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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Genesis 31:38

This twenty years Jacob's indignant protest proclaims (1) his length of service, (2) his perfect honesty, (3) his uncomplaining endurance of hardship, in spite of capricious changes in his wage. And now that he has left Haran, it was only because of God's mercy, and not through Laban's kindness, that he did not go empty-handed.

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See also Genesis 31:38 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Jacob’s Flight from Haran 19. תרפים _t__e__rāpı̂ym_, Teraphim. This word occurs fifteen times in the Old Testament. It appears three times in this chapter, and nowhere else in the Pentateuch. It is...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 31 JACOB'S SERVITUDE ENDED AND FLIGHT FROM LABAN _ 1. Laban's behavior and God's commandment (Genesis 31:1)_ 2. The dream vision to return to the land (Genesis 31:11) 3. Jacob's flight (Gen...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    GENESIS 31:22 TO GENESIS 32:2. AFTER MUTUAL RECRIMINATIONS, JACOB AND LABAN MAKE A COVENANT TO REFRAIN FROM AGGRESSION ON EACH OTHER'S TERRITORIES. The analysis is uncertain; Gunkel assigns Genesis 31...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    TWENTY. The No. of disappointed expectancy. See App-10....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PART FORTY-TWO THE STORY OF JACOB: HIS RETURN TO CANAAN (Genesis 31:17 to Genesis 33:20) 1. _The Covenant in Gilead: The Biblical Account_ (Genesis 31:17-55)_._ 17 Then Jacob rose up, an

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND JACOB WAS WROTH, AND CHODE WITH LABAN: AND JACOB ANSWERED AND SAID TO LABAN, WHAT IS MY TRESPASS? WHAT IS MY SIN, THAT THOU HAST SO HOTLY PURSUED AFTER ME?_ Jacob answered and said to Laban. The...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB'S RETURN FROM HARAN 4-13. Jacob attributes his prosperity to God's favour. 14-16. Rachel and Leah point out that their father had no claim on them, since Jacob had won them by his services, an...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Most of what Jacob said was right. But Jacob had cheated Laban and he did not say that. ‘You have changed my wages 10 times.’ Jacob was not right when he said that. (See the comment on verse 7.)...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 31 GOD TELLS JACOB TO RETURN V1 Laban’s sons said, ‘Jacob has taken all that belonged to our father. He has gained all his wealth from our father...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE TÔLDÔTH ISAAC (Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 35:29). THE BIRTH OF ISAAC’S SONS. Abraham begat Isaac — The _Tôldôth_ in its original form gave probably a complete genealogy of Isaac, tracing up his des...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    זֶה֩ עֶשְׂרִ֨ים שָׁנָ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ רְחֵלֶ֥יךָ...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE DISPUTE BETWEEN LABAN AND JACOB Genesis 31:22 These Chapter s afford a remarkable insight into God's forbearance. He knew what was in Jacob's heart, and could see all its weakness and deceit. The...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In the midst of Jacob's success the second divine communication came to him, commanding him to return to the land of his fathers and giving him the promise, "I will be with thee." Thus, after at least...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    LABAN PURSUES JACOB AND HIS FAMILY After three days, Laban was told of Jacob's departure. He and his men finally overtook Jacob's company on the seventh day in the mountains of Gilead. The night befo...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Is there nothing in those verses to prompt Ministers to watchfulness in their ministry; and servants to faithfulness in their service? Above all, doth not the Reader discover somewhat here to bring to...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Having already shown the position of Isaac, I resume briefly with the remark that he stands before us clearly as the representative of the Son, and this too as dead, risen, and in heaven. All will und...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _THE MID-PASSAGE OF LIFE_ ‘And Jacob served.’ Genesis 29:20 ‘This twenty years have I been with thee.’ Genesis 31:38 The twenty years of his sojourn in Mesopotamia are the least interesting portio...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 29 THROUGH 35. I have no doubt that in the two wives, as I have said, we have the Gentiles and Israel: Rachel first loved on the earth, but not possessed; but...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THIS TWENTY YEARS [HAVE] I BEEN [WITH] THEE,.... So that he now must have been ninety seven years of age: THY EWES AND THY SHE GOATS HAVE NOT CAST THEIR YOUNG: or very few of them: it was a rare case...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    This twenty years [have] I [been] with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. Ver. 38. _The rams of thy flock have I not eaten._] A li...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Iacob vpon displeasure departeth secretly. 19 Rachel stealeth her fathers images. 22 Laban pursueth after him, 26 and complaineth of the wrong. 34 Rachels policie to hide the images. 36 Iacobs...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Jacob Rebukes Laban...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten....

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    FOURTH SECTION _Jacob’s flight. Laban’s persecution. The covenant between the two on the mountain of Gilead. Departure._ GENESIS 31:4 TO GENESIS 32:2 , 4And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB'S SECRET DEPARTURE The prosperity of Jacob could not but awaken the envy of Laban's sons. Jacob had gained all of this through his caring for their father's sheep: now the majority of the sheep...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    36-42 If Jacob were willingly consumed with heat in the day, and frost by night, to become the son-in-law of Laban, what should we refuse to endure, to become the sons of God? Jacob speaks of God as...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THY SHE-GOATS HAVE NOT CAST THEIR YOUNG, which thou owest in a great measure to my care and diligence in ordering them, and principally to God's blessing given to thee for my sake, by thy own confessi...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    These Chapter s present to us the history of Jacob at least, the principal scenes in that history. The Spirit of God here sets before us the deepest instruction, first, as to God's purpose of infinite...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 31:38 twenty H6242 years H8141 ewes H7353 goats H5795 young H7921 (H8765) eaten H398 (H8804) rams...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And Jacob was extremely angry and berated Laban. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What have I done wrong? What is my sin that you hotly pursued after me? In your feeling about among all my thin...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Jacob's resolution to return. Laban's hot pursuit; their quarrel and final agreement. CHARACTERS: Laban, Jacob, Rachael, Leah. CONCLUSION: The safety of believers under trying circumstance...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 31:1. _He heard the words of Laban's sons._ Three causes are assigned for Jacob's abrupt removal: first, the bitter reproaches of Laban's sons: secondly, the consequent change in the countenan...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, .. . ?_ LABAN’S EXPOSTULATION WITH JACOB, AND JACOB’S DEFENCE I. LABAN’S EXPOSTU...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 31:19 Fearful that Laban will prevent him from leaving Paddan-aram, Jacob escapes when his father-in-law is away shearing sheep. When Laban discovers what has happened, he purs...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 31:34. The camel’s furniture.] “This was a packsaddle, in the recesses of which articles might be deposited, and on which was a seat or couch for the rider.” (_Murphy._)— GEN...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 31:22, GENESIS 31:23 AND IT WAS TOLD LABAN ON THE THIRD DAY—_i_._e_. the third after Jacob's departure, the distance between the two sheep-stations being a three days' journey (_vi...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and all that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory (Genesis 31:1). In other words, they...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    twenty. Genesis 31:41 ewes. Genesis 30:27 Genesis 30:30 Exodus 23:26...

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