Ver. 1. Give me children, or elso I die.] She was sick of the fret; and could not live, unless Jacob could cure her. “Envy is the rottenness of the bones,” (Proverbs 14:30) and ever devours itself first; as the worm doth the nut out of which it groweth.
Ver. 2. And Jacob’s anger was kindled.] He that will be angry, and not sin, must not be angry, but for sin. Reprove thy wife, thou mayest; chide her, thou mayest not, unless the offence be against God, as here, and Job 2:10. And here a man may carry a severe rebuke in his countenance, as God doth, Psalms 80:16, though he say nothing: he may chide with his looks only. Am I in God’s stead?] Who carrieth this key under his own girdle; as is aforenoted. “Lo, children are a heritage that cometh of the Lord,” as David (Psalms 127:3) once sang for Solomon, who had the experience of it: for of so many wives, he had but one son, that we read of; and he was none of the wisest. (Ecclesiastes 2:19) This Solomon foresaw, and bewailed, as one unhappy bird, in his nest of vanities.
Ver. 3. Behold my maid Bilhah.] Given her by her father on purpose, it may seem; that in case she proved barren, she might be built up by her. So Stratonice, the wife of King Dejotarus, being barren, gave secretly her maid Electra unto her husband; by whom she had an heir to the crown, as Plutarch relateth.
Ver. 4. And Jacob went in unto her.] Merely to please his wife, he yielded to that which he could not but disallow as evil. Heed must be taken that the hen crow not, that the wife rule not. This γυναικοκρατεια was a part of Jacob’s punishment.
Ver. 5. And bare Jacob a son.] Whom Rachel might adopt, and dandle “on her knees,” as Genesis 30:3.
Ver. 6. God hath judged me, &c.] A vile profanation of God’s holy name, under an opinion and pretence of piety. So they that, brow-beating their brethren, better than themselves, said, “Let the Lord be glorified”; (Isaiah 66:5) and it grew to a proverb, In nomine Domini incipit omne malum. The conspirators in Edward VI’s time endorsed their letters with “Glory be to God on high, on earth peace,” &c. A fair glove drawn upon a foul hand. Act. and Mon.
Ver. 8. With great wrestlings.] Heb., With wrestlings of God; that is, with excellent and most earnest wrestlings and endeavours; by storms of sighs, and showers of tears. Stupidity is the low extreme, like the dull earth. Despair is as much too high, as it were in the element of fire, which scorches up the spirit. The middle region of air and water, sighs and tears, is the best. Magno desiderio, precibus, suspiriis luctata est adversus sororem.— Pareus, in loc.
Ver. 9. Left bearing,] viz., Till she began again, Genesis 30:17.
Ver. 10. Bare Jacob a son.] Here Jacob was too indulgent both to his wives and to himself.
Ver. 11. A troop cometh.] Or, as some render it, Good luck cometh; compare Isaiah 65:11. Theodoret saith Leah speaks thus, as one that had been profanely bred; and could not so suddenly forget her old language.
Ver. 13. For the daughters will call me blessed.] This phrase the Virgin Mary maketh use of, (Luke 1:48) as she doth also of various other Scripture phrases, in that holy song of hers: which showeth that she was very well versed in the Book of God.
Ver. 14. And found mandrakes.] Some render it, lovely flowers; others, violets; others, lilies; others again, cherries of Jury; the Greek, and most interpreters, mandrakes, or mandrake apples. It is a plant very amiable, according to the name, both for sweetness of smell, (Song of Solomon 7:13) the loveliness of the flower resembling a man; and for the peculiar virtue it hath, to cause sleep, affection, and conception. םיאדוד — Vide Drus. in fine Com. Ruth.
Ver. 15. Therefore he shall lie with thee, &c.] Thus he is bought and sold by his emulous wives: which was no small affliction to him, and a punishment of his polygamy.
Ver. 16. Thou must come in unto me.] These contentions, saith an interpreter, were not merely carnal, but partly also for desire of God’s ordinary blessing in propagation; and chiefly, for the increase of the Church, and obtaining the promised Seed for salvation. Ainsw.
Ver. 17. God hearkened unto Leah.] She prayed then, and invited God to her marriage bed. This was praiseworthy in her, howsoever.
Ver. 18. God hath given me my hire.] Wherein she was much mistaken, as having not her “senses exercised to discern good and evil.” Here she rejoiceth in that for which she should have repented; and was in the common error of measuring and judging of things by the success; as if God were not many times angry with men, though they outwardly prosper. Thus Dionysius, after the spoils of an idol temple, finding the winds favourable, Lo, said he, how the gods approve of sacrilege! Foelix scelus virtus vocatur.— Cicero, De Divin., lib. ii.
Ver. 20. God hath endued me with a good dowry.] That is, as it proves, though children are dulcis acerbitas, saith one; certain cares, but uncertain comforts, saith another; yet all men desire them: how much more should we covet grace, and those things that accompany salvation! These having gotten, we may safely and surely say, “God hath endued me with a good dowry.” Φροντιδες μεγαλαι, ελπιδες αδηλοι.— Plutar., De Prolis Amore.
Ver. 21. And called her name Dinah.] Philo in his “Antiquities” saith (but we need not believe him) that this Dinah was afterwards married to Job, and brought him many children.
Ver. 22. And God remembered Rachel.] She began to think that God had forgotten her, because she was so long suspended, and her prayers not answered. This is a common fault. David bewails it in himself. (Psalms 77) Basil grew so weary of the Arian persecution, that once he cried out, An Ecclesias suas prorsus dereliquit Dominus? an novissima hora est? &c. So the Church of old: “Where is thy zeal and thy strength, Lord? the sounding of thy heart and of thy mercies toward us? are they restrained?”. (Isaiah 63:15) Here we must check and chide ourselves, for once questioning God’s kind remembrance of us, whom he cannot forget, and learn and labour not to “waken our well beloved, until he please”. (Song of Solomon 3:5) He “waits to be gracious,” (Isaiah 30:19) and, when it is fit, will come “leaping over the mountains of Bether,” (Song of Solomon 2:17) all lets and impediments.
Ver. 23. God hath taken away my reproach.] That is, her barrenness, -with which she was often upbraided, -when now she was sufficiently humbled; besides that her children, as the rest of those women that were long barren, are noted to have been the best, and most gracious; as Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Samuel, the Baptist, &c. A child of many prayers cannot lightly miscarry, as he told Monica. Ambrose.
Ver. 24. The Lord shall add to me another son.] A sweet and sure way of argumentation. God, that hath thus and thus done me good, will not be wanting to me in anything that may be conducive to mine eternal comfort; but “will perfect that which concerneth me”. (Psalms 138:8) Qui ad vituli hortatur esum, quid tandem mihi negaturus est? Bernard.
Ver. 25. Unto mine own place.] The Promised Land, which he reckoned his own. The promises are good surehold.
Ver. 26. Let me go.] Here Jacob was too hasty; as Moses was, in doing justice before his time, and therefore fled for it. (Exodus 2:11-14)
Ver. 27. I pray thee, if I have found favour, &c.] This miserable muckworm, so he may advance his own ends, abased himself to his servants, colloguing or anything, to curry favour, and compass commodity. But he that is swallowed up of the earth (as Korah was), his ears stopped, his heart stuffed, and all passages for God’s Spirit obstructed by it, shall have earth enough when he dies: his mouth shall be filled with a spadeful of mould, and his never-enough quit with fire-enough, in the bottom of hell. Such another courteous caitiff as this in the text was that Plautianus, a rich Roman, of great authority with Severus the Emperor. Omnia enim petebat ab omnibus, et cupiebat omnia, saith the historian Herein only he differed from Laban, when he married his daughter to Antonius the son of Severus, he gave her as much portion as would have sufficed for fifty queens. Dio in Vita Severi. Is tantum filiae suae dedit, quantum reginis quinquaginta satis esset.— Dio in Vita Severi.
Ver. 28. Appoint me thy wages.] Heb., Expressly name, or nominate plainly. And I will give it.] Pollicitis dives quilibet esse potest.
Ver. 29. Thou knowest how I have served thee,] sc., With all my might, and to thy singular advantage: if therefore I stay longer, reason requireth that there should be some respect had to my benefit also, since he that “provideth not for his own is worse than an infidel”. (1 Timothy 5:8)
Ver. 30. The Lord hath blessed thee since my coming.] Heb., At my foot. Hence grew that proverb used in Africa, Homo boni pedis; a man whose coming is prosperous; -appliable to the ministers of the gospel, whose “feet are beautiful,” (Isaiah 52:7 Romans 10:15) and prosperous, if they faithfully feed the flock.
Ver. 31. What shall I give thee?] Solent multum quaerere, qui cupiunt parum dare. But Laban would know his price, that he might be out of his pain.
Ver. 32. And of such shall be my hire.] As white and black sheep were most set by in Mesopotamia, so were the variously coloured in Palestine, Jacob’s country; whence the shepherds there are called Nochudim, (Amos 1:1) that is, keepers of spotted cattle. This might be a reason why Jacob desires to be paid in such; and, perhaps, had learned that skill there which he used in the following verses.
Ver. 33. So shall my righteousness, &c.] A good conscience fears no judge; no, not God himself, in some particulars. [as Psalms 7:3,4] That which Jacob did here was of God. (Genesis 31:10) It was also a plain bargain between them, and Laban was handled in his kind. Besides, the means Jacob used was not fraudulent, but natural; not depending on man’s skill, but God’s blessing: and all to recover out of the wretch’s hands that which was but due to him for his hard service, and for his wives’ dowry.
Ver. 34. Behold, I would it might be.] He was glad to have him on the hip for a bad bargain, but is fairly deceived himself. God will see to his servants, that they shall not lose all: though the world think it neither sin nor pity to defraud them of their due.
Ver. 36. And he set three days’ journey.] Hoping so to disappoint Jacob of having anything, and to make his own party good with him. For, naturally, the cattle would bring forth others like themselves; and so Jacob’s part should be little enough. Sed et hic fallitur sordidus impostor, saith Pareus. Laban was utterly out in his count, and crossed in his design.
Ver. 37. And of the hazel.] Or nut tree, Heb. Luz, which was the ancient name of the city of Bethel; (Genesis 28:19) so called, as it seemeth, of nut trees growing there.
Ver. 38. And he set the rods which he had pilled.] This was done, partly by the force of the fantasy, which is much affected with objects of the sight; or some other cogitation in the time of conception: partly and chiefly by the blessing of God: for, he that shall now try the same conclusion, shall find himself frustrated.
Ver. 39. Ring-straked.] With a round streak, or ring, about their legs, as if they were gartered.
Ver. 40. And set the faces of the flocks, &c.] That by the sight of the speckled cattle they might bring forth lambs like them that were in their eye.
Ver. 41. The stronger cattle.] Heb., Bound together, i.e., lusty and well set.
Ver. 42. So the feebler were Laban’s.] So elsewhere God promiseth that his people “shall rob those that robbed them, and spoil those that spoiled them”. (Ezekiel 39:10)
Ver. 43. And the man increased exceedingly.] So shall all those do, if it be for their eternal good, that depend upon God for success and blessing upon their hard and honest labours. As for others, that will needs care and carve for themselves, being troubled about many things, but neglecting that “one thing necessary,” the Lord either gives the souls of such over to suffer shipwreck, or else strips them of all their lading and tacklings, breaking their estates all to pieces, and making them glad to go to heaven upon a broken plank.