Genesis 30:32

_I WILL PASS THROUGH ALL THY FLOCK TO DAY, REMOVING FROM THENCE ALL THE SPECKLED AND SPOTTED CATTLE, AND ALL THE BROWN CATTLE AMONG THE SHEEP, AND THE SPOTTED AND SPECKLED AMONG THE GOATS: AND OF SUCH SHALL BE MY HIRE._ I will pass through ... - [Septuagint, parelthetoo panta ta probata sou-let thy flocks pass by.] Eastern sheep being generally white, the goats brown х_ CHUWM_ (H2345)], black, or burnt up, and spotted or speckled ones comparatively few and rare, Jacob proposed to remove all existing ones of that description from the flock, and to be content with what might appear at the next lambing-time. The proposal seemed so much in favour of Laban that he at once agreed to it. But Jacob has been accused of taking advantage of his uncle, and though it is difficult to exculpate him from practicing some degree of dissimulation, he was only availing himself of the results of his great s...

25-43 The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted honestly, when none but those of the colours fixed upon should be found among his cattle. Laban selfishly thought that his cattle would produce few different in colour from their own. Jacob's course after this agreement has been considered an instance of his policy and management. But it was done by intimation from God, and as a token of his power. The Lord will one way or another plead the cause of the oppressed, and honour those who simply trust his providence. Neither could Laban complain of Jacob, for he had...

Verse Genesis 30:32. _I WILL PASS THROUGH ALL THY FLOCK_] צאן _tson_, implying, as we have before seen, all _smaller cattle_, such as _sheep, goats_, c. _ALL THE SPECKLED AND SPOTTED CATTLE_] שה _seh_, which we translate _cattle_, signifies the _young_ either of _sheep_ or _goats,_ what we call a _lamb_ or a _kid_. _Speckled_, נקד nakod, signifies interspersed with _variously coloured spots_. _SPOTTED_] טלוא _talu_, spotted with large spot either of the same or different colours, from טלא _tala_, to _patch_, to _make_ _party-coloured_ or _patch-work_ see Ezekiel 16:16. I have never seen such sheep as are here described but in the islands of Zetland. T

- Jacob’s Family and Wealth 6. דן _dān_, Dan, “judge, lord.” 8. נפתלי _naptālı̂y_, Naphtali, “wrestling.” 11. גד _gād_, Gad, “overcoming, victory.” בגד _bāgād_, “in victory or” =גד בא _bā'_ _gād_, “victory cometh.” גוּד _gûd_, “press down.” גדוּד _g__e__dûd_, “troop.” 13. אשׁר _'ǎashēr_, Asher, “prosperity, happiness.”

EXPOSITION GENESIS 30:25 AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN RACHEL HAD BORN JOSEPH,—either at or about the expiry of the second term of seven years. Jacob's family now consisted in all of eleven sons and one daughter, unless Dinah's birth occurred later in the next term of service (Keil). Since these were all born within seven years, the chronological cannot be the order observed by the historian in recording the events of the preceding paragraphs. Rather the births of the children are arranged in connection with the mothers from whom they sprang. Hence the possibility of acquiring so large a family in so short a time. The six sons of Leah might be born in the seven years, allowing one year's complete cessation from pregnancy, viz; the fifth; Bilhah's in the third and fourth years; Zilpah's in the beginning of the sixth and seventh; and Rachel'

I WILL PASS THROUGH ALL THY FLOCK TODAY,.... Not alone, but Laban and his sons with him; REMOVING FROM THENCE ALL THE SPECKLED AND SPOTTED CATTLE; that is, such as were black and had white spots on them, or were white and had black spots on them; and the "speckled", according to Jarchi and Ben Melech, were such as had small spots on them; and the "spotted" were such as had larger: AND ALL THE BROWN CATTLE AMONG THE SHEEP; the russet coloured ones, or the "black" o ones, as some render it; and so Aben Ezra, and who makes mention of another sort, called "barud", which signifies spotted with white spots like hailstones, but is not to be found in the text here, but in Genesis 31:10; and besides coincide with those before described: AND THE SPOTTED AND SPECKLED AMONG THE GOATS: that had larger and lesser spots upon them as the sheep;

CHAPTER 30 JACOB WITH LABAN _ 1. The sons of Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:1)_ 2. The sons of Zilpah: Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9) 3. The children of Leah: Issachar, Zebulon and Dinah (Genesis 30:14) 4. The birth of Joseph (Genesis 30:22) 5. Jacob's request to return (Genesis 30:25) 6. Laban's confession and Jacob's prosperity (Genesis 30:27) Little comment is needed on this. The avarice and dec

JACOB GROWS RICH BY OVERREACHING LABAN. This is a difficult section. It is taken from JE. The analysis is uncertain. To J may be assigned Genesis 30:25; Genesis 30:27; Genesis 30:29; Genesis 30:35 f., to E Genesis 30:26; Genesis 30:28; Genesis 30:33 f., while Genesis 30:32 is to be divided

_I will pass_, &c. Jacob's proposal to Laban is that he should serve for a wage, to be given, not in money, but in animals. The sheep in Syria are nearly always white, and the goats black; cf. Song of Solomon 4:1. Jacob asks that his wage should consist of the sheep that were not white and the goats that were not black. Laban's flocks would be, according to this arrangement, the great mass of the animals. To Jacob's share would fall the exceptions, the spotted and black among the sheep, the spotted and speckled among the goats....

SPECKLED AND SPOTTED— The _speckled_ cattle were those marked with little points or pricks, which the Greeks called στιγματα. The _spotted_ were those marked with broader and larger spots, such as are often seen in the Eastern cattle especially. There were two other sorts (see ch. Genesis 31:10.); 1st, The _ring-straked;_ that is, marked with spots or strakes, as by binding with cords. Symmachus renders it _white-footed;_ and the Targums, _having marks on their feet._ Bishop Patrick says it signifies, most properly, _spots,_ or rather _circles_ or rings about their feet and legs. 2nd, The _Grisled,_ which signifies marked with white spots, like _hail_ upon black or any other colour, for ברד (_barad_) is _hail._ _OF SUCH SHALL BE MY HIRE_— Jacob's bargain was this: that all the party-coloured sheep and goats should be