his Covenant with Laban (xxix. 1-12)

Jacob's Flight with his Family: his Covenant with Laban (xxix. 1-12; cf. Gen, xxxi.).

XXIX. And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Laban went to shear his sheep; for they were distant from him a three days' journey. 2. And Jacob saw that Laban was going to shear his

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sheep, and Jacob called Leah and Rachel, and spake kindly unto them that they should come with him to the land of Canaan. 3. For he told them how he had seen everything in a dream, even all that He had spoken unto him that he should return to his father's house; and they said: "To every place whither thou goest we will go with thee." 4. And Jacob blessed the God of Isaac his father, and the God of Abraham his father's father, and he arose and mounted his wives and his children, and took all his possessions and crossed the river, and came to the land of Gilead, and Jacob hid ¹ his intention from

2135 A.M.

Laban and told him not. 5. And in the seventh year of the fourth week Jacob turned (his face) toward Gilead in the first month, on the twenty-first thereof. And Laban pursued after him and overtook Jacob in the mountain of Gilead in the third month, on the thirteenth thereof. 6. And the Lord did not suffer him to injure Jacob; for He appeared to him in a dream by night. And Laban spake to Jacob, 7. And on the fifteenth of those days Jacob made a feast for Laban, and for all who came with him, and Jacob sware to Laban that day, and Laban also to Jacob, that neither should cross the mountain of Gilead to the other with evil purpose. 8. And he made there a heap for a witness; wherefore the name of that place is called: "The Heap of Witness," after this heap. ² 9. But before they used to call the land of Gilead the land of the Rephaim; ³ for it was the land of the Rephaim, and the Rephaim were born (there), giants whose height was ten, nine, eight down to seven cubits. 10. ⁴ And their habitation was from the land of the children of Ammon to Mount Hermon, and the seats of their kingdom were Karnaim and

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[paragraph continues] Ashtaroth, ¹ and Edrei, and Mîsûr, ² and Beon. ³ 11. And the Lord destroyed them because of the evil of their deeds; for they were very malignant, and the Amorites dwelt in their stead, wicked and sinful, and there is no people to-day which hath wrought to the full all their sins, and they have no longer length of life on the earth. ⁴ 12. And Jacob sent away Laban, and he departed into Mesopotamia, the land of the East, and Jacob returned to the land of Gilead.

Footnotes

150:1 Gen. XXX. 28 has "appoint me thy wages."

150:2 A wrong rendering of the Hebrew (Gen. xxx. 32), which means "speckled" (nāḳōd).

150:3 Speckled and black, variously marked LXX ποικίλα καὶ σποδοιεδῆ ῥαντά does not represent σποδοειδῆ.

150:4 And sheep so LXX (Gen. xxx. 43); but MT and other versions omit.

151:1 So LXX (Gen. xxxi. 20) and Targ. Onkelos; but MT Sam., Vulg., ''stole" (the heart of Laban).

151:2 Cf. Gen. xxxi. 47 ("Galeed" = "Heap of Witness").

151:3 Cf. Gen. xiv. 5.

151:4 The places here mentioned were, perhaps, associated with Maccabean victories in the mind of our author (Charles).

152:1 In MT of Gen. xiv. 5, Asheroth-karnaim is one place; but Syr. and some MSS. of LXX support our text. Karnaim was captured by. Judas Maccabæus (1 Macc. 43 f.).

152:2 In Deut. iii. 10 "plain" = mîshôr.

152:3 = probably the Bæan of 1 Macc. v. 4 f., which was destroyed by Judas.

152:4 Judas "must have nearly annihilated" the Amorites (Charles).