Genesis 31

Some masters are so harsh and implacable, that they are enough to spoil a good servant. (6.) Be very exact and punctual in the compacts and agreements you make with your servants: Do not prevaricate; keep not back any of their wages, nor deal deceitfully with them, as Laban did…

2. A heart without guile dares not allow itself in the least sin: he avoids secret sins. He dares not hide any sin as Rachel did her father's images under her (Genesis 31:34). He knows God sees him, which is more than if men and angels did behold him.

This abstaining may be: 1. From restraining grace, not renewing grace: as God withheld Laban from hurting Jacob (Genesis 31:24). The Lord may restrain men from sin by the terror of a natural conscience.

So Abraham swore to Abimelech (Genesis 21:15), and gave an oath to his servant (Genesis 24:3, 9). So Jacob swore with Laban (Genesis 31:52). And Joseph swore to his father (Genesis 47:31).

Nimrod, the first idolater, set up his own dead father Belus; from where came the names of Baal and Bel, for an idol. The Teraphim stolen by Rachel (Genesis 31:35) were the images of their ancestors, whom Laban worshipped; so in the primitive times, before any other idolatry was…

Indeed Christ says to his disciples: Go and prepare a place to sacrifice the Passover (Mark 14:12), but the words to offer or to sacrifice often signify no more than to kill. As when Jacob and Laban made a covenant, it is said Jacob sacrificed beasts and called his brethren to e…

Moses was never more peculiarly under God's protection — no, not when he had the whole guard of Israel about him in the wilderness — than when his mother had exposed him to the river forlorn, in a pitched ark, and forsaken by his sister, who stood aloof off to see how providence…

His posterity, traversing many regions of the east where other dialects — especially Syriac — were in use, preserved it pure and undefiled. This is apparent from the distinction which Scripture notes between the speech of Laban the Syrian and that of Jacob (Genesis 31:47): "Laba…

The LXX. more often retains the word itself, as at Judges 17:5, 18:14, 17; 1 Samuel 15:23. Sometimes they render it as idols, as at Genesis 31:19, 34, 35; and as vain images, as at 1 Samuel 19:13. Also as carved images, Ezekiel 21:21; and as those that speak, Zechariah 10:2, for…

They are first mentioned among the Jews at Judges 17:5. We said something about them in our exposition of Abrahamic theology, at Genesis 31:19. What they were is not yet settled.

Likewise, the stolen by day, and the stolen by night. I was about my work when the heat consumed me by day, and the frost by night, and sleep departed from my eyes (Genesis 31:38–40). And thus much for the order of household, which is prescribed by the word of God.

See it for civil respect (Genesis 27:29; Chapter 133:6). ⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩, Elohim is rendered Angels by the LXX. (Genesis 31:24; Job 38:7; Psalm 8:6; Psalm 96:8; Psalm 137:1), of which interpretation of the word, we shall treat in the ensuing exposition. This is the secon…

His words are; l[illegible]te Angelus si rem ipsam dicamus, est Angelus Redemptor, de quo Scriptum est quoniam nomen meum in ipso est. Ille inquam Angelus, qui ad Jacob dicebat, Genesis 31:13. Ego Deus Bethel. Ille de qu[illegible] dictum est, Exodus 3:4. & vocabat Mosen Deus de…

Hence [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], Chataim, are men given up to, and wandering in the ways of sin (Psalm 1:1). In Pihel it has a contrary signification; namely, to purge, to expiate, to cleanse, to make atonement, to undergo penalty, to make satisfaction (Genesis 31:39). That wh…

And as God said here to Satan, Afflict the body of Job, but save his life; so God says still to bloody wretches, who are as the limbs of Satan, The bodies of such and such are in your hands, the estates of such and such are in your hands, but save their lives. The life of a man…

When the oath serues to confirme and stablish peace and societie betweene partie and partie, countrey and countrey, kingdome & kingdome. Thus did Abraham and Abimelech sweare each to other, Gen. 21. 23. and Jacob and Laban, Gen. 31. 53. and by virtue hereof doe subiects bind the…

Generally, her sad condition is expressed in these words, The Sun has looked upon me. The Sun in these countries had great heat, as we may see in Jonah 4:8, where the beating of the Sun upon him did sorely vex him; Jacob also says, it burned him in the daytime (Genesis 31:40). T…

We are not to understand, that they were wholly drawn off to idolatry, to forsake the true God. For God is said to be the God of Nahor: Genesis 31:53. "The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us."

And it is a great honor to the Lord, that we are content with this, that he alone knows it. And so we may be well enough; for his knowledge will bring in a sure fruit with it, as he says to Jacob (Genesis 31). I know all the labor you have done to me. And what followed that?

And he undertakes to give in to the Father, without loss or miscarriage, what he had so received of the Father, John 17:2, 12, John 6:37-39. As Jacob did with the cattle he received of Laban, Genesis 31:39-40. Fourth, they being given to him, and he undertaking for them to do an…

More directly, and with better success did Jacob redress the superstition, or rather idolatry of his wife Rachel, as may be gathered by comparing (Genesis 31:19, 34; Genesis 35:2, 4). A brother at large must not suffer sin to lie on his brother: much less may husband or wife the…

And I grant the forenamed general and implicit consent, to be a true consent, so as there need not an express particular consent for every thing, and therefore I have added these clauses (simply without, or directly against consent.) (Genesis 3:16) That is done simply without co…

1. Though the wife ought to go with her husband, and dwell where he thinks fit, yet ought not he (unless by virtue of some urgent calling he be forced thereto) remove her from place to place, and carry her from that place where she is well settled without her good liking. Jacob…

My Mother, says Solomon to Bathsheba (1 Kings 2:20). I find also the title of Sir or Lord, used: a title of honor (1 Samuel 24:12; 2 Kings 5:13; Judges 18:19; 2 Kings 6:21; 1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Timothy 5:1; Genesis 22:7; Genesis 27:18; Matthew 21:30; Genesis 31:35). 2. By using…

Great was Joseph's faithfulness in this kind, which made his master put all that he had into his hand (Genesis 39:4). So great was Jacob's faithfulness, that in twenty years his master's ewes and she-goats, being under his hand, cast not their young, nor were the rams devoured (…

1. In look, when a master cannot cast a good eye on his servant. Jacob was much discountenanced by the countenance of his master (Genesis 31:2, 5). Many masters by their continual frowning brows, and fiery eyes, do much terrify their servants.

This is a full and complete rule; but this is our miserable folly, to mistake so far, as to embrace evil in the notion of good; and not only contrary to the nature of the thing, but contrary to our own experience, still to be pursuing in that which is still flying further off fr…

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may England say, when men rose up against us, they had swallowed us up quick. 2. If the Lord of Hosts be on our side, he can bridle his Enemies, and lay such a restraint upon their Spirits, that they shall not do the mischief…

The feet of God's children are directed by God himself, if they come to us it is a blessing of God; if not, it is for a correction. He made Jacob and Laban meet peaceably (Genesis 31), and in the next chapter Jacob and Esau. The use is, direction to us in these times, when there…

The Lord therefore breaks their teeth, pares their nails, and cuts short their tether [illegible] — they cannot do as they would. As Laban said to Jacob (Genesis 31:29), It is in the power of my hand to do you harm, but the God of your Father spoke to me saying, speak to Jacob n…

Self-deceit and the deceit of the heart appears in two things. In hiding the disease; the heart hides sin as Rachel hid her father's idols (Genesis 31:34). Hazael did not think he was as sick as he was; he could not imagine that so much wickedness lay lurking in him (2 Kings 8:1…

Now a mutual agreement between JEHOVAH and the Son for one and the same undertaking is a compact and Covenant, to have us saved. 4. Argument is, from the agreed upon giving and taking between the Father and the Son, where there is a free giving of some to the Son to be ransomed,…

Is confession a necessary Ingredient in Repentance? then here is a Bill of Indictment against four sorts of persons. 1. It reproves those that hide their sins: as Rachel hid her Fathers Images under her, (Genesis 31:34). Many had rather have their sins covered, than cured: They…

In the midst of this posture of things, God comes in upon his heart with some secret and effectual working of his Spirit and power, changes him from his purpose, causes his conceived sin to melt away, that he falls upon the neck of him with embraces, whom he thought to have slai…

The second reason, is taken from the example of many worthy men recorded in Scripture. Jacob the Patriarch fled from the presence of his brother Esau into Haran, to Laban (Genesis 27), and again, from there to the land of his fathers (Genesis 31). Moses, after he had slain the E…

Secondly, Abraham accepts the oath that Abimelech tenders to him in the name of a false God (Genesis 21:23). So does Jacob accept of the oath made to him by Laban (Genesis 31:53), which they would not have done, if their oaths had not been sufficient bonds, to bind them to obser…

Thirdly, just anger must be contained within the bounds of our particular calling, and civil decency; that is, so moderated, as it makes us not to forsake our duties which we owe to God and man, nor break the rules of comeliness. Thus Jacob was angry with Laban, and yet he speak…

(1) From Isaiah 65:16, where it is promised, under the time of the Gospel, that the nations to be converted to Christ, shall swear by the name of God, as is clear also from Jeremiah 4:2. (2) Because, the calling upon the name of God with due fear and reverence in swearing, is co…

For (1.) you yet again suppose Syriack to have been the vulgar language of the Jews in the dayes of Hezechiah, a thing that never fell upon the fancy of any man before you, being contrary to express Scripture in the Testimony before recited, and all the monuments of those dayes,…