26 And Laban saith to Jacob, `What hast thou done that thou dost deceive my heart, and lead away my daughters as captives of the sword?
and they take captive the women who `are' in it; from small unto great they have not put any one to death, and they lead away, and go on their way.
therefore doth a man leave his father and his mother, and hath cleaved unto his wife, and they have become one flesh.
And He saith, `What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood is crying unto Me from the ground;
And Pharaoh calleth for Abram, and saith, `What `is' this thou hast done to me? why hast thou not declared to me that she `is' thy wife?
and Abimelech calleth for Abraham, and saith to him, `What hast thou done to us? and what have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought upon me, and upon my kingdom, a great sin? works which are not done thou hast done with me.' Abimelech also saith unto Abraham, `What hast thou seen that thou hast done this thing?'
And Abimelech saith, `What `is' this thou hast done to us? as a little thing one of the people had lain with thy wife, and thou hadst brought upon us guilt;'
for all the wealth which God hath taken away from our father, it `is' ours, and our children's; and now, all that God hath said unto thee -- do.'
and all their wealth, and all their infants, and their wives they have taken captive, and they spoil also all that `is' in the house.
And Joshua saith unto Achan, `My son, put, I pray thee, honour on Jehovah, God of Israel, and give to Him thanks, and declare, I pray thee, to me, what thou hast done -- hide not from me.'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 31
Commentary on Genesis 31 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 31
Jacob was a very honest good man, a man of great devotion and integrity, yet he had more trouble and vexation than any of the patriarchs. He left his father's house in a fright, went to his uncle's in distress, very hard usage he met with there, and now is going back surrounded with fears. Here is,
Gen 31:1-16
Jacob is here taking up a resolution immediately to quit his uncle's service, to take what he had and go back to Canaan. This resolution he took up upon a just provocation, by divine direction, and with the advice and consent of his wives.
Gen 31:17-24
Here is,
Gen 31:25-35
We have here the reasoning, not to say the rallying, that took place between Laban and Jacob at their meeting, in that mountain which was afterwards called Gilead, v. 25. Here is,
Gen 31:36-42
See in these verses,
Gen 31:43-55
We have here the compromising of the matter between Laban and Jacob. Laban had nothing to say in reply to Jacob's remonstrance: he could neither justify himself nor condemn Jacob, but was convicted by his own conscience of the wrong he had done him; and therefore desires to hear no more of the matter He is not willing to own himself in a fault, nor to ask Jacob's forgiveness, and make him satisfaction, as he ought to have done. But,
Lastly, After all this angry parley, they part friends, v. 55. Laban very affectionately kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them, and then went back in peace. Note, God is often better to us than our fears, and strangely overrules the spirits of men in our favour, beyond what we could have expected; for it is not in vain to trust in him.