Genesis 31:22 Commentary and Bible Study

Returning from the shearing, Laban was told about Jacob’s departure on the third day. He is upset and probably angry at the secrecy of Jacob’s departure and feels he has been tricked. This is what he has been trying to prevent with all the various bargains he has struck with Jacob. But, considering the number of times he has tricked Jacob, he has no valid reason to be offended. He is not going to just let them leave however, in spite of their gaining three days journey on him, which Jacob may have hoped. He is going to follow them, and he knows roughly where they are going and can track the movements of the flocks and herds easily enough. He too crosses the Euphrates and it takes him seven days travelling to catch them up and cover the ground Jacob has covered in ten days. Laban is without flocks and herds of his own and so can move faster. But where he finally overtakes them is close to the border of Canaan. Laban has undergone an enormous journey to catch up with him. But something else had happened on the journey. God had spoken to Laban to restrain him from violence towards Jacob, and that was very much on his mind because when he finally meets Jacob, he tells him that he could have done him harm, but God warned him not to. The Lord is protecting his chosen servant from the vindictiveness of Laban. God tells Laban neither to threaten Jacob nor to flatter him. God held back the evil intentions of this man.Laban has been shaken by this communication of God with him. He has two opposing impulses at work within him: his indignation at Jacob’s secret departure, and his fear of God’s warning. The Lord knows what it takes to restrain evil men, but Laban is still permitted to say enough to show what was in his heart. He makes out that he has been wronged and justifies himself, claiming that he only had good and noble intentions for not wanting Jacob to leave as he did. Unbelievers so often deceive themselves about their true motive and intentions. They have great skill at representing thoroughly bad acts in the best possible light. They are skilful at making their own behaviour appear so reasonable, and others appear so unreasonable. Jacob has done Laban a great injustice, he claims, and he only had the best of intentions all along. Even now he misrepresents what has happened and accuses Jacob of taking his daughter away by compulsion, when in fact they went with him voluntarily. Jacob has apparently prevented Laban from carrying out an act of kindness to his daughters and grandchildren. All this is deceitful talk, which aims to deceive the speaker as well as the hearer. At the same time he raises the subject of violence, and even in following God’s instruction not to threaten Jacob, he cannot help letting slip that he would have done so if not restrained by God. This restraint is the explanation for what he does not now do. Finally he comes to the matter of the teraphim, which he calls gods. This is something which surely Jacob will recognise should not have happened. Jacob has no knowledge of this.