John Chrysostom — Commentary on Scripture

And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

See God’s creative wisdom. Whereas one woman by her beauty attracted her husband’s favor, the other seemed to be rejected because she lacked it. But it was the latter God awoke to childbirth while leaving the other’s womb inactive. He thus dealt with each in his characteristic love so that one might have some comfort from what was born of her and the other might not triumph over her sister on the score of charm and beauty.

Genesis 30:2

And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

Why, Jacob says, do you ignore the Lord of nature and fix the blame on me? He it is who has deprived you of the fruit of the womb. Why not make your request to him, who can open nature’s workplace and quicken the womb to childbirth? So understand that God is the one who has deprived you of the fruit of the womb and granted your sister such fertility. So don’t look to me for what I am powerless to provide and over which I have no lordship. I mean, if it lay in my power, I would certainly give you pride of place ahead of your sister by securing greater respect for you. But since, no matter to what degree I am kindly disposed to you, I can do nothing to solve your problem, address your request to him who inflicted the sterility and has the power to remedy it. See the good man’s common sense in that, though provoked to anger by her words, he replied to her with great wisdom, instructing her precisely in everything and making the responsibility clear to her, lest by ignoring the Lord she might seek from another what God alone was able to provide.

Genesis 30:26

Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.

Nothing is really more efficacious than meekness and nothing more powerful than it. See at any rate how, by a disarming use of meekness, Jacob also brought Laban to reply to him with great deference. “Laban replied to him,” the text goes on, remember, “If I have found favor in your sight, and the omens do not deceive me, God has blessed me in your coming. Name your wage to me, and I will pay.” “I am not unaware,” he is saying, that in the wake of your coming I enjoyed favor from God more richly. So, since I recognize the kindness done me in your coming, “name any wage you care to mention, and I will readily pay it.”Consider what a great thing meekness is, and don’t pass idly by these words. Instead, keep in mind that the good man had made no mention of this nor looked for any payment for his trouble. [He] had said only this: “Let me have my wives and children, for whom I was in your service, so that I may depart.” And yet the other man, out of respect for the good man’s great meekness, replied, “Tell me what wage you want to be paid by me, and I will cheerfully pay it.” After all, we…

Nothing is really more efficacious than meekness and nothing more powerful than it. See at any rate how, by a disarming use of meekness, Jacob also brought Laban to reply to him with great deference. “Laban replied to him,” the text goes on, remember, “If I have found favor in your sight, and the omens do not deceive me, God has blessed me in your coming. Name your wage to me, and I will pay.” “I am not unaware,” he is saying, that in the wake of your coming I enjoyed favor from God more richly. So, since I recognize the kindness done me in your coming, “name any wage you care to mention, and I will readily pay it.”Consider what a great thing meekness is, and don’t pass idly by these words. Instead, keep in mind that the good man had made no mention of this nor looked for any payment for his trouble. [He] had said only this: “Let me have my wives and children, for whom I was in your service, so that I may depart.” And yet the other man, out of respect for the good man’s great meekness, replied, “Tell me what wage you want to be paid by me, and I will cheerfully pay it.” After all, were not “Jacob’s wives and children in his company”? So why did he say, “Let me have my wives and children”? Jacob was giving him due respect and displaying in every circumstance his typical behavior, and wishing as well to take his leave without hindrance. Notice, at any rate, from these words how he won Laban over to the extent of promising to pay a wage and to leave the decision to him.

Genesis 30:30

For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

“I call you to witness my labors,” he is saying. “I mean, you know how I did my best with good grace and how, after taking charge of your poor creatures, I made them grow into a vast herd through my attention and vigilance.” Then, to show his godly attitude, he added, “The Lord, you see, has blessed you in my coming. So isn’t it high time for me to build a house of my own?” You yourself know that after my arrival grace from on high increased your prosperity. So now, since I too have made every effort on my part with good grace in discharge of my service and the grace of God has become manifest, it is only fair that I too should build a house for myself.” Now, what is the meaning of “build a house for myself”? It means, to live now in freedom and to pay attention to a house of one’s own.

Genesis 30:40

And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.

The good man did this, not of his own devising but with grace from on high inspiring his mind. You see, it was not done according to human reasoning but was quite unusual and beyond natural logic.

Genesis 31:1

And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.

See how envy drove them to ingratitude, and not only them but also Laban himself. “Jacob saw Laban’s attitude to him,” the text goes on, remember, “and, lo, it was not as it had previously been.” You see, his sons’ words deranged his mind and made him forget what he had said some time before in conversation with Jacob, “God has blessed me in your coming.” After thanking the Lord for making his wealth increase through the arrival of the good man, he was now disturbed in mind under the influence of his sons and inflamed with envy, perhaps because he saw the good man’s fortunate circumstances, and so he was not prepared to behave toward him in the same way.

Genesis 31:3

And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

Do you see the good man’s great meekness, on the one hand, and their ingratitude, on the other, and how they could not bear to hold their envy in check but even affected their father’s attitude? See now God’s ineffable care and the degree of considerateness he employs when he sees us doing our best. I mean, when he saw the good man the object of their envy, he said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your father and to your birthplace, and I will be with you.” You have had enough of living in a foreign land, he is saying. What I promised you previously in the words “I will return you to your country,” this I now intend to bring to pass. So go back without fear; after all, “I will be with you.” You see, to prevent the good man becoming lethargic in departing instead of taking to the road with confidence, he says, “I will be with you.” The One who has managed your affairs until now and caused your descendants to increase, “I will be with you” in future as well.

Genesis 31:12

And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

We learn from this that whenever we bear people’s wrongdoing meekly and mildly, we enjoy help from on high in a richer and more abundant measure. Accordingly, far from resisting those bent on abusing us, let us bear it nobly in the knowledge that the Lord of all will not forget us, provided we ourselves give evidence of our good will. “Vengeance is mine,” Scripture says, remember, “I will repay, says the Lord.” Hence Jacob also said, “God did not allow him to do me harm.” I mean, since he actually intended to deprive me of payment for my work, he is saying, the Lord gave evidence of his care for us in such marvelous abundance as to transfer all his substance to us. He has shown such care for us, aware that I performed his service with good grace, whereas Laban was not kindly disposed to me. For proof that I do not idly say this or with any intention of accusing him without rhyme or reason, I even have God as my witness to what has been done to me by your father. “I have observed all that Laban has been doing to you,” God says, remember—not only that he has deprived you of your wage b…

We learn from this that whenever we bear people’s wrongdoing meekly and mildly, we enjoy help from on high in a richer and more abundant measure. Accordingly, far from resisting those bent on abusing us, let us bear it nobly in the knowledge that the Lord of all will not forget us, provided we ourselves give evidence of our good will. “Vengeance is mine,” Scripture says, remember, “I will repay, says the Lord.” Hence Jacob also said, “God did not allow him to do me harm.” I mean, since he actually intended to deprive me of payment for my work, he is saying, the Lord gave evidence of his care for us in such marvelous abundance as to transfer all his substance to us. He has shown such care for us, aware that I performed his service with good grace, whereas Laban was not kindly disposed to me. For proof that I do not idly say this or with any intention of accusing him without rhyme or reason, I even have God as my witness to what has been done to me by your father. “I have observed all that Laban has been doing to you,” God says, remember—not only that he has deprived you of your wage but as well, instead of being disposed toward you as he was previously, he has a completely distorted attitude.

Genesis 31:17

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

Consider, I ask you, the good man’s noble resolve in quelling every sentiment of fear or reluctance when responding to the command of the Lord. I mean, when he saw Laban’s attitude was not promising, he refrained from confronting him as before; instead, he discharged the direction from the Lord by taking his wives and children and making tracks.

Genesis 31:19

And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

This was included not by chance but for us to know how they still clung to their ancestral habits and showed great devotion to the household gods. I mean, consider how [Rachel] went to so much trouble as to steal nothing else of her father’s than the household gods alone and did it without her husband noticing; Jacob would not have allowed it to happen, you see.

Genesis 31:24

And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Wonderful is the Lord’s goodness. When God saw Laban bent on fighting and intent on conflict with the good man, he said as if to check his intention by word, “Watch yourself, lest you be guilty of evil words to Jacob.” Don’t try even in word to harass Jacob, he is saying, but watch yourself; check this wicked assault of yours, repress your anger, rein in your seething thoughts and forbear harassing him even in word. Notice, I ask you, God’s loving kindness. Instead of bidding Laban return to his own place, he only directed him to deliver no harsh or severe words to the good man. What on earth was the reason for that? For the good man to learn in fact and by experience the degree of care he was accorded by God.You see, had Laban turned back, how would the good man or his wives have known this? Hence God allowed Laban to come and from his own lips to confess the words spoken to him by God. He did so that the good man might also gain greater enthusiasm for his journey and embrace it in confidence and that his wives might come to know how much care Jacob was accorded by the God of all an…

Wonderful is the Lord’s goodness. When God saw Laban bent on fighting and intent on conflict with the good man, he said as if to check his intention by word, “Watch yourself, lest you be guilty of evil words to Jacob.” Don’t try even in word to harass Jacob, he is saying, but watch yourself; check this wicked assault of yours, repress your anger, rein in your seething thoughts and forbear harassing him even in word. Notice, I ask you, God’s loving kindness. Instead of bidding Laban return to his own place, he only directed him to deliver no harsh or severe words to the good man. What on earth was the reason for that? For the good man to learn in fact and by experience the degree of care he was accorded by God.You see, had Laban turned back, how would the good man or his wives have known this? Hence God allowed Laban to come and from his own lips to confess the words spoken to him by God. He did so that the good man might also gain greater enthusiasm for his journey and embrace it in confidence and that his wives might come to know how much care Jacob was accorded by the God of all and so reject their father’s deception and imitate the good man. They thus gained from the incident considerable instruction in knowing God. I mean, what came from Jacob was not so convincing as the words spoken by Laban, who was still a devotee of idols. After all, the testimony of infidels and opponents of religion always carries with it great power to convince. This in fact is a sign of God’s creative wisdom, when he turns the enemies of truth into the very witnesses to truth, who then by their own mouth fight on its side.

Genesis 31:26

And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?

See how the command from God repressed [Laban’s] great rage and restrained his anger. Hence Laban directs his words to [Jacob] with extreme mildness, almost apologetically, and shows signs of fatherly affection for him. In fact, whenever we enjoy providence from on high, we not only succeed in avoiding the schemes of wicked people, but should we even encounter untamed beasts, we would suffer no harm. You see, the Lord of all gives evidence of the abundance of his characteristic power by transforming the nature of the beasts and turning it into the gentleness of sheep, not by removing their animal characteristics but, while leaving these in their nature, causing the beasts to appear as sheep. You could observe this not only in wild beasts but also in the elements themselves; at his will the very elements forget their power, and not even fire shows the characteristics of fire.

Genesis 31:30

And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

What extraordinary folly—what kind of gods are these of yours that can be stolen? Aren’t you ashamed to say, “Why did you steal my household gods?” See the extraordinary extent of Laban’s selfdeception such that people endowed with reason should worship wood and stone. These gods of yours, Laban, could not prevent their being stolen. How could they, after all, being made out of stone? The God of this good man, on the contrary, even if the good man was unaware of it, checked your aggression. Are you ignorant of your own error while still charging the good man with theft? After all, why on earth would the good man bring himself to steal them when he despised them, or rather realized they were made of stone and had no feeling? Homilies on Genesis

Genesis 31:35

And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

Wonderful is the shrewdness of Rachel, by which she succeeded in outwitting Laban. Let those heed it who are victims of deceit and give great importance to the worship of idols. “She put them under the camel saddles,” the text says, “and sat on them.” What could be more ridiculous than these people? Although endowed with reason and accorded such wonderful preeminence in God’s loving kindness, they bring themselves to worship lifeless stone, and, far from being ashamed or having any sense of such absurdity, they even make a habit of it like dumb animals. Hence Paul also wrote in these words, “You know that when you were pagans, it was to mute idols you went off in your frenzy.” Rightly did he say “mute”; people with the faculty of speech, enjoying reason and hearing, betake themselves to things of no such faculties like irrational animals. What excuse would such people in fact deserve?

Genesis 31:44

Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

Consider how Laban is gradually introduced to knowledge of God. The man who previously brought the charge of theft of his household gods against the good man and conducted such a close search now says, “Since there is no one capable of acting between us, in case anything happens later, let God act as witness between us to witness what is now being done by us. He is present, the one who sees everything, whose attention nothing can escape, who reads each person’s mind.”

Genesis 31:55

And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

Do you see, dearly beloved, God’s great wisdom in demonstrating his care for the good man, as well as at the same time deterring the other from his injustice and, by forbidding him from speaking evil against Jacob, conducting him gradually to the path of knowledge of God? Though Laban had been pacing about like a wild beast intent on snaring and destroying him, he made his excuses, kissed his daughters and their sons good-bye and returned home.

Genesis 32:1

And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

You see, once fear of Laban faded and was no more, then fear of his brother took hold of Jacob; so the loving Lord wanted to give the good man heart and drive out all his apprehension. Thus he caused Jacob to see the angels’ camp. “God’s angels accosted him,” the text says, remember. “Jacob said, ‘This is God’s camp,’ and he called that place Camps,” with the result that from the name there was a constant reminder of the vision that occurred to him there.

Genesis 32:3

And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

See how great was Jacob’s fear even after the vision had affected the good man. He was afraid of his brother’s aggression and was concerned lest the memory of what had been done by him previously might provoke Esau into an attack on him. “Say to my lord Esau, ‘Thus says your servant Jacob: I was dwelling with Laban and tarried until now; I acquired cattle and asses and sheep, servants male and female. I have sent word to my lord in the hope that your servant may find favor with you.’ ” Notice how Jacob was afraid of his brother, and hence out of a wish to placate him he sent word ahead alerting him to his coming, the wealth acquired by him and where he had spent all the time, so as to calm Esau’s anger and succeed in making him gracious. This in fact happened, for God placated his heart, allayed his anger and rendered him gracious. After all, if by the words Jacob spoke to Laban, who had hunted him down in such awful rage, he caused him to suffer such great apprehension, much more did he cause his brother to be more affable to the good man.

Genesis 32:6

And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

See how this was sufficient to aggravate the good man’s fear. Far from realizing precisely his brother’s intent, Jacob was terrified to learn the number of those approaching and suspected that they were bent on hostilities and so wanted to catch up with him. Note the text says, “Jacob was in a state of fear and perplexity.” Fear disturbed his thinking, and instead of knowing what to do, he was at a loss; hence Jacob was terrified of almost everything, and, with the prospect of death before him, “he divided all the people with him into two camps.” You see, he said, “If he comes upon one camp and attacks it, the other will have the chance of being saved.” While it was Jacob’s fear and great terror that suggested this, … seeing himself caught in a trap he had recourse to the invincible Lord and invoked the promises made him by the God of all, as if to say to him, “Now the time has come for a good man to enjoy your complete assistance on account of the virtue of his forebears and the promises made by you.”

Genesis 32:13

And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

See the good man’s godliness and proper sense of values in requesting nothing from the Lord other than fulfillment of his promises. After giving thanks for his former benefits by confessing that while naked and destitute he had been brought to such affluence, Jacob entreats God to snatch him from danger. Recall that Jacob says, “You told me, ‘I will make your descendants to be like the sand of the sea, which in number will defy counting.’ ” Having made this appeal to the Lord, however, and having offered this supplication to the Lord, Jacob also made every effort on his own part. Selecting gifts from what he brought with him, the text says, Jacob sent them to his brother, spacing out what was sent and giving instructions with the aim of appeasing Esau by word and alerting him to his own arrival. Recall that the text says, “ ‘Behold, your servant is right behind us,’ so as first to appease him, and then we can meet face to face.” “After this,” remember Jacob says, “I will meet him face to face; perhaps he will be pleased to see me.” The gifts went ahead of him.