Jacob’s sanctification process.

Jacob learned that his brother had settled south of the Dead Sea, so he sent messengers ahead of him to Esau in the land of Seir (say-ear), the country of Edom (32:3). The rabbis teach that the messengers were angels. Seir was a mountain range, running north to south, where Esav had settled and started the nation of Edom. This was due south from Galeed.

Ya’akov instructed his servants exactly how to address Esau, saying: This is what you are to say to my master Esau, “Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now” (32:4). Jacob humbles himself  before his brother, even calling himself a servant. He knew that the LORD had said: the older will serve the younger (25:23), but Ya’akov does not insist on the fulfillment of the blessing that he had obtained from his father; he was very submissive. In addition, he wanted Esau to know that he had no desire for any of his possessions; he said: I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes (32:5). But evidently Esav had heard that Jacob was migrating back to Canaan.

Though his anger against Jacob had long since cooled, he himself did not know what Jacob’s intentions might be. For all Esau knew, Ya’akov might be coming with a large body of fighting men to claim his promised boundaries and possessions and to subjugate him. When he learned of Jacob’s approach toward Canaan, he then assembled an army of his own and marched forward to meet Ya’akov, preparing for whatever may come. Jacob’s messengers met Esav much sooner than they expected.⁵⁰²  When they returned to Jacob, they had terrifying news. We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you and four hundred men are with him (32:6). This frightens Ya’akov because four hundred men were far too many for a mere escort. He naturally jumped to the conclusion that Esau still intended to kill him.

In great fear and distress, Jacob devises a survival plan and divided the people who were with him into two groups, the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought: If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape (32:7-8). But along with human wisdom, Jacob also prayed. This showed where his confidence lay.

In his prayer, he acknowledged Elohim, the God of power and justice who had protected Abraham, Isaac and himself, and ADONAI, the LORD who had kept His covenant promises, the merciful redeemer. He prayed:O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, “Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper” (32:9). If Esau were to kill him or his family, this promise could never be fulfilled. So Jacob’s prayer is based upon God’s promises to him (28:13-15), and not on his own merit. This is true of any believer who has received blessing from the LORD.

The goal of prayer is to get our will in line with ADONAI’s will, and to that end Ya’akov continued to pray. He poured out his heart and said: I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only a staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said: I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted (32:10-12). He spent the night there. All this should have given Jacob great confidence, but he was controlled by fear at this point.⁵⁰³ As he lay down to go to sleep, he thought of his vast holdings and decided to send a gift to his brother Esau, showing his good will (32:13).

The next day he selected thirty female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys (32:14-15). This selection process took the whole next day. He selected a total of 580 animals, which shows how much God had blessed him because he gave only a portion of what he had. The giving of presents is far more common in the East, and has more significance, then with us. Hardly any transaction of importance can take place without a gift.⁵⁰⁴

The gifts Jacob sent ahead of him were not a bribe, but rather an expression of conciliation. He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself and said to his servants: Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds (32:16). There were five groups of animals. There was a group of 220 goats, a group of 220 rams and ewes, 60 camels, 50 cattle, and 30 donkeys, with spacing between each group. The goal was for Esau to receive five gifts, one at a time.

He instructed the one in the first group: When my brother Esau meets you and asks, “To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?” then you are to say: They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us. He also instructed the second, the third, and the fourth and fifth groups who followed the first: You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him (32:17-19).

Then he added, “Be sure to say: Your servant Ya’akov is coming behind us.” For he thought to himself, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; and later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me” (32:20). The word pacify here, is the Hebrew word kaphar. It is the same Hebrew root as the word atonement. What that means is that Jacob was seeking Esau’s forgiveness.

After sending off his gifts, Ya’akov remained behind with his family and the rest of the servants to spend the night at his camp near the Jabbok River. At first they were north of the river as Esau approached from the south. But apparently unable to sleep, Jacob rose and embarked on a dangerous night-crossing. He decided to move the animals, his family and all his possessions across the river to the south. That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions (32:22-23). The Jabbok was fordable, and he wanted to get the remaining animals across the stream before encountering Esau the eventful next day.

On April 16, 2007 Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded many more before committing suicide at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia. It was the deadliest shooting in modern American history, and I am sure that when the shooting started that day, there were plenty of prayers being sent up to God as students were cornered and executed. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t some planning going on, planning how to slip out a back door, planning where to hide, or planning to jump out a window (which several students did to save their lives). Many of those killed were believers and God had a plan for their lives. Did their planning to escape from that assassin show a lack of trust in God? Would standing at their desks and singing “Amazing Grace” have been more spiritual? Sometimes, in the face of death, the natural instinct for survival takes over and people try to survive. Their planning should not be taken as lack of faith, and neither should Jacob’s.

So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, and he had returned to the northern bank of the Jabbok River to spend a second night there alone in the camp (32:21). Having done everything he could humanly do, he decided to spend the rest of the night in prayer. While waiting seven years to get Rachel, it seemed like only a few days to Ya’akov (29:20), but while waiting only a few days to meet Esav, it seemed like seven years. He still felt vulnerable from an attack by Esau, but that was exactly where God wanted him, having no one else to turn to. Now the real struggle would begin.

Jacob Went On His Way,
and the Angels of God Met Him
32: 1-2

Jacob went on his way, and the angles of God met him DIG: Who saw the angels of God? What significance did they have to Jacob? Where did Jacob encounter ADONAI the first time? For Jacob, what was the meaning of naming different places God’s House, God’s Camp and God’s Face?

REFLECT: When have you felt threatened like Jacob did? If you are a believer, what reason do you have not to be afraid? Unrestrained fear can make God’s children do unhealthy things. How can believers overcome fear with faith? Know pride hurts and humility helps in building good relationships, what steps of preparation should a person take before seeking reconciliation? 

The parashah concludes the same way it stated. When Jacob left Canaan to go to Haran he received a dream involving angels (to see link click Hd – Jacob Saw a Stairway with the Angels of God Ascending and Descending). Now, when Jacob was leaving Laban, once again he was not alone because the angels of God met him (32:1). It seems as though there was a changing of the guard pictured here. The angels who protected Jacob while he lived in the Promised Land were exchanged for angles who had protected him while he was outside Canaan. Humanly speaking, Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov) was very vulnerable. He had a small band of servants, his wives and his children. Joseph, the youngest, was six years old when Jacob returned to the Promised Land. If God had not intervened, Laban could have easily destroyed him; and there was every reason to believe that Esau had the same idea in mind.

But when Ya’akov saw the angels he knew he was under divine escort. What a great way to be welcomed home! It was if ADONAI Himself, through His heavenly hosts, was saying to Jacob and his new family, “This is where all of you belong. This is where you should pitch your tent.” Previously, when he saw the angels he had named the place Bethel. But now, when Jacob saw them, he said: This is the camp of God! So he named that place Mahanaim, which literally means two camps (32:2). This was Jacob’s way of saying he was not only guarded by his small band of servants, but more importantly, he was guarded by God’s powerful angels. There was Jacob’s camp, and God’s camp with the angels.

In the Song of Songs 6:13, Solomon says: Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you! They young man said, “Why do you gaze at the Shulammite as on the the dance of Mahamaim (or dance between to two companies)? The Hebrew word machanayim means a dual encampment of troops, or soldiers. In the Song of Solomon, young man gazes at the Shulammite – a picture of the Bride. In her they see and prophesy of the awesome glory of two armies of God united for one purpose. The Dance of Mahamaim is the coming together of the armies of God in Heaven and the armies of God on earth, moving in unison, with one purpose, to establish the Kingdom of God on earth by ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot, the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies.

Scripture seems to imply that it was only Ya’akov, not his company, who saw the angels. Because of his faith and obedience to God’s call to return to the Land, He opened his eyes, just as he did on another occasion when Elisha and his servant seemed all alone against overwhelming odds (Second Kings 6:16). Although invisible under normal circumstances, the angels of God are real nonetheless. It was important that Jacob could see them at that time. ADONAI had protected him in Haran and He would protect him in Canaan. When Ya’akov first encountered ADONAI, God at Bethel, he called the place God’s House (20:10), and here, on this second great occasion, he is conscious of God’s Camp. But there is a deeper experience to pass through before he can raise his third and crowning memorial to God’s Face when he will wrestle with Him at Peniel (32:30).⁵⁰¹

The angels of God have comforted many a believer without seeing them. And He has said to Jacob and He has said to us: I will never leave you or forsake you; we can say with confidence, “ADONAI is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me (Hebrews 13:5b-6).

Haftarah vaYetze: Hoshea (Hosea) 12:12-14:9 (A); 11:7-12:12 (S)
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

ADONAI’s judgment mingled with love and mercy is summarized in Hosea concluding this Haftarah. Ephraim had rebelled against the LORD (Hosea 13:16) and would die. The people wanted kings; in His anger, God gave and took them away (Hosea 13:11). The northern Kingdom’s first king, Jeroboam, set up two golden calves, one at Bethel (of all places) and another at Dan to keep the people from traveling south to God’s holy Temple in Jerusalem. The northern Kingdom would eventually have nineteen kings, but not one of them served ADONAI (Second Kings 17:21-23). However, Ephraim was held accountable when they were conquered by the Assyrians. It is interesting to note that the idolater Terah, the nineteenth generation son of Adam, dies cut off from his son Abraham, the patriarch of nation (Genesis 11:32). Even so, ADONAI promises to restore Isra’el (Hosea 14:1, 5-9).

B’rit Chadashah suggested reading for Parashah vaYetze: Yochanan (John) 1:43-51

Yeshua met an Israelite in whom there is no deceit (John1:47), referring to Jacob’s experience at Bethel (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bp – John’s Disciples Follow Jesus). There, Messiah tells Nathanael that he will receive revelation even greater than Jacob’s. Then Yeshua reveals Himself as the ladder, the contact point between heaven and earth! Yeshua says the angels ascend and descend on the Son of Man (John 1:51). The Midrash interprets Genesis 28:13, “ADONAI nitsav alav (ADONAI was standing upon him/it),” to mean on Jacob, not on the ladder (Mid. R. 69:3). Nathanael agrees with Yeshua’s interpretation, and thus, becomes His disciple. Jacob watched, as the heavens were opened. Now Yeshua, the Son of Man, in heaven and on the earth (John 3:13), descends to give  eternal life to the world (John 6:27). When His work on earth was accomplished, He ascended to glory (John 6:62) and took His seat at the right hand of the Mighty One (Matthew 26:64).

Jacob Meets Esau
32:1 to 33:17

Jacob’s two greatest adversaries were Esau and Laban. As he entered the Promised Land, he was leaving one and meeting the other. Jacob’s mother Rebekah had told him that she would send for him as soon as Esau had cooled off (27:44). Knowing what a hothead Esau was, she assumed his anger would quickly pass away and Ya’akov could soon return. But Jacob had not heard from her during his long twenty years in Haran. Therefore, either his mother was ill or dead and unable to call him back home, or Esau still wanted to kill him. In addition, Jacob did not know about the state of his father’s health, although he had heard he might still be alive in the land of Canaan (31:18). So he knew he was facing a very uncertain, and possibly dangerous, reception when he returned.⁵⁰⁰

So Jacob Took a Stone and Set It Up as a Pillar,
and He Called It Galeed
31: 43-55

So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar, and he called it Galeed DIG: How was Laban’s greeting to Jacob on his arrival different from his farewell when Jacob left? What changed his attitude?

REFLECT: When someone tries to make himself or herself look good at your expense, how do you react? What does the Bible have to say about syncretism (see John 14:6)? Do you fear the Lord? Should you fear Him (see Proverbs 9:10)?

When Laban finally spoke, he didn’t even try to defend himself. He just changed the subject. Laban answered: The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet, what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne (31:43)? Laban’s implication was this: How could Jacob think that he would do anything to hurt his daughters or his grandchildren? More than that, everything that Ya’akov had had come from Laban. So why wasn’t Jacob grateful to him for giving him the opportunity to acquire them?

Although he knew he was in the wrong, a self-seeking hypocrite like Laban could not bring himself to admit it in front of his entire family. He was an expert at shifting the blame away from himself, so he proposed a formal covenant, or treaty, between himself and Jacob. Laban said: Come now, let’s make a treaty, you and I and let it serve as a witness between us. Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov) already made one pact with Laban about his wages for service, which he didn’t honor. Why should Jacob think Laban had changed? Ya’akov does not answer, but only responds with action.⁴⁹⁶ He knew that both men should remember such a treaty. So Ya’akov took a large stone and set it up as a pillar, or matzeivah. Then he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, or gal, supporting the pillar, and they ate there by the heap (31:44-46). But what should they name this place, so they could remember it?

Naming it in his own Aramaic language, Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, which means a heap of witness. Then Jacob translated the same phrase into Hebrew, and called it Galeed. Laban said: This heap is a witness between you and me today. That is why it was called Galeed. Even though Laban had already named this place the heap of witness, he added to it the Hebrew name Mizpah, meaning watchtower. He said: May ADONAI keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other (31:47-49). Laban did not intend this as a blessing; it was a warning for two men who could not trust each other. Laban did not want Jacob crossing back over to Haran with the household gods to claim his property.

Still trying to justify his pursuit of Ya’akov, Laban took the initiative of proposing the terms of the treaty after the pillar and stones had been erected. If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me. Laban even tried to take credit for setting up the heap of witness by saying: Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set between you and me. This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this pillar to my side to harm me (31:50-52). Therefore, to cross the pillar would break the treaty and render the household gods useless. In describing the terms of the treaty, Laban used projection, projecting his real thoughts and feelings about himself onto Jacob, projecting his own untrustworthiness onto Ya’akov. The undependable Laban was trying to imply that Jacob was a slippery character who needed to be watched and bound by a whole series of terms and conditions.⁴⁹⁷

According to Laban, this pillar or memorial was to serve as a witness and the gods were to umpire between Ya’akov and himself. Believing in syncretism, or the belief that all paths lead to God, Laban placed his own favorite household god, or the god of Nahor, the god of their father Terah, who had worshiped other gods (Joshua 24:2), and the God of Abraham on the same level.⁴⁹⁸  Rather than trying to clear up Laban’s theological confusion or start an argument, Ya’akov simply made his oath in the name of the God who had been the God his father Isaac (31:53).

Most of the day was gone by that time and both men retreated to their respective camps in the hill country of Gilead for one last night before departing the next morning. Jacob was so thankful and relieved for ADONAI’s final deliverance from Laban that he offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there. Early the next morning Laban came back from his own camp and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. He knew that at the very least they must have come to resent him by now, and he was probably feeling a little remorse. However, he could not humble himself to apologize to Ya’akov or give him any words of blessing, so he left and returned home (31:54-55). Like Lot after leaving his two daughters (19:34-38), no further mention is made of Laban again in Scripture. It is probably merciful of ADONAI not to say any more about him.⁴⁹⁹

Laban Pursues Jacob
31: 22-42

Laban pursues Jacob DIG: What was Laban’s fear regarding the household gods? Why did Laban sing a different tune once he confronted Jacob? Why does Ya’akov react the way he does? How did Jacob inadvertently put Rachel’s life in danger?

REFLECT: Are you blameless in all your business dealings? How do you react when you have been accused unjustly?

Laban was busy shearing sheep and the festivities that went along with that annual event. For shepherds, it was the busiest time of the year. On the third day after he had left, Laban was told that Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov) had fled (31:22). This three day separation was Laban’s own choosing, and I am sure he realized this when he heard that Jacob had fled. That made Laban and his sons furious, but they could not just drop everything and leave because that might cost him more money. So by the time they were ready to leave, probably another couple days had passed.

Taking his sons with him, Laban pushed hard for seven days. No doubt he brought with him a considerable force. Covering over forty miles a day, they intended to bring back the fugitives by force if necessary. They were angry, determined, and they were not going to let Jacob take their flocks to Canaan. If he resisted, his blood would be on his own hands. They finally caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead (31:23). Jacob had also pitched his tent there when Laban overtook him. Knowing that Jacob and his wives and children couldn’t escape, and being very tired, Laban and his sons camped there, too (31:25). If there was going to be a confrontation the next day, they needed their rest.

But Laban had to deal with someone who was more powerful than Jacob. That night, God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream! Twenty years earlier at Bethel, ADONAI, God promised Jacob that He would be with him, that He would watch over him and bring him back to the Promised Land of Canaan (28:15). Laban got the unmistakable message that he was not to harm Ya’akov in any way, or prevent him from continuing on his journey. Although he didn’t have a personal relationship with ADONAI, Laban knew enough about Him to do what He said. And God told him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad” in other words, be careful what you say and do (31:24). Earlier God also came to Abimelech in a dream one night and warned him that he was as good as dead if he touched Sarah (20:3). That is probably the same message that Laban got here. Do not touch the LORD’s anointed (see the commentary on the Life of David, to see link click Bj – David Spares Sha’ul’s Life).

Early the next morning, Laban and his relatives overwhelmed the camp of Ya’akov and his family. As they rode into camp, you could cut the tension with a knife. Laban was frustrated and angry because he wanted to harm Jacob, and Laban’s sons were desperate for Jacob’s flocks. But Ya’akov was confident that God would fulfill His promises to him.

When Laban finally met Jacob face to face he launched into a hypocritical tirade and said to him: What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like prisoners of war. Why did you run off secretly and hide from me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters’ goodbye. You have done a foolish thing (31:26-28). Everybody there knew he was lying. Laban didn’t care about his daughters before, and he certainly didn’t care about them now. The real reason he came after Jacob was to harm him and get his flocks and herds back.

Laban tells Ya’akov that he had the power to harm him, and doubtless would have, but for the warning from God the previous night. But last night the God of your father said to me: Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad. Unable to harm him, Laban self-righteously charges Jacob with the theft of his household gods. Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods (31:29-30)? Laban believes that Ya’akov will come back some day to claim his property by producing these household gods, but Jacob has no knowledge of them.

Before answering Laban’s charge of the theft of the household gods Jacob, wanted to tell Laban and everyone else exactly why he had left so suddenly and secretly. Laban had asked the question and, even though Jacob knew that Laban knew the real answer already, all the others did not. So he confessed: I was afraid to tell you I was leaving, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force (31:31). If that were the case, Jacob would certainly have fought and blood would have been shed. In his mind, that was a real possibility. So it was far better for him to take his family and possessions and slip away quietly.

As far as the household gods were concerned, Jacob had no idea what Laban was talking about. In fact, the very thought made him angry. But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. The Code of Hammurabi said that stealing household gods was punishable by death. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it. Now Ya’akov did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods and hid them inside her camel’s saddle. So Laban started searching; he went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, there was one last tent to search, and he entered Rachel’s tent (31:32-33).

Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Because of Jacob’s vow, her life was then in danger. There was no reason to believe that Laban would execute his own daughter, but he was becoming more and more unstable. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing (31:34). The only place left to search was the camel’s saddle upon which Rachel was sitting.

There can be no doubt that she was afraid for herself and her husband. At this point if she confessed, there was no telling what her father might do. No, her best strategy was to do exactly what she did. But the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” This was the local custom. She said she was in pain and discomfort and could not rise. Therefore, in the last analysis, Laban was deceived by local custom, just as he had deceived Jacob by local custom (29:26). God allowed her plan to succeed because Jacob was innocent of all wrongdoing. If found, Laban would have accused Ya’akov of stealing and lying even though he knew Jacob was innocent. So he searched but could not find the household gods (31:35). Jacob got a lot more confident at that point.

Ya’akov, who had suffered for so many years at the hands of Laban, was angry and finally blew his top. He defended himself by asking: What is my crime? What sin have I committed that you hunt me down? Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us (31:36-37). Of course Laban produces nothing because he had no evidence. He could only stand there in embarrassed silence.

Once having begun his impassioned protest, Jacob could hardly restrain himself. He had waited so long to express his resentment at Laban’s treatment, and now he had to get it completely off his chest.⁴⁹⁵  He continued: I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, which frequently happened to careless shepherds, neither have I eaten rams from your flocks, which was a common sin among shepherds at that time, but because Jacob was an honest man, he never did it (31:38).

I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts. The common practice was that if a wild beast killed a shepherd’s animal, he could bring the carcass of the animal to the owner to show that he was not at fault, and the owner would bear the loss. But Jacob never did that; instead, he bore the loss himself from his own flocks. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night (31:39).

This was what I had to endure: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes (31:40). This was no mama’s boy. Earlier, when Jacob was described as staying among the tents (25:27), this meant that he had gone into the family business of being a shepherd, unlike his brother Esau. What is being described here are the difficulties of the life of a shepherd.

According to the Code of Hammurabi, any charge of negligence could be challenged in court. Shepherds gave a receipt of animals they took to the owner, and they were supposed to return the animals with a reasonable increase. They were allowed to use some for food. However, they were not responsible for those animals killed by wild beasts or lightning. But any loss due to carelessness had to be repaid ten times over. This shows that Ya’akov didn’t even demand his rights that he could have claimed under the legal system at that time. He was an honest man who was beyond rebuke.

It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and despite all of this, you changed my wages ten times (31:41). At every turn, Laban proved himself to be untrustworthy.

Ya’akov appealed to God just as Laban had done earlier (31:29). Speaking to Laban he said: If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, had not been with me, and had the fear of the God of Isaac not been with you, you would surely have sent me away the way I came to you, empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you (31:42). Therefore, in the eyes of God, who was the Israelite in whom there was much guile (John 1:47 KJ)? In God’s estimation, it was Laban! Although Jacob was beyond rebuke, God had rebuked Laban the night before.

Jacob Flees from Laban
31: 1-21

Jacob flees from Laban DIG: Why were Laban and his sons becoming increasingly distressed? How had Laban cheated Jacob? What did ADONAI do about it? How did Ya’akov know when to leave Laban and where to go? What did Leah and Rachel think of Jacob’s plan to return to Canaan? Why did Rachel take her father’s household gods? How did God’s past faithfulness influence the decision made by Rachel and Leah?

REFLECT: How do you know when it’s time to leave a relationship? When was the last time the Lord reminded you of a vow or a promise that you made to Him? What things of the world, like Rachel’s household gods, are you holding onto? Observe how God remembered Jacob’s commitment (31:13). What lessons about commitment can believers learn from this? How has God demonstrated His faithfulness in your life?

Jacob’s prosperity could not go unnoticed for long. He had heard what Laban’s sons were saying: Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov) has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father. This was simply not true, in fact, quite the opposite; Jacob had added to their father’s wealth. And Ya’akov noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been (31:1-2). He knew he couldn’t live much longer in Haran, but he had made an agreement to keep Laban’s flocks and he hesitated to be the first to break it. He no doubt suspected that his uncle did not intend to honor it and would probably take his flocks from him by force, but the deceitful Laban had not yet made any overt move to do this, and he could not discern the intent of Laban’s heart. However, God could.⁴⁸⁸

Then ADONAI spoke to Ya’akov a second time. The first time was at Bethel twenty years previously. At that time God commanded: Go back to the Land of your fathers and to your relatives. Now as far as his distant family history went, Jacob was in the land of his fathers, the land of Haran. But here, it does not refer to the land of Haran. At this time, the land of his fathers was the land of Canaan, the Land of his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. And once again the LORD makes the promise: I will be with you (31:3). It was time for Ya’akov to return to Bethel.

In obedience, Jacob prepared to depart. But beforehand, he thought he needed to first explain everything to Rachel and Leah. If they did not understand the situation, they might be reluctant to leave their home. He had said little about his problems with their father, but now they need to see the whole picture. So Ya’akov sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. Jacob didn’t want anyone to hear what he was going to say. He said to them: I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before. This is because in his self-deception, Laban believed that Jacob had taken his wealth away. He had been convinced of this by his sons. But Jacob replied: The God of my father has been with me. And this very point was about to be explained to his wives. He explains his own faithfulness. You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength. This was something his wives had seen with their own eyes. Ya’akov had fully kept his part of the agreement despite their father’s deception. Yet, your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me financially (31:4-7). Then he gave his wives an example.

If he said, “The speckled ones will be your wages,” then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young, but then when Laban saw that more speckled kids were being borne, he changed the agreement and said, “The streaked ones will be your wages,” then all the flocks bore streaked young. First of all, that was not the original agreement. The original agreement was that Ya’akov was supposed to get every speckled or spotted kid born. But for each change Laban proposed, Elohim protected and prospered Jacob. During this time, Jacob upheld his end of the agreement and was blameless. In the final analysis, Jacob took none of the credit. He concluded: So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me (31:8-9). Jacob then explained to his wives that God had shown all this to him in a dream.

In the breeding season, when Ya’akov would normally use the peeled and striped branches (30:37-39), he once had a dream in which he looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted (31:10). The actual goats that were mating were dark brown or black, but God could look into their gene structure (though Jacob could not) and make sure a huge number of streaked, speckled or spotted goats were being produced. So God showed Ya’akov that He, not the peeled branches, was responsible for the increase in his flocks.

The Angel of God was the same One who heard Ishmael crying in the desert (21:17). He is the second Person of the Trinity, the preincarnate Messiah. He said to me in the dream. “Jacob,” and I answered, “Here I am.” And He said: Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you (31:11-12). Once again, Ya’akov is blameless, and Laban’s actions put him under the cursing aspect of God’s covenant with Abraham: Whoever curses you I will curse (12:3b). Previously Laban was under the blessing aspect, and he was blessed materially. But now because of his changed attitude, he was under the curse of God. Laban cursed, or tried to financially harm Jacob by trying to decrease his flocks, so now, because of the curse, his own flocks were being decreased.

Ya’akov continued to tell Rachel and Leah of his call to return to Canaan. First ADONAI said to him, “I AM the God of Bethel.” Twenty years earlier, Jacob had made a vow to God at Bethel. Jacob had said, since God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s house, then ADONAI will be my God (28:20-21). Then God reminded him that it was time to fulfill that vow and leave that far away land at once and go back to His native land, and back to Bethel (31:13).

Then Rachel and Leah answered Jacob and they raised a rhetorical question: Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? The answer was no. Now that Laban had sons, the daughters would inherit nothing. Furthermore, Laban had not only cheated Jacob, he had cheated his own daughters. Again they raised a rhetorical question: Does he not regard us as foreigners? This time the answer was yes. Not only has he sold us for fourteen years of labor, but he has also used up what he was paid for us (31:14-15). The custom of their time was that the bride price paid by the husband or his family was supposed to be held in trust in the event it was needed to provide for the wife if she were abandoned or widowed.⁴⁸⁹ But Ya’akov did not pay a bride price to Laban, he gave him seven years of service for each wife. However, no part of the fruits of Jacob’s service was set aside for his daughters as it should have been. Laban had built up his own holdings. He would use local custom only if it benefited him. Earlier he had said: It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one (29:26), but here, he would also go against local custom if it served his financial purposes.

Jacob’s wives continued to say: Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children (31:16a). They rightly felt that since their husband had been responsible for the great prosperity of their father, and since this was in effect what Jacob had given in order to marry them, these possessions by all rights should have come to them. So they both said: Do whatever Elohim has told you (31:16b). In other words, they were ready to go.⁴⁹⁰

Therefore, if Ya’akov thought he had to convince his wives, he was wrong. They already believed in him and were prepared to support his leaving, not necessarily because of what their father had done to Jacob (although that was bad enough), but because of what he had done to them.⁴⁹¹ Unfortunately, their father was no longer concerned about their future; whatever inheritance they might once have had would now go to their brothers. They had watched closely, though silently, the actions of their father and brothers in contrast with those of Jacob, and they could well understand why God had blessed him. They both loved him, and they realized it was to their advantage, as well as their children, for them to leave their father’s home and go with Jacob to his own Land.⁴⁹²

Then Ya’akov lost no time getting ready to leave. Like his mother, Jacob could think fast on his feet. He had been thinking and praying about this for some time. Once he decided to go, he acted decisively and put his eleven children (Benjamin would be born later) and his four wives on camels. He drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated by trade in Paddan Aram. In contrast to when he came to Haran empty handed, when he left it must have been quite a large caravan. He left to go to his father Isaac, whom he had heard might still be alive, in the land of Canaan (31:17-18). The time had come for him to take over the patriarchal responsibility associated with God’s promises. He possessed both the birthright and the blessing. They both entailed great privileges and responsibilities. It was now time to fulfill them.⁴⁹³

Jacob had sensed that there was nothing Laban wouldn’t do if he tried to leave with his flocks, and Ya’akov was responsible for the welfare of his wives and children. Therefore, when Laban was three days journey away shearing his sheep, Jacob used wisdom and left Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. So he fled with all he had, and crossing the Euphrates River he headed to Mount Gilead far to the southwest (31:20-21). This phrase: crossing the River (NIV) or on the other side of the River (NKJ) is significant in Joshua 24:2-3, 14-15. The word in Hebrew was first used of Abraham and means those who have passed over (14:13). Mount Gilead is in a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, and was the last place they would pass through before entering the land of Canaan. Once they started on their way, it would probably have taken them ten days or so to reach their destination.

But, when Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods (31:19). Although Rachel trusted God, she was also reluctant to completely give up her previous superstitions. These little household gods, or teraphim, were associated with the inheritance and property rights of the owner. So Rachel probably took them thinking that they would validate the legitimacy of her husband’s title to the flocks he had acquired while serving Laban and represented the inheritance she had a right to expect.⁴⁹⁴ When Laban found out that Jacob had left unannounced, he was undoubtedly furious. But the loss of his household gods gave him a good excuse to chase down what he considered to be his stolen property. But he was going after much more than his household gods. He was going after what he considered to be his flocks and herds.

Jacob’s Flight from Haran
31: 1-55

Jacob’s relationship with Laban had deteriorated because Laban and his sons became jealous of Jacob’s prosperity. When Laban’s hostility grew, ADONAI told Ya’akov it was time to return to Canaan, and to Bethel.⁴⁸⁷

Jacob’s Flocks Increase
30: 37-43

Jacob’s flocks increase DIG: How were Jacob’s white strips like Rachel’s mandrakes? How did ADONAI help Jacob prosper in spite of Laban’s cheating?

REFLECT: Are there any superstitions that you substitute for the Lord’s blessing in your life? How has Christ blessed you exceedingly? Do you acknowledge Yeshua’s hand in your prospering? Or do you take credit?

In thwarting Laban’s deceitful plan, Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white strips on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches (30:37). There is a play on words here. Laban’s name means white, or laban. As Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov) peeled back the bark on the branches of the trees, and exposed the white, or laban, he saw his flocks grow. In other words, Ya’akov used the white or laban branches to defeat whitey.⁴⁸⁴

Then Jacob placed the peeled, striped branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came in to drink (30:38). This accepted, but unfounded superstition believed that when something distinctive, like peeled branches, was viewed during conception, it would leave its mark on the embryo.⁴⁸⁵

Laban’s dark brown or black goats mated in front of the branches. And, surprise, surprise, they bore young kids that were streaked or speckled or spotted, so those were Jacob’s according to the agreement (30:39). Laban’s white sheep would do the same thing. They mated in front of the branches, and they too bore young lambs that were dark brown or black. Once again, these would then be Jacob’s.

Ya’akov was over ninety years old at this time and he had a great deal of experience in raising sheep and goats. He knew that strong parents breed strong lambs and kids. So when the animals did conceive, Jacob would then set apart the young of his flock by themselves. He made the rest face the white sheep and dark-colored goats that belonged to Laban three days journey away. Although they could not see them, this might have symbolized Jacob’s confidence that Laban’s dominant colored flock would eventually produce a new recessive colored flock for himself.⁴⁸⁶ Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals (30:40). In this way they would interbreed and produce more recessive colored animals. As a result, he had the beginnings of a flock of his own.

Following the superstition of the day, whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches. But if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Ya’akov (30:41-42). So what was once true of Laban’s flock, now becomes true of Jacob’s flock. A greater and greater proportion of Jacob’s flock were strong animals, and an increasing proportion of Laban’s flock became weak animals.

In spite of believing this superstition, ADONAI blessed Jacob and he grew exceedingly, or very, very prosperous. There was an explosion of prosperity and he came to own large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys (30:43). Here Jacob’s white strips function much like Rachel’s mandrakes. It was not the mandrakes that made her fertile, and it is not the white strips that produced recessive colored animals. The LORD opened Rachel’s womb, and Ya’akov eventually acknowledges in 31:10-12, that it was God, not superstition, that brought an increase to his flock.

Jacob’s Agreement with Laban
30: 25-36

Jacob’s agreement with Laban DIG: Why do you think ADONAI allowed Jacob to be cheated and mistreated by his uncle so many times? How did he make it through this tough time?

REFLECT: When did you do the right thing, only to be cheated? How did you feel? How did you react? When facing a demanding time in your life, what sustains you?

After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, the second seven years of service for Rachel had now been paid. Jacob (Hebrew: Ya’akov) still has no income because his efforts had been making Laban rich. So Jacob requested of his uncle: Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland of Canaan. Give me my wives and children, for whom I served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you (30:25-26). Jacob had paid his debt in full.

But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that ADONAI has blessed me because of you” (30:27). The Hebrew word for divination is nichashti, and it has the same root as the word serpent (3:1). It literally means to learn through a serpent. Laban was a pagan idolater who dabbled in the occult. Therefore, through occult practices, Laban recognized that Jacob’s God (whoever He might be), was blessing Laban because of his relationship with Ya’akov. What Laban had been experiencing the past fourteen years was the blessing aspect of the LORD’s covenant with Abraham: I will bless those who bless you (12:3a). So naturally, Laban does not want to lose Jacob, because he realizes he will lose God’s blessing. Therefore, Laban offers to pay to keep him. He said to him, “Name your wages, and I will pay them” (30:28).

Ya’akov took this opportunity to give his own testimony: You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and ADONAI has blessed you wherever I have been. But now it was reasonable that Jacob should be given an opportunity to provide for his own family. So he asks: When may I do something for my own household (30:29-30)?

Laban said:What shall I give you? Ya’akov responded: Don’t give me anything. But if you will do this one thing I request, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them (30:31). Jacob was learning to rely on God, and his plan put him in a position to do so.

Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages (30:32). In the East, the dominant colored sheep were pure white and dominant colored goats were either pure dark brown or black. These were the dominant colors and by far the most plentiful. However, sheep that were dark-colored (either dark brown or black) or even speckled or spotted, and goats that were spotted or speckled were recessive colors and were scarce, probably no more than ten to twenty percent of the total flock. Jacob was willing to begin with the very minimum and, in doing so, was seemingly putting himself at a great disadvantage.

And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Laban could tell if Ya’akov was being honest by merely looking over the flock. When Laban came to check on what Jacob had taken as his wages, any goat in Jacob’s possession that was not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that was not dark-colored, would be easily observed. So Jacob’s proposal was to keep for himself all the recessive color animals and breed those. He would keep all the lambs and goats born from that time on with recessive colors, and give back to Laban all those lambs and goats born with dominant colors. At first, this plan seemed too good to be true for uncle Laban and he eagerly agreed to it. Let it be as you have said (30:33-34). However, not surprisingly, Laban changed his mind as quickly as he had agreed.

Although Ya’akov had given Laban no reason whatever to mistrust him, it is hard for men who are themselves dishonest to trust anyone else. The deal was so unbelievably good from Laban’s point of view that he felt there must be some catch to it.⁴⁸³ So after having second thoughts he deceives Ya’akov a second time. Laban reasoned that the recessive color animals would be more likely to produce the kind of animals that Jacob needed to build his own flock, so he isolated them and left Jacob with only the dominant color animals, that would usually only produce their own kind. Laban removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs that same day. Not only that, he placed them in the care of his sons so Ya’akov wouldn’t have access to them (30:35).

But Laban wasn’t through scheming; next he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob. This prevented any chance of crossbreeding and removed the recessive color animals from the breeding pool. So although Jacob entered into an agreement that would provide him with wages, Laban had stacked the genetic odds against him (30:36a). Dominant color animals would produce few, if any, recessive colored offspring, thus, seemingly limiting Jacob from ever being able to build up his own flocks and go back to his homeland. Again this shows the character of the man with whom Jacob had to deal. But being an upright man (25:27), Jacob continued to fulfill his part of the bargain and tend the rest of Laban’s flocks (30:36b).

God Remembered Rachel and Opened Her Womb
and She Gave Birth to a Son
30: 22-24

God remembered Rachael and opened her womb and she gave birth to a son DIG: In what sense had God remembered Rachel? What significance did Joseph’s name have for Rachel? What was the irony of childbirth for Rachel? How was Joseph’s birth a turning point in the life of Jacob?

REFLECT: What has God added to your life lately? Are you grateful or resentful?

God remembered Noah (8:1) and then He also remembered Rachel (30:22a). Not that He had forgotten her, but He remembered her in the sense of moving toward her in grace. He listened to her prayers and opened her womb (30:22b). This will be the eleventh son of Jacob; four with Leah (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah), two with Leah’s maidservant Zilpah (Gad and Asher), two more with Leah (Issachar and Zebulun), two with Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah (Dan and Naphtali), and now Joseph. Simply prodigious.

She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. There is no mention of mandrakes on her lips; she knew that ADONAI was at work in her life. She said: God has taken away the disgrace of my barrenness (30:23). The Hebrew word for has taken away is asaf, and means a removal of disgrace, in the past tense. Once proud of her beauty and figure, she has been sufficiently humbled. Probably at his circumcision, she named him Joseph, which means addition or he shall add, in the future tense. The name combines two thoughts, first the idea of asaph, to take away, and secondly, yosef, which means to add. By naming him this, she was saying that in the past God had taken away her disgrace. And by faith, she was praying that ADONAI would add to her another son in the future because Joseph means he shall add (30:24). Indeed, her hope was fulfilled, probably about fifteen years later, when she gave birth to Benjamin. At one time she felt that if she couldn’t have children, she would die (30:1), but the reality was that in having children, she would die in childbirth (35:16-18). This was Jacob’s twelfth, and last, child.

All the mothers of the nation of Isra’el were not able to conceive and have children naturally. All were barren. Sarah, Rebecca, Rachal, and Hannah all had to have a miracle to give birth to their children. But why? ADONAI wanted to be clearly seen in the births of the major historical heroes in the path to our salvation. Of course, the most out of the ordinary was the birth of Yeshua our Messiah that is not a birth given by a barren woman, but a birth given by a woman who knew no man!

Ya’akov was ninety-three when Joseph was born, and his birth seems to be a turning point in his life. It prompted a desire for Jacob to return to his own country.