A TENSE CONFRONTATION

Passage: Genesis 31:31-55

Key verse: 44

NIV

31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.(A) 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.(B) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.(C)

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent(D) and into the tent of the two female servants,(E) but he found nothing.(F) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods(G) and put them inside her camel’s saddle(H) and was sitting on them. Laban searched(I) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;(J) I’m having my period.(K)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.(L)

36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged(M) you that you hunt me down?(N) 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?(O) Put it here in front of your relatives(P) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.(Q)

38 “I have been with you for twenty years now.(R) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,(S) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39 I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen(T) by day or night.(U) 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.(V) 41 It was like this for the twenty years(W) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters(X) and six years for your flocks,(Y) and you changed my wages(Z) ten times.(AA) 42 If the God of my father,(AB) the God of Abraham(AC) and the Fear of Isaac,(AD) had not been with me,(AE) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,(AF) and last night he rebuked you.(AG)”

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.(AH) All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant,(AI) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”(AJ)

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.(AK) 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,(AL) and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.[a](AM)

48 Laban said, “This heap(AN) is a witness between you and me today.”(AO) That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[b](AP) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat(AQ) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness(AR) between you and me.”(AS)

51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,(AT) and here is this pillar(AU) I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,(AV) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap(AW) and pillar to my side to harm me.(AX) 53 May the God of Abraham(AY) and the God of Nahor,(AZ) the God of their father, judge between us.”(BA)

So Jacob took an oath(BB) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.(BC) 54 He offered a sacrifice(BD) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.(BE) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters(BF) and blessed(BG) them. Then he left and returned home.[c](BH)

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Footnotes
  1. Genesis 31:47 The Aramaic Jegar Sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean witness heap.
  2. Genesis 31:49 Mizpah means watchtower.
  3. Genesis 31:55 In Hebrew texts this verse (31:55) is numbered 32:1.
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Source: BibleGateway

ESV

31 Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 (A)Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel's saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot (B)rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.

36 Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? 37 For you have felt through all my goods; what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and (C)your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. (D)From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house. (E)I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and (F)you have changed my wages ten times. 42 (G)If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the (H)Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. (I)God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and (J)rebuked you last night.”

43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? 44 Come now, (K)let us make a covenant, you and I. (L)And let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob (M)took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,[a] but Jacob called it Galeed.[b] 48 Laban said, (N)“This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, 49 (O)and Mizpah,[c] for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight. 50 If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, (P)God is witness between you and me.”

51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 (Q)This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the (R)Fear of his father Isaac, 54 and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called (S)his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.

55 [d] Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed (T)his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.

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Footnotes
  1. Genesis 31:47 Aramaic the heap of witness
  2. Genesis 31:47 Hebrew the heap of witness
  3. Genesis 31:49 Mizpah means watchpost
  4. Genesis 31:55 Ch 32:1 in Hebrew
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Prompted by God, Jacob had left Laban and headed back to his father with all his family and possessions that he had accumulated over 20 years. Laban’s relationship with Jacob had not been the best at the time, so Jacob left secretly, afraid Laban would hinder him from leaving with his family. But, despite a 3-day head start, Laban caught up with Jacob and confronted him.

Then, Laban accused Jacob of stealing his household gods. (Jacob did not know that Rachel had indeed stolen them.) After Laban failed to find them among Jacob’s possessions, Jacob shared his own grievances about being mistreated over the years by Laban.

The air was tense as accusations flared. But God helped to turn the heated situation into a peace treaty between the two of them. When we fear God, we can confront others with respect for life and find reconciliation and peace.

Prayer: Lord, we live in a polarized society where it is hard to understand each other. May you be with us to be peacemakers even in difficult situations.

One Word: Blessed are the peacemakers