Genesis 30:43

KJV

And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

KJV (with Strong's)

And the man {H376} increased {H6555} exceedingly {H3966}{H3966}, and had much {H7227} cattle {H6629}, and maidservants {H8198}, and menservants {H5650}, and camels {H1581}, and asses {H2543}.

Complete Jewish Bible

In this way the man became very rich and had large flocks, along with male and female slaves, camels and donkeys.

Berean Standard Bible

Thus Jacob became exceedingly prosperous. He owned large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.

American Standard Version

And the man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, and maid-servants and men-servants, and camels and asses.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Genesis 30:43 marks the culmination of Jacob's six years of labor for his own wages under Laban, vividly detailing his immense and rapid increase in wealth. This verse serves as tangible evidence of God's supernatural blessing and unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, demonstrating divine providence in turning Laban's repeated attempts to defraud Jacob into an outpouring of abundant prosperity, establishing Jacob's independence and status.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse concludes the intricate narrative of Jacob's shrewd, yet divinely guided, livestock breeding strategy during his final six years serving Laban. Following his fourteen years of labor for Leah and Rachel, Jacob desires to return to his homeland. Laban, recognizing that the Lord had blessed him "for Jacob's sake" (Genesis 30:27), attempts to retain Jacob by offering a new wage agreement based on the color and markings of the flocks. Jacob's seemingly simple request for all speckled, spotted, and ringstraked animals, combined with his strategic use of peeled rods and, more importantly, God's direct intervention, leads to an exponential increase in his own flocks at Laban's expense. This verse is the climactic statement of Jacob's material success, immediately preceding his decision to finally depart from Laban and return to Canaan, setting the stage for the dramatic confrontation with Esau and the continuation of the patriarchal narrative.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, wealth was primarily measured by livestock, servants, and land. Camels and asses were crucial for transport and trade, signifying not just personal wealth but also the capacity for large-scale nomadic movements and commercial endeavors. Maidservants and menservants were integral to managing large households and flocks, indicating a significant retinue and social standing. The practice of using specific animal markings for wages was a common form of contract, but Laban's repeated changing of the terms (as Jacob recounts in [Genesis 31:7](/genesis/31-7 "Laban changed Jacob's wages ten times")) highlights his deceitful character. Jacob's methods, while appearing to be folk animal husbandry, are presented within the biblical narrative as divinely sanctioned and empowered, reflecting a worldview where God actively intervenes in the material affairs of His covenant people.
* **Key Themes:** Genesis 30:43 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Genesis. It underscores the theme of **Divine Providence**, showing how God orchestrates circumstances to fulfill His purposes, even through human deceit and natural means. The verse is a clear manifestation of **Covenant Faithfulness**, as God honors His promises of blessing and fruitfulness made to Abraham and reaffirmed to Jacob at [Bethel](/genesis/28-15 "God's Promise to Jacob at Bethel"). It also highlights the theme of **God's Vindication of the Righteous**, as Jacob, despite being exploited by Laban, is abundantly blessed by God, demonstrating that God champions His chosen ones. Furthermore, it speaks to the **Interplay of Human Diligence and Divine Favor**, where Jacob's shrewdness and hard work are presented as a channel through which God's supernatural blessing flows, leading to a prosperity that "breaks forth" beyond normal expectations, as seen in the broader narrative of [Jacob's dealings with Laban](/genesis/29-31 "Jacob's Family and Flocks").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **man (Hebrew, _ʼîysh'_):** Refers to Jacob as an individual male person, emphasizing his personal agency and the direct recipient of God's blessing. While often used generally, here it specifically denotes Jacob, the patriarch, whose personal prosperity is central to the unfolding covenant narrative.
* **increased (Hebrew, _pârats'_):** This primitive root means "to break out," "to burst forth," or "to spread abroad." It conveys a sense of overwhelming, expansive, and unstoppable growth. The use of this word emphasizes that Jacob's increase was not merely incremental but a sudden, explosive proliferation that defied natural explanation and pointed to divine intervention. It suggests a breaking through of normal limits.
* **exceedingly (Hebrew, _mᵉʼôd'_):** This word, often repeated for emphasis (as it is here, _mᵉʼôd mᵉʼôd_), signifies "vehemence," "greatly," "very much," or "utterly." Its repetition intensifies the degree of Jacob's increase, stressing that his prosperity was not just significant but extraordinarily abundant, far beyond what could be expected from typical animal husbandry or human effort alone. It underscores the supernatural magnitude of the blessing.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the man increased exceedingly,"**: This opening clause establishes the central outcome: Jacob's extraordinary prosperity. The verb "increased" (פָּרַץ, _pârats_) implies a bursting forth or breaking out, suggesting a rapid, overwhelming, and almost uncontrollable growth. The repetition of "exceedingly" (מְאֹד מְאֹד, _mᵉʼôd mᵉʼôd_) serves as a superlative, emphasizing the immense scale and supernatural nature of this increase, which far surpassed normal expectations and was clearly a divine work.
* **"and had much cattle,"**: This specifies the primary component of Jacob's wealth. "Cattle" (מִקְנֶה, _miqneh_) refers broadly to livestock, encompassing sheep, goats, and larger animals, which were the chief measure of wealth in the ancient world. The adjective "much" (רַב, _rab_) further underscores the abundance, indicating a vast quantity of animals, signifying significant economic power and resources.
* **"and maidservants, and menservants,"**: This clause details the human labor force that accompanied Jacob's burgeoning enterprise. Servants were essential for managing large flocks and households, and their number was a direct indicator of a patriarch's wealth, status, and capacity for large-scale operations. Their acquisition implies a growing and complex household infrastructure.
* **"and camels, and asses."**: These final items specify the crucial transport animals. Camels were vital for long-distance travel and carrying heavy loads across arid regions, while asses were common pack animals for shorter distances and daily tasks. Their presence signifies not only wealth but also mobility, independence, and the capacity for significant trade or migration, all of which would be essential for Jacob's impending departure from Laban.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs **Hyperbole** to emphasize the extraordinary nature of Jacob's prosperity. The phrase "increased exceedingly" (literally "broke forth exceedingly, exceedingly") uses intensified language to convey a growth that transcends normal agricultural or economic patterns, pointing to a divine intervention that defies natural limits. This hyperbole serves to magnify God's power and faithfulness in blessing Jacob. Furthermore, there is an element of **Divine Irony** at play. Laban's repeated attempts to defraud Jacob and manipulate the terms of their agreement ultimately backfire, as God uses Laban's own schemes to transfer wealth from Laban to Jacob. This demonstrates God's sovereign ability to turn human wickedness into a means of fulfilling His righteous purposes. The comprehensive listing of Jacob's possessions also functions as **Merism**, where listing various parts (cattle, servants, camels, asses) represents the whole of his vast and comprehensive wealth, signifying his complete establishment as a powerful and independent patriarch.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 30:43 stands as a powerful testament to God's unwavering faithfulness and sovereign providence. Despite Laban's deceitful and exploitative practices, God actively intervened to ensure Jacob's prosperity, demonstrating His ability to work through and above human schemes to fulfill His covenant promises. This verse underscores that true prosperity, in the biblical sense, is ultimately a gift from God, who vindicates His chosen ones and empowers them to flourish even in adverse circumstances. It highlights the principle that God honors those who trust in Him, turning what was meant for harm into a profound blessing, thereby establishing Jacob's independence and preparing him for the next stage of his journey back to the Promised Land.

* [Genesis 28:15](/genesis/28-15 "God's Promise to Jacob at Bethel")
* [Deuteronomy 8:18](/deuteronomy/8-18 "God Gives Power to Get Wealth")
* [Psalm 1:3](/psalms/1-3 "The Blessed Man")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 30:43 offers profound encouragement for believers navigating unfair or challenging circumstances, reminding us that God is faithful to His promises and possesses the power to prosper His people, even when human efforts are thwarted or exploited. Jacob's story teaches us that our diligence and wisdom in our work, when coupled with unwavering trust in God's providence, can become channels for unexpected favor and breakthroughs that "break forth" beyond natural expectations. This verse challenges us to cultivate a deep reliance on God's power and faithfulness, rather than solely on our own ingenuity or the fairness of human systems. It reassures us that even when others seek to diminish us, God can elevate us, transforming adversity into abundance and demonstrating His sovereign care over every detail of our lives, both material and spiritual.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Jacob's experience of God's blessing, despite Laban's deceit, encourage you in situations where you feel unfairly treated or exploited?**
* **In what areas of your life do you need to trust God for a "breaking forth" of blessing that goes beyond your natural abilities or expectations?**
* **How can you cultivate both diligence in your work and unwavering trust in God's providence to see His blessings manifest in your life?**

### FAQ

**Was Jacob's prosperity solely due to his clever animal husbandry?**

Answer: While Jacob did employ shrewd animal husbandry techniques, such as the use of peeled rods at watering troughs, the biblical narrative consistently emphasizes that his extraordinary prosperity was primarily due to [divine intervention](/genesis/31-9 "God Took Laban's Cattle and Gave Them to Jacob"). Jacob himself testifies that God prevented Laban from harming him and supernaturally transferred Laban's flocks to him. His methods were a means, but God was the ultimate source and orchestrator of his wealth, ensuring that Laban's attempts to defraud Jacob ultimately served to fulfill God's plan for Jacob's increase.

**Does this verse imply that God always grants material wealth to His faithful followers?**

Answer: Not necessarily. While [Genesis 30:43](/genesis/30-43 "Jacob's Exceeding Prosperity") clearly shows God granting immense material wealth to Jacob, it's crucial to interpret this within its specific Old Testament covenant context. In that era, material prosperity was often a tangible sign of God's blessing and faithfulness to His covenant promises, particularly concerning the Abrahamic covenant's promises of land and descendants. However, the New Testament emphasizes spiritual riches and blessings in Christ, teaching that God's favor is not always expressed through material abundance. Believers may experience hardship and poverty, yet still be profoundly blessed by God in spiritual terms, as exemplified by Christ Himself, who, "though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" ([2 Corinthians 8:9](/2_corinthians/8-9 "Christ, Though Rich, Became Poor for Our Sakes")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jacob's "exceeding increase" in [Genesis 30:43](/genesis/30-43 "Jacob's Exceeding Prosperity") serves as a powerful foreshadowing of the spiritual abundance and immeasurable riches found exclusively in Christ. While Jacob gained material wealth, Christ offers eternal life, righteousness, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and an inheritance that is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading" ([1 Peter 1:4](/1_peter/1-4 "An Inheritance Kept in Heaven")). Just as God faithfully blessed Jacob despite Laban's deceit, turning adverse circumstances into overwhelming prosperity, so too does Christ, the ultimate Seed of Abraham ([Galatians 3:16](/galatians/3-16 "The Seed Is Christ")), perfectly fulfill God's covenant promises, providing salvation and spiritual prosperity to all who believe. Through His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, we are made "rich in grace" ([Ephesians 1:7](/ephesians/1-7 "Redemption Through His Blood")) and become "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" ([Romans 8:17](/romans/8-17 "Heirs with Christ")), inheriting a kingdom that far surpasses any earthly possession. This demonstrates God's ultimate "breaking forth" of blessing in the new covenant, where spiritual wealth in Christ infinitely outweighs any temporal gain.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Genesis 26:13

And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:

Genesis 26:14

For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants: and the Philistines envied him.

Genesis 24:35

And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

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?

Genesis 13:2

And Abram [was] very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Ecclesiastes 2:7

I got [me] servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

Genesis 33:11

Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took [it].