Genesis 31:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me.

NIV: yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me.

NASB: Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to do me harm.

CSB: and that he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not let him harm me.

NLT: but he has cheated me, changing my wages ten times. But God has not allowed him to do me any harm.

KJV: And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

NKJV: Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.

Jacob is about to ask for support from his wives, Rachel and Leah, in leaving their homeland behind and moving with their household, family, and possessions to his homeland in Canaan (Genesis 31:3). In the previous verse, Jacob reminded them that he has served Laban with all of his strength, assuming they understood that to be true. Laban, however, has not been fair to him, Jacob insists. They knew this to be true, as well.

After all, they were both there when Laban switched Leah for Rachel on their wedding day and tacked seven years onto Jacob's work contract (Genesis 29:20–28). They had likely also heard about Laban's attempts to change his deal with Jacob "ten times" in order to limit Jacob's growing wealth at his expense (Genesis 30:31–43).

Laban's efforts to cheat Jacob again didn't work, though. The Lord wouldn't allow Jacob to be taken advantage of any longer, as the following verses will make clear.

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 3:46:17 PM