How does Jacob’s departure lead to a covenant with the father-in-law who pursues him?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Jacob leaves after the Lord tells him to return home. Laban pursues him, but God warns Laban against harsh words; after the failed search for idols and Jacob’s defence of his service, they set up stones as witnesses to a covenant.

Chapter breakdown

Jacob hears Laban’s sons saying that he has taken their father’s property and become great through it. He also sees that Laban’s attitude towards him has changed. The Lord tells him to return to his fathers’ land and relatives and promises to be with him. Jacob calls Rachel and Lia into the field where he tends the flocks. He tells them their father’s attitude has changed but his own father’s God has been with him. They know he has served Laban with all his strength. Jacob says Laban has cheated him and changed his wages ten times, yet God has not allowed Laban to hurt him. When Laban named speckled animals as wages, the sheep bore speckled young; when he named white animals instead, the flocks bore white young.

Jacob says God has taken their father’s property and given it to him. He describes seeing in his sleep, at the breeding time, males of varied colours, spots and speckles mating with the females. The angel of God called Jacob, and he answered that he was there. The angel told him to look at the males’ colours because he had seen everything Laban had done to Jacob. Identifying himself as the God of Bethel, where Jacob anointed the stone and made a vow, he told Jacob to leave this land and return to his native country. Rachel and Lia ask whether anything remains for them in their father’s goods or inheritance. They say he has treated them as strangers, sold them and consumed their price. They say God has taken their father’s riches and given them to them and their children, so Jacob should do all God has commanded.

Jacob puts his wives and children on camels and leaves with all his property and flocks acquired in Mesopotamia, heading towards his father Isaac in Chanaan. Laban is away shearing sheep, and Rachel steals her father’s idols. Challoner’s note says the idols show that Laban is an idolater. It adds that some of the Fathers are of the opinion that Rachel took them to draw him away from idolatry by removing the occasion of his sin. That is an attributed opinion about her purpose, not a purpose stated by the narrator. Jacob does not tell Laban that he is fleeing. With everything belonging to him, he crosses the river and heads towards mount Galaad; this passage does not name the river.

On the third day Laban is told that Jacob has fled. He takes his brethren and pursues for seven days, overtaking Jacob at mount Galaad. In a dream God warns him not to speak harshly against Jacob. Jacob has pitched his tent on the mountain; Laban and his brethren camp on the same mountain. Laban asks why Jacob carried off his daughters without his knowledge like captives taken by the sword. He says that, with notice, he could have sent them off joyfully with songs, timbrels (small tambourines) and harps. He complains that he was not allowed to kiss his sons and daughters and calls Jacob’s action foolish. He claims power to harm him, but reports the warning given yesterday by Jacob’s father’s God. Even allowing that Jacob wanted his friends and longed for his father’s house, he asks why Jacob stole his gods.

Jacob answers that he left secretly because he feared Laban would take his daughters back by force. As for the gods, he says whoever is found with them should be killed before their brethren. Laban may search and take anything of his that he finds. Jacob does not know Rachel stole the idols. Laban searches Jacob’s tent, Lia’s and both servants’ tents without finding them. In Rachel’s tent, she hurriedly hides them under the camel’s furniture and sits on them. Laban searches the whole tent and finds nothing. Rachel asks him not to be angry that she cannot rise because the custom of women has come upon her, referring to her monthly period. The careful search fails.

Angry, Jacob rebukes Laban and asks what offence justified the pursuit and search of his household goods. He asks Laban to put any property he found before both groups of brethren so they can judge. He describes twenty years of service: Laban’s ewes and goats were not barren, and Jacob did not eat his rams. He did not bring Laban animals torn by beasts, but made good the damage himself; Laban also charged him for anything stolen. He endured heat and frost day and night and lost sleep. He served fourteen years for the daughters and six for the flocks, with ten changes to his wages. Jacob says that, without the God of his father Abraham and the fear of Isaac standing by him, Laban might have sent him away naked. He says God saw his affliction and work and rebuked Laban yesterday.

Laban replies that the daughters, children, flocks and everything Jacob sees are his, and asks what he can do to his children and grandchildren. He proposes a covenant as testimony between them. Jacob sets up a stone as a marker and asks his brethren to bring stones. They make a heap and eat upon it. Laban calls it The witness heap and Jacob The hillock of testimony, each using his own language. Laban says the heap will witness between them that day. It is therefore called Galaad, meaning The witness heap.

Laban asks the Lord to see and judge between them when they are apart. If Jacob mistreats his daughters or takes other wives over them, God is present and sees, even though no other witness is there for their speech. Laban points to the heap and the stone between them as witnesses if he crosses beyond them towards Jacob, or Jacob crosses towards him intending harm. He invokes the God of Abraham, the God of Nachor and the God of their father to judge between them. Jacob swears by the fear of his father Isaac, naming the one Isaac fears and reveres.

Jacob offers sacrifices on the mountain and calls his brethren to eat bread. After the meal they lodge there. Laban rises in the night, kisses his sons and daughters, blesses them and returns to his own place.

The story inside

The departure begins with an accusation against Jacob, a changed relationship with Laban and the Lord’s command to return. Jacob explains his service and dream to Rachel and Lia, who tell him to obey God. The pursuit brings two different matters into one confrontation: Jacob’s secret departure and Rachel’s stolen idols. Jacob explains his fear about the daughters but makes his search challenge without knowing of Rachel’s theft. Once the search finds nothing, he calls for evidence and lists the costs of his twenty years of work. Laban answers with ownership claims and a covenant proposal. The stones, names, terms and oath give their separation a stated set of witnesses. The chapter closes with sacrifices, a meal and Laban’s farewell; it does not yet report Jacob’s arrival at Isaac’s home.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The speeches must remain distinct from the narrator’s account. Laban’s sons accuse Jacob of taking property; Jacob attributes his wealth and protection to God; Rachel and Lia state their inheritance complaint. Later Laban claims all he sees is his. These are recorded positions in the dispute, rather than four statements to merge into one agreed account.
2
Jacob’s ignorance matters to the search scene. Rachel steals the idols, while Jacob does not know she has them when he offers death for the person found with them. She hides them and gives her father a reason she cannot rise. Challoner gives some Fathers’ opinion about why she stole them, but that opinion does not remove the narrative’s distinction between what Rachel did and what Jacob knew.
3
The covenant includes family treatment as well as a boundary. Laban names harm to his daughters and taking other wives over them, invokes God’s witness, and points to the heap and stone in the crossing terms. Jacob’s oath, sacrifices and shared meal follow. Keeping the terms explains more than merely saying the two men made peace.

Test your recall

How does Laban’s failed search lead to the covenant?

Show answer

After the search finds no idols, Jacob asks for evidence of an offence and describes twenty years of work and losses. Laban replies with his claims and proposes a covenant. They erect the stone and heap, name the witnesses and terms, and Jacob swears; sacrifices, a meal and Laban’s farewell close the encounter.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 3457–3488
Genesis Chapter 31 Jacob’s departure: he is pursued and overtaken by Laban. They make a covenant. 31:1. But after that he had heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying: Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s, and being enriched by his substance is become great. 31:2. And perceiving also, that Laban’s countenance was not towards him as yesterday and the other day. 31:3. Especially the Lord saying to him: Return into the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee. 31:4. He sent, and called Rachel and Lia into the field, where he fed the flocks, 31:5. And said to them: I see your father’s countenance is not towards me as yesterday and the other day: but the God of my father hath been with me. 31:6. And you know that I have served your father to the uttermost of my power. 31:7. Yea your father hath also overreached me, and hath changed my wages ten times: and yet God hath not suffered him to hurt me. 31:8. If at any time, he said: The speckled shall be thy wages: all the sheep brought forth speckled: but when he said on the contrary: Thou shalt take all the white one for thy wages: all the flocks brought forth white ones.
Lines 3489–3515
31:9. And God hath taken your father’s substance, and given it to me. 31:10. For after the time came of the ewes conceiving, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in my sleep, that the males which leaped upon the females were of divers colours, and spotted, and speckled. 31:11. And the angel of God said to me in my sleep: Jacob. And I answered: Here I am. 31:12. And he said: Lift up thy eyes, and see that all the males leaping upon the females, are of divers colours, spotted and speckled. For I have seen all that Laban hath done to thee. 31:13. I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the stone, and make a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and go out of this land, and return into thy native country. 31:14. And Rachel and Lia answered: Have we any thing left among the goods and inheritance of our father’s house? 31:15. Hath he not counted us as strangers, and sold us, and eaten up the price of us? 31:16. But God hath taken our father’s riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore, do all that God hath commanded thee.
Lines 3516–3535
31:17. Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children and wives upon camels, went his way. 31:18. And he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and went forward to Isaac, his father, to the land of Chanaan. 31:19. At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father’s idols. Her father’s idols.... By this it appears that Laban was an idolater; and some of the fathers are of opinion that Rachel stole away these idols to withdraw him from idolatry, removing the occasion of his sin. 31:20. And Jacob would not confess to his father-in-law that he was flying away. 31:21. And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having passed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad,
Lines 3536–3564
31:22. It was told Laban on the third day, that Jacob fled. 31:23. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days; and overtook him in the mount of Galaad. 31:24. And he saw in a dream God, saying to him: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob. 31:25. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and when he, with his brethren, had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount of Galaad. 31:26. And he said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus, to carry away, without my knowledge, my daughters as captives taken with the sword? 31:27. Why wouldst thou run away privately, and not acquaint me, that I might have brought thee on the way with joy, and with songs, and with timbrels, and with harps? 31:28. Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and daughters; thou hast done foolishly; and now indeed, 31:29. It is in my power to return thee evil; but the God of your father said to me yesterday: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob. 31:30. Suppose thou didst desire to go to thy friends, and hadst a longing after thy father’s house: why hast thou stolen away my gods?
Lines 3565–3584
31:31. Jacob answered: That I departed unknown to thee, it was for fear lest thou wouldst take away thy daughters by force. 31:32. But, whereas, thou chargest me with theft: with whomsoever thou shalt find thy gods, let him be slain before our brethren. Search, and if thou find any of thy things with me, take them away. Now when he said this, he knew not that Rachel had stolen the idols. 31:33. So Laban went into the tent of Jacob, and of Lia, and of both the handmaids, and found them not. And when he was entered into Rachel’s tent, 31:34. She, in haste, hid the idols under the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them: and when he had searched all the tent, and found nothing, 31:35. She said: Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women. So his careful search was in vain.
Lines 3585–3609
31:36. And Jacob being angry, said in a chiding manner: For what fault of mine, and for what offence on my part hast thou so hotly pursued me, 31:37. And searched all my household stuff? What hast thou found of all the substance of thy house? lay it here before my brethren, and thy brethren, and let them judge between me and thee. 31:38. Have I, therefore, been with thee twenty years? thy ewes and goats were not barren, the rams of thy flocks I did not eat: 31:39. Neither did I shew thee that which the beast had torn; I made good all the damage: whatsoever was lost by theft, thou didst exact it of me: 31:40. Day and night was I parched with heat, and with frost, and sleep departed from my eyes. 31:41. And in this manner have I served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters, and six for thy flocks: thou hast changed also my wages ten times. 31:42. Unless the God of my father, Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had stood by me, peradventure now thou hadst sent me away naked: God beheld my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesterday.
Lines 3610–3628
31:43. Laban answered him: The daughters are mine, and the children, and thy flocks, and all things that thou seest are mine: what can I do to my children, and grandchildren? 31:44. Come, therefore, let us enter into a league; that it may be for a testimony between me and thee. 31:45. And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a title. 31:46. And he said to his brethren: Bring hither stones. And they, gathering stones together, made a heap, and they ate upon it. 31:47. And Laban called it, The witness heap; and Jacob, The hillock of testimony: each of them according to the propriety of his language. 31:48. And Laban said: This heap shall be a witness between me and thee this day, and therefore the name thereof was called Galaad, that is, The witness heap.
Lines 3629–3646
31:49. The Lord behold and judge between us, when we shall be gone one from the other. 31:50. If thou afflict my daughters, and if thou bring in other wives over them: none is witness of our speech but God, who is present and beholdeth. 31:51. And he said again to Jacob: Behold this heap, and the stone which I have set up between me and thee, 31:52. Shall be a witness: this heap, I say, and the stone, be they for a testimony, if either I shall pass beyond it going towards thee, or thou shalt pass beyond it thinking harm to me. 31:53. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nachor, the God of their father, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac:
Lines 3647–3654
31:54. And after he had offered sacrifices in the mountain, he called his brethren to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there: 31:55. But Laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them: and returned to his place.