Genesis 31:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before.

NIV: And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been.

NASB: And Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as it had been before.

CSB: And Jacob saw from Laban's face that his attitude toward him was not the same as before.

NLT: And Jacob began to notice a change in Laban’s attitude toward him.

KJV: And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

NKJV: And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before.

Jacob feels vulnerable. The previous verse revealed that his brothers-in-law, Laban's sons, were grumbling against him. God had abundantly blessed Jacob's arrangement with Laban, even though Laban intended that contract to cheat Jacob once again. As explained later (Genesis 31:10–12), it was God's direct intervention in the breeding of the animals which caused Jacob's wealth to grow enormously while his father-in-law's fortune apparently diminished. Laban's sons are as greedy and short-sighted as their father, so they saw Jacob's wealth as money coming from their own pockets.

Jacob is aware, as well, that he is no longer favored by Laban. Not surprisingly, Laban had always liked Jacob when Laban had the upper hand. Not only had Jacob allowed Laban to force Leah on him as a wife, in exchange for an extra seven years of service (Genesis 29:20–28), Laban knew the Lord had blessed him because Jacob was working for him. According to complaints brought up in this chapter, Laban has also been shifty and unreliable in his dealings with Jacob (Genesis 31:6–7).

Now, however, Laban's scheming has backfired. His plan to once again cheat Jacob has instead resulted in Jacob growing wealthy, while Laban's wealth flounders. Now that Jacob had been given the upper hand in their relationship, Laban suddenly doesn't like Jacob any more. Jacob, with a large family and great wealth to lose, and no extended family of his own nearby to protect him, is aware that he could be in real trouble if Laban decides to turn on him.

Genesis 31:1–21 describes the events that propel Jacob to sneak away from Laban and head toward his homeland of Canaan. First, he learns that Laban and his sons are dangerously unhappy with him for taking so many of Laban's profits. Then God commands Jacob to go, promising to be with him. After securing the support of his wives, Jacob packs up his large family and property and sneaks away toward Gilead and then home.

Genesis 31 describes Jacob's difficult separation from Laban, his father-in-law, as well as his boss for twenty years. During that time, Jacob was routinely mistreated and cheated by his master. Commanded by God to return to the land of Canaan, Jacob packs up his wives, children, and all of his possessions and leaves without telling Laban. Laban soon catches up with the large company. Laban and Jacob confront each other bitterly. Eventually, though, they make a covenant of separation and peace.

Genesis 30 described the dramatic expansion of Jacob's family and property. Now, after twenty years of working for Laban, the time comes for Jacob to return to his own people. He attempts to sneak away without telling Laban, but Laban soon catches up with him. After bitter confrontations, father and son-in-law make a covenant of separation and peace. Jacob is finally free to begin the next chapter of his life in the Promised Land. First, though, he will need to deal with his brother Esau, whose rage was the main reason Jacob fled in the first place. That encounter is described over the following two chapters.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.