28:1-33:32
Gen. 28:2 Padan-aram: The "field" or "plain" of Aram, the country of the Arameans, whose language (Aramaic) was destined to become the dominant language of the Middle East.
Gen. 28:3 GOD Almighty See the note for 17:1,2.
Gen. 28:4 See the note for 12:2,3.
Gen. 28:5 Arameans: In Greek it's translated "Syrian".
Gen. 28:9 Esau's conduct was futile, because GOD didn't work through Ishmael.
Gen. 28:10-22 Jacob's dream emphasizes GOD's grace. GOD assures him that he is the LORD of history. Jacob was the representative of the third generation that would receive the promises of the covenant with Abraham, not because Jacob was righteous, but as a proof of GOD's calling and faithfulness to Abraham. Although Jacob had never heard the divine voice before, the LORD identified himself as the GOD of Abraham and Isaac.
Gen. 28:16-18 Jacob associated GOD with the place where he had had the dream. Maybe he consecrated the rock he had used as a pillow with oil to perpetuate his memory.
Gen. 28:18-22 See section 5 of "TRUTH IN ACTION" at the end of Genesis.
Gen. 28:20,21 Jacob was trying to make the promise his and adopt Jehovah as his GOD, formalizing a relationship like the one his father enjoyed. These words are neither cynical nor an intent to blackmail.
Gen. 28:22 I will set apart the tithe for you: The tenth part, although it appears in the later Mosaic Law, had its origin in the first patriarchs, Abraham (see the note for 14:18-20) and Jacob. Therefore, the tithe is part of the covenant of Abraham, not merely of the commandments given to Moses.
Gen. 29:4 See the note for Genesis 24:4.
Gen. 29:1-31:55 The Struggle Continues (HBH) Thus encouraged, Jacob went on to Haran, where he struggled with his uncle Laban for the right to marry his daughters Leah and Rachel (29:1-30). GOD's promise of many offspring began to be realized as Jacob fathered eleven sons and a daughter in his wives' struggle for children (29:31-30:24). In his struggle against scheming uncle Laban, Jacob became prosperous beyond his wildest expectations (30:25-43). By stealing the household gods, Rachel joined Jacob in the struggle against Laban (31:17-35). With Laban intent on revenge, only GOD's intervention in a dream brought a peaceful end to the struggle with Jacob (31:36-55).
Genesis 29:9 Rachel means "Eve".
Gen. 29:11 Jacob's kiss reflects the patriarchal salute that was used between an man and a woman (see v.13). His tears were of joy for having found his family.
Gen. 29:13 Laban is sometimes seen as the "counterpart" to Jacob. He obviously served as GOD's disciplinary instrument for 20 years (31:41). Through Laban, Jacob is a victim of his own scheme, although he shows more fortitude than Esau and ends up prevailing thanks to his tenacity.
Gen. 29:17 Delicate ("weak", according to a second reading) refers as much to Leah's vision as to the fact that her eyes weren't attractive, that they lacked shine.
Gen. 29:18 Such practice is still customary among the Bedouins, when the young suitor doesn't have money.
Gen. 29:22-25 An ancient lamp provided little light, and the bride always covered the face, as Rebecca, Jacob's mother did (24:65). Even more, Leah must have actively cooperated in the deceit. Our sins have the habit of turning against us: Jacob pretended to be Esau and disguised himself as him. The idea for deceiving Isaac was his mother's, and Jacob discovered to his loss that Laban was as deceitful as his younger sister, Rebecca.
Gen. 29:24 A servant was given as part of the marriage contract.
Gen. 29:28 Her week: Apparently the seven days that the marriage festivities lasted (see Judges 14:17); after the celebration, Jacob received Rachel as his second wife. The difficulties that arose from this double matrimony could have served to support the later prohibition against this type of marriage (Lev. 18:18).
Gen. 29:31-35 GOD's love for Leah is demonstrated by making her a mother of the tribes of priests and kings, of Levi and Judah.
 LITERARY RICHES |
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Gen. 29:32 son, ben; Strong #1121: A son, a boy. The plural isn't restricted to "sons", but frequently means "children" or "descendants" of both sexes. An example is the phrase b'nay yisrael (literally "children of Israel"). Possible, the root from which ben proceeds is banah, which means "edify" or "fortify". The idea consists of the fact that a child is a constructor of future generations. |
 KINGDOM DYNAMICS |
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Gen. 29:35 "Judah" means "praise", THE WAY OF PRAISE. "Judah" says praise, and from this man came a great tribe of Israel. This is one of the most important verses of praise of the Bible. We note the following passages: 1) Jacob (49:8-12) pronounces a great praise upon Judah, giving him the greatest blessing. His brothers will praise him. He will triumph over all his enemies. Verse 10 says that he will have monarchic (scepter) and legal (legislator) authority. Furthermore, he will bring the Messiah. 2) From Judah, through David, comes the Christ, who praises the Father in each of the acts and details of his life (Luke 3:23-33). 3) The tribe of Judah (praise) will lead Israel through the desert (Num. 2:39). 4) It will head the conquest of Canaan (Judges 1:1-19). 5) Judah is the first tribe in praising David, proclaiming him king (II Sam. 2:1-11). (*/Num. 21:16,17) C.G.
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Gen. 30:3 Putting a child on the knees was to claim it as one's own.
Gen. 30:8 The struggles were undoubtedly a sequel to the rivalry sustained between Jacob and Esau. Their family relationships continued reaping bitter fruits.
Gen. 30:14 Mandrakes: were considered, in some places, aphrodisiacs that induced fertility. It's a fragrant plant that produces a small yellow fruit. Rachel's request lacked faith, and therefore doesn't work; only GOD can help her (v.22).
Gen. 30:22 And remembered connotes compassion.
Gen. 30:27 Laban had experienced or divined (44:5) that he had been blessed because of Jacob. It appears that he paid attention to auguries.
Gen. 30:32,33 Jacob offered to take the less valuable of the flock, not those animals that could be easily identified, so that no accusation of any stealing could be raised against him.
Gen. 30:35,36 Laban continued deceiving Jacob; he dictated the standards that would favor him.
Gen. 30:37-42 Jacob wasn't practicing a superstitious rite, but he had faith in something associated with the rods. As author of the genetic laws, GOD intervened and honored Jacob's faith (31:9).
Gen. 30:43 GOD's blessings can always exceed human frauds.
Gen. 30:1,2 The barren wife suffered a great affront in many cultures (see v.23). Rachel believed that it was Jacob's fault; and he remembered that it was due to GOD's providence (in response to Jacob's lamentable attitude, 29:31).
Gen. 30:3 Putting a child on the knees was to claim it as one's own.
Gen. 30:8 The struggles were undoubtedly a sequel to the rivalry sustained between Jacob and Esau. Their family relationships continued reaping bitter fruits.
Gen. 30:14 Mandrakes: Were considered, in some places, aphrodisiacs that induced fertility. It's a fragrant plant that produces a small yellow fruit. Rachel's request shows lack of faith, and therefore, doesn't work; only GOD can help her (v.22).
Gen. 30:22 And remembered connotes compassion.
Gen. 30:27 Laban had experienced or divined (44:5) that he had been blessed because of Jacob. It appears that he paid attention to auguries.
Gen. 30:32,33 Jacob offered to take the less valuable of the flock, not those animals that could be easily identified, so that no accusation of any stealing could be raised against him.
Gen. 30:35,36 Laban continued deceiving Jacob; he dictated the standards that would favor himself.
Gen. 30:37-42 Jacob wasn't practicing a superstitious rite, but he had faith in something associated with the rods. As author of the genetic laws, GOD intervened and honored Jacob's faith (31:9).
Gen. 30:43 GOD's blessings can always exceed human frauds.
Gen. 31:7 Ten was a rounded number equivalent to "time after time".
Gen. 31:13 Jacob's vow is honored by GOD.
Gen. 31:19 Her father's idols: Laban spoke of them as his "gods" (v.30). These small images ("teraphim") belonging to the family had a great significance for the heirs. According to the ancient laws of Haran and its surrounding areas, the children, particularly the eldest, had the privileges of inheriting the family "gods", as well as all the property that accompanied them.
Rachel stole them to ridicule her father's religion (verses 14-16), to claim the inheritance, or to stay connected to her native religion.
TERAPHIM: (IBD) were figurines or images in human form used in the ancient world as household gods. Teraphim is a Hebrew word for idols which appears in the NKJV only once (Hos. 3:4). But the Hebrew word appears 14 additional times in the Old Testament. It is translated in these various usages as household idols (Gen. 31:19,34-35), household gods (II Kings 23:24), idolatry (I Sam. 15:23), idols (Zech 10:2), image (I Sam. 19:13,16), and images (Ezek. 21:21).
Teraphim were probably of Mesopotamian origin, but apparently they were widespread in Hebrew households. Possible made of clay, these objects may have been similar to the objects in Rome that were connected with superstition, idolatry, and magic.
The term teraphim, translated as household idols (NKJV) occurs in Judges 17:5 and 18:14,17-18,20, where it is linked with an ephod and with carved images and molded images. All of these items formed part of the equipment of Micah's idolatrous shrine. In Hosea 3:4 teraphim is again linked with ephod in a reference to the absence of all forms of religion from Israel during her time of punishment.
The household gods (teraphim) of Genesis 31:19,34-35 were probably idolatrous images which Rachel wanted to bring with her to Palestine, perhaps for the safety they might provide on the perilous journey and in a strange land.
In other contexts teraphim are directly related to idolatry. The idols that speak delusion (Zech. 10:2) and the idolatry that is linked with iniquity (I Sam. 15:23) both are translations of the word teraphim. In his reformation of religion, King Josiah of Judah sought to restore true worship by abolishing the practices of consulting mediums and spiritists and using household gods (teraphim) and images (II Kings 23:24).
Gen. 31:21 Gilead was east of the Jordan and south of the Sea of Galilee.
Gen. 31:24 Disrespectfully refers to an idiomatic expression that signifies speaking, uttering threats.
Gen. 31:25 Jacob and his entourage must have felt terrified, because Laban's sons and servants were undoubtedly armed and ready to fight. The sons wished above all to recover the idols of their parents.
Gen. 31:35 The custom of women: Rachel said that she was menstruating (see Lev. 15) in order to remain seated. Jacob obviously didn't know of the theft committed by Rachel; otherwise he shouldn't have made such a dangerous vow in verse 32.
Gen. 31:39 The Hittite law required that the owner, not the shepherd, bore these accidental losses. Laban obeyed the law only when it suited him.
Gen. 31:41 Ten times: See the note for 31:7.
Gen. 31:42 The fear of Isaac is viewed by many translators as an ancient name for Jehovah. It means that Jehovah is the GOD who inspired fear in Isaac (see Is. 8:13).
Gen. 31:43-55 The covenant made Jacob's departure much more peaceful. It also showed that Jacob should have trusted in GOD's intervention instead of escaping fearfully (v.31). Open communication is better than distrust.
Gen. 31:45 A stone...for a sign: See the note for 28:16-18.
Gen. 31:46 A shared meal was one of the common ways to establish a covenant.
Gen. 31:52 The heap...sign served as much as an indicator of a boundary as for a reminder.
Gen. 32:1,2 Jacob still had his great challenge ahead, and knew that he must face the brother whom he had deceived twenty years earlier, which is why he began to be surrounded by the angels of GOD.
Gen. 32:6 Esau approached him accompanied by a considerable force; although the reason isn't offered, apparently it wasn't to attack Jacob as he had feared.
Gen. 32:13 Quickly, Jacob selected from his riches that which seemed most appropriate as a present for his brother, Esau in an attempt to win his favor Again he lacked faith in GOD's promises, a proof of the implications, in the long run, of the deception perpetrated twenty years before.
Gen. 32:16 Pass the Jabbok River (see v.22), that flows toward the river Jordan from the east, around 24 km. north of the Dead Sea. (It's a small brook rising in the hills of Bashan, forming the border of Ammon, opposite Shechem, falling into the Jordan midway between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee.)
Gen. 32:24-32 This is one of the mysterious stories in the Bible. The man is identified by Hosea as an angel (Hos. 12:4). The importance of the story is that it reveals Jacob's readiness to confront GOD in this moment of supreme necessity. Jacob knows that GOD had wished to bless him (v.12) according to no less than his entire inheritance (v.26). The tenacity with which he wrestles makes Jacob prevail again (v.29; see the note for 29:13).
Gen. 32:27 The man undoubtedly knew Jacob's name. He must repeat it because of its significance: "impostor" or "deceiver". Jacob had to recognize his weakness before being transformed.
Gen. 32:28 Israel can mean "The Prince with GOD", "He who wrestles with GOD" or "GOD wrestles". In spite of his weaknesses of character, GOD celebrates Jacob for his tenacity; he is a fighter. As such, Hosea sees him as a model to imitate when faced with difficulties or the need for a complete transformation (Hosea 12:2-6).
Gen. 32:31 And he limped: This symbolizes, in terms of loss of pride, what the transformation suffered by GOD's people cost. Although the emphasis falls on the struggle sustained by Jacob (v.28), his personal transformation is an important secondary element.
Gen. 32:32 This custom is never mentioned again in the Scripture, but it appears in later rabbinic writings (after 150 A.D.).
Gen. 33:3 Seven times: This typical eastern rite expresses complete submission.
Gen. 33:4 Esau's reactions is an example of such incredible magnanimity that some think he served as a model of the attitude of the father of the "prodigal son" (Luke 15:20).
Gen. 33:10 Jacob was freed of his anxiety in such a way that he described that experience as that of someone who had seen GOD's face without dropping dead.
Gen. 33:11 He took it reveals Esau's good will; it also seals the reconciliation that had taken place between the two.
Gen. 33:17 Instead of following Esau toward the south, to Seir (Edom), as he had promised, Jacob again crossed the river Jabbok (where he had left the bulk of his herd) and remained there for a long period of time. It seems as if he was still indecisive.
Gen. 33:18 Jacob wished to keep a certain distance from Esau, which is why he moved in a western direction across the river Jordan until settling in Canaan. Shechem is found between Mt. Ebal and Mount Gerizim, in the central high plain.
The main north-south road through central Palestine ran between these two mountains. Later on, when the Hebrew people reached the Promised Land, after wandering in the wilderness for forty years, Moses directed them to climb Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Six tribes stood on the slopes of each mountain (Deut. 27:11-14). Then Moses pronounced the blessings for keeping the Law from Mt. Gerazim and the curses for not keeping it from Mt. Ebal (Deut. 11:29; 27:4-26)
Gen. 30:1,2 The barren wife suffered a great affront in many cultures (see v.23). Rachel believed that it was Jacob's fault; and he remembered that it was due to GOD's providence (in response to Jacob's lamentable attitude, 29:31).
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