JACOB FLEES AND IS PURSUED BY LABAN. V. 17. Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; v. 18. and he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac, his father, in the land of Canaan. Jacob's plans had evidently been laid and all arrangements made with great care even before he summoned his wives for the conference which decided in favor of immediate flight. The text repeatedly emphasizes the fact that all the wealth in cattle and goods which Jacob had collected and took along with him on his flight was such as he had honestly gotten. V. 19. And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. The fact that Laban, with his sons, was keeping the feast of sheep-shearing, which lasted several days, gave Jacob the opportunity which he had sought, for Laban would never have permitted him to go in peace. There is no wrong in fleeing from a tyrant and seeking a place where one may live in peace and security and tend to the works of his calling without interference. That Rachel, although a believer in the true God, stole the images, the small household gods of her father, probably because she feared that Laban might consult them as oracles, shows that she was not yet entirely free from heathen superstition. V. 20. And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban, the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. Jacob took the opportunity to remove himself and his goods without the knowledge of Laban, 2 Sam. 15, 6, neither was the fact told to the older man. V. 21. So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the Mount Gilead. He forded the Euphrates, and then turned directly southwest toward Mount Gilead, on the farther side of the Jarmuk River, southeast of the Sea of Galilee. V. 22. And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled. V. 23. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the Mount Gilead. Jacob had a start of three days, but he was hampered by his large herds, whereas Laban, with his tribesmen, could travel very rapidly. Still Jacob had made excellent time in the ten days of his journey. V. 24. And God came to Laban, the Syrian, a name used to distinguish him from the members of God's own people, in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. Literally, Laban should, in speaking to Jacob, not pass from good to bad, from a hasty greeting of his daughters and their children to reproaches and other indications of anger. The power of the enemies of God, so far as His children are concerned, is limited by God's permission.

LABAN SCOLDS JACOB.-V. 25. Then Laban

Thou

overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount; and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. So Jacob had gone into camp on the height of the mountain range of which Mount Gilead was the highest peak, and Laban, in overtaking him with his kinsmen, also pitched his tent. V. 26. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives taken with the sword? Laban believed that he would make the greatest impression upon Jacob by feigning outraged fatherly love and acted accordingly, accusing him of leading his daughters off like captives of war, against their will. V. 27. Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? In his passionate reproach Laban heaps the expressions which are intended to make Jacob appear as a low sneak, whereas he intimates that his own generosity would not have failed to provide an appropriate farewell festival, with joy and with songs, with drum, or tabret, and with zither. V. 28. And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? hast now done. foolishly in so doing. The entire behavior of Jacob is here labeled downright folly by Laban. V. 29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. The band which Laban had brought along was indeed large enough to inflict severe harm upon Jacob, and it was only the fear of God's punishment which deterred him from following his inclination. At this point the animosity of Laban evidently caused him to forget all prudence and to betray his bitterness and his real intention. V. 30. And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? Laban means to say that there is some explanation for Jacob's leaving, even if it was done in secret, but no excuse could be found for the stealing of his gods, of which he now accuses Jacob outright. V. 31. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. That was answering the first question of Laban, as to why Jacob had left Mesopotamia in the manner he did, and it did not reveal the most flattering opinion of Laban. And so far as the accusation was concerned: V. 32. With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live; before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. The statement shows the emphasis with which Jacob resented the

suspicion of thieving which was raised against him. He boldly invited Laban to institute a search in the presence of their kinsmen and declares that the person with whom the images should be found had merited death. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. V. 33. And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maid-servants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent. So sure was Laban of his ground that he made his search very thorough. There is an irony in the fact that the idolater searches for his gods and cannot find them. V. 34. Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, under the large saddle with its heavy hangings and deep basket, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. He went over everything in the tent very thoroughly, not only peering around, but even feeling with his hands. V. 35. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee, as filial respect would have demanded; for the custom of women is upon me. Whether this was actually true or not, she proved herself a worthy daughter of a cunning father, for the ruse served to keep Laban from looking under the saddle which Rachel was using as a couch. At a later period this matter was regulated by law, Lev. 15, 19 ff. Thus the Lord did not permit Jacob, who knew nothing of Rachel's trick, to be put to shame.

JACOB REBUKES LABAN. — V. 36. 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? The advantage was now entirely on Jacob's side, and he lost no time in making use of it, but called Laban to account for his attitude as well as for all his misdeeds, also in coming after him in such a high-handed way. V. 37. Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren that they may judge betwixt us both. That the search, undertaken upon suspicion which amounted to a certainty, had yielded absolutely no results made Laban appear foolish in the eyes of both parties. V. 38. 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. V. 39. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Rather than go to Laban with a detailed report concerning every loss in the flocks, Jacob voluntarily filled all gaps. V. 40. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. In the

Orient, the intense cold of the night corresponds to the burning heat of the day, just as in the Southwest of our country. V. 41. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters and six years for thy cattle; and thou hast changed my wages ten times. As one commentator says: "The strong feeling and the lofty self-consciousness which utter themselves in his speech impart to it a rhythmical movement and poetic forms." V. 42. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, that is, the God whom Isaac feared, the object of his reverence or veneration, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. The service of Jacob in the house of Laban is an example of true faithfulness, which is here throughout contrasted with the selfishness of the older man. A true believer will be diligent, faithful, conscientious, careful not to neglect or to waste aught of the goods entrusted to him, anxious to serve God and his neighbor with the work of his hands.

THE COVENANT ON MOUNT GILEAD. V. 43. And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine; and what can I do this day unto these my daughters or unto their children which they have born? Although Laban still speaks with an unwarranted boastfulness, referring to his superior power and assuming rights which he no longer possessed, yet his words also show that Jacob's rebuke has had its effect. He realizes that any attempt against the life or well-being of Jacob would hurt also his children and grandchildren. At the same time the fear arises in him that Jacob might some day return to Mesopotamia at the head of a mighty band and avenge his wrong. V. 44. Now, therefore, come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. This proposal was largely an outgrowth of selfishness, but it served the purpose. V. 45. And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar, this stone being the monument of the settlement, of the peaceful separation, to which he assented. V. 46. And Jacob said unto his brethren, his kinsmen that had come with Laban, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap; and they did eat there upon the heap, which designated the friendly communion. V. 47. And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha; but Jacob called it Galeed, both names, the first Chaldean, the other Hebrew, signifying the same: Heap of testimony, or witness. V. 48. And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of

half of his possessions. It shows that Jacob, although in an advanced state of panic, had not lost his natural cunning, overhasty and impatient though it was. The actual experience of danger often causes even firm Christians to forget their simple trust in the Lord's almighty power for a while.

JACOB'S PRAYER. — V. 9. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: v. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which Thou hast showed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands. This was the proper reaction from the abject fear and panic with which Jacob had been suffering, carrying the matter to the true God in humble prayer. His prayer had the proper form, for he reminded God of His promises, at the same time declaring his own unworthiness so far as all the mercies and all the truth of the Lord were concerned, for his entire possessions twenty years before, when he crossed the Jordan near this point, had consisted of a staff, and now there were two bands of animals and of servants whom he was taking back to his home country. V. 11. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children, literally, upon the children, since a mother will protect her children against the enemy with her body. The situation was so serious in the eyes of Jacob that he utterly despaired of all human help. V. 12. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. Because an attack such as was now threatening him would tend to defeat the divine promise in the patriarchal blessing, therefore Jacob once more reminded the Lord of this promise, chap. 28, 14. Faith clings to the divine promises, and he that prays properly always refers the Lord to His own Word with its many assurances of mercy, blessing, help, and assistance.

THE PRESENTS TO ESAU. V. 13. And he lodged there that same night, he encamped in that place for the night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau, his brother; v. 14. two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, v. 15. thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she-asses, and ten foals. The prayer had calmed the excited mind of Jacob to such an extent that he now took measures, not to flee, but to meet Esau, and to overcome him with love. The selection and the apportionment of the animals showed Jacob's experience in cattle-raising, just as the arrangement of

each small caravan indicated his wisdom, for he placed the smallest and least valuable animals first, and the more valuable in the rear. V. 16. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. There was literally a breathing space between the various small bands as they traveled along, just enough room to make a new impression every time, and thus to increase the force, the effect of the offered present. V. 17. And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau, my brother, meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? And whither goest thou? And whose are these before thee? v. 18. then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau; and, behold, also he is behind us. The careful instruction of each servant as to the form of homage which he was to show to Esau, the repetition of the formula which called Jacob a servant and Esau lord, together with the offering of the presents, all these were calculated to overcome Esau's anger gradually. V. 19. And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau when ye find him. V. 20. And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. It was the cumulative effect of the atoning presents that Jacob counted on to make the impression on Esau, the humble mention of the servant Jacob being very effective as the climax. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. Jacob called his presents gifts of atonement, for they were intended to cover the face of Esau so that he would no longer see the offense which Jacob had committed against him. Esau's mind being taken up by the presents, he would no longer think of Jacob's guilt, but would lift up his face in kindness and receive him with his favor. V. 21. So went the present over before him; and himself lodged that night in the company. Night travel was nothing unusual in the East, so Jacob sent the small bands of presents off to the south at once, probably before nightfall, while he himself remained in camp for a while. V. 22. And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two women-servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. Jacob's anxiety did not permit him to rest very long. Before the night had advanced very far, he took the members of his family and transferred them to the south side of the Jabbok, at the ford which is about eighteen miles from the Jordan. V. 23. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. So the tents

were struck, and the entire caravan was on its way toward the south. Thus Jacob had made all the necessary arrangements, had done what he could to appease his brother, and could await the outcome of his plans with a more confident heart. It is nothing but a matter of simple wisdom to agree with adversaries as soon as possible, to offer them the hand of reconciliation, to appease them with kindness.

THE STRUGGLE AT PENIEL. - V. 24. And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day, until the morning dawned and its brightness arose in the eastern sky. Jacob, having crossed first with his family, returned and sent over his herds in charge of the servants, while he himself remained on the north side of the brook. Suddenly there came upon him a nameless man, and the two engaged in a fierce wrestling-match. V. 25. And when He saw that He prevailed not against him, when the unknown man found that he could not overcome the determined resistance of Jacob, He touched the hollow of his thigh, the socket of the hip-joint. And the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. His hip was sprained or paralyzed in consequence of the twisting in the struggle and the touch of the unknown man. V. 26. And He said, Let Me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me. In spite of the sprained hip Jacob persevered in his struggle with the man, of whose identity he became surer every moment. It was the Lord Himself, in human form, who here assumed the rôle of an antagonist to Jacob, and for that reason Jacob insisted upon having His blessing before permitting Him to depart. V. 27. And He said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. V. 28. And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. From the position of a mere Jacob, holder of the heel, in which capacity he had overcome his brother

Esau, he was here advanced to that of Israel, God-wrestler, the captain, or prince, of God, because he had prevailed as a prince in his struggle with the Lord. Cp. Hos. 12, 4. 5. V. 29. And Jacob asked Him and said, Tell me, I pray Thee, Thy name. And He said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after My name? Cp. Judg. 13, 18. It is not for sinful man to know every name of the great Lord of heaven; besides, the Lord had already indicated His name. And He blessed him there. The Lord formally repeated the patriarchal blessing, chap. 28, 13-15, with its Messianic promise. V. 30. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel (face of God); for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. So it was not only a bodily struggle, but a spiritual wrestling as well which Jacob was obliged to endure. But he stood the test, he persevered until he had received the Lord's blessing, until he saw the face of God turned to him in mercy, until his soul was healed of all its fear and terror. V. 31. And as he passed over Penuel, the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Just as he passed over and away from the place of the night's wrestling, the sun rose upon him, and with its rising the courage which now possessed his heart sent him forth cheerfully to meet his brother Esau. He had probably taken little notice of his injury in the course of the struggle, but now the sprain caused him to wince and to walk lame. V. 32. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day; because He touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank. Thus even in later years the Israelites commemorated the wonderful struggle of their ancestor in setting aside this part of the hip of animals as consecrated to the Lord. Special revelations of God's goodness and mercy deserve to be commemorated through the ages by those who have received the benefits following from such visitations.

The Reconciliation of Esau with Jacob. JACOB'S MEETING WITH ESAU. V. 1. And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. Jacob had joined his caravan and continued his march. He no longer looked for the approach of Esau with anxious apprehension, but with cheerful expectation. he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. V. 2. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. The division of the caravan was care

And

fully planned. Jacob "himself, as the head of the family, as its protector and representative, takes the lead; then follow the handmaids with their children; then Leah with hers; and at last, Rachel with Joseph. This inverted order, by which the most loved came last, is not merely chosen from a careful and wise prudence, but at the same time the free expression of the place which they occupied in his affections." V. 3. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, in the Oriental manner, in which men stoop over forward until their forehead practically touches the ground, a sign of the