Genesis 30:37

_AND JACOB TOOK HIM RODS OF GREEN POPLAR, AND OF THE HAZEL AND CHESNUT TREE; AND PILLED WHITE STRAKES IN THEM, AND MADE THE WHITE APPEAR WHICH WAS IN THE RODS._ Jacob took him rods (Hebrew, a rod) of green poplar, [Hebrew, _ LIBNEH_ (H3839), a poplar] - so called from the whitish colour of its bark or leaves, storax (cf. Hosea 4:13). AND OF THE HAZEL, [Hebrew, _ LUWZ_ (H3870)] - more probably the almond tree. [So the Septuagint has: karuineen]. Taking the word as in our translation, there are many varieties of the hazel, some of which are more erect than the common hazel, and it was probably one of the varieties Jacob employed. The styles are of a bright red colour when peeled; and along with them he took wands of other shrubs, which, when stripped of the bark, had wh

37._And Jacob took him rods of green poplar_. The narration of Moses, at first sight, may seem absurd: for he either intends to censure holy Jacob as guilty of fraud, or to praise his industry. But from the context it will appear that this adroitness was not culpable. Let us then see how it is to be excused. Should any one contend that he was impelled to act as he did, by the numerous injuries of his father-in-law, and that he sought nothing but the reparation of former losses; the defense would perhaps be plausible: yet in the sight of God it is neither firm nor probable; for although we may be unjustly treated, we must not enter the contest with equal injustice. And were it permitted to avenge our own injuries, or to repair our own wrongs, there would be no place for legal judgments, and thence would arise horrible confusion. Therefore Jacob ought not to have resorted to this stratagem...

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 30:37. _RODS OF GREEN POPLAR_] לבנה לח _libneh lach_. The _libneh_ is generally understood to mean the _white poplar_; and the word _lach_, which is here joined to it, does not so much imply _greenness_ of _colour_ as being _fresh_, in opposition to _witheredness_. Had they not been _fresh _- just cut off, he could not have pilled the bark from them. _AND OF THE HAZEL_] לוז _luz_, the _nut_ or _filbert tree_, translated by others the _almond tree_; which of the two is here intended is not known. _AND CHESTNUT TREE_] ערמון _armon_, the _plane tree_, from ערם _aram_, he was _naked_. The plane tree is properly called by this name, because of the outer bark _naturally peeling off_, and leaving the tree _bare_ in various pl

- 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'

AND JACOB TOOK HIM RODS OF GREEN POPLAR,.... Of the white poplar tree, called green, not from the colour, but from the moisture, being such as were cut off of the tree: AND OF THE HAZEL AND CHESTNUT TREE; the former some take to be the almond tree, as Saadiah Gaon, and others; and the latter to be the plantain or plane tree, so Ainsworth, and others: AND PILLED WHITE STRAKES IN THEM; took off the bark of them in some places, and left it on in others, which made white strakes: AND MADE THE WHITE APPEAR WHICH [WAS] IN THE RODS; that part of the rods which was stripped of the bark appeared white; and it appeared the whiter for the bark that was left on in other parts; and both made the rods to appear to have various colours, which was the design of Jacob in pilling them....

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

_poplar_ R.V. marg. _storax tree_. The Hebrew name is _libneh_, and is probably connected with the word _laban_, meaning "white." By some it is identified with the _styrax officinalis_. _plane tree_ In the Hebrew _-armon_, i.e. "naked," a name derived from the annual scaling of the bark of the tree. The _platanus orientalis_was held in high veneration in the East. Cf. Ezekiel 31:8. _white strakes_ Jacob's trick turns upon the _whiteness_of the rods; and this supplies a play upon the name "Laban" ("white"), who is outwitted by Jacob. The device is said to be well known to shepherds. "Strake" is Old English for "streak"; cf. Leviticus 14:37....