22 And on the third day Laban had news of Jacob's flight. 23 And taking the men of his family with him, he went after him for seven days and overtook him in the hill-country of Gilead. 24 Then God came to Laban in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.
25 Now when Laban overtook him, Jacob had put up his tent in the hill-country; and Laban and his brothers put up their tents in the hill-country of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners of war? 27 Why did you make a secret of your flight, not giving me word of it, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with melody and music? 28 You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do. 29 It is in my power to do you damage: but the God of your father came to me this night, saying, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob. 30 And now, it seems, you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house; but why have you taken my gods? 31 And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might take your daughters from me by force. 32 As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death: make search before us all for what is yours, and take it. For Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken them. 33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's. 34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them. 35 And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images.
36 Then Jacob was angry with Laban, and said, What crime or sin have I done that you have come after me with such passion? 37 Now that you have made search through all my goods, what have you seen which is yours? Make it clear now before my people and your people, so that they may be judges between us. 38 These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your goats have had young without loss, not one of your he-goats have I taken for food. 39 Anything which was wounded by beasts I did not take to you, but myself made up for the loss of it; you made me responsible for whatever was taken by thieves, by day or by night. 40 This was my condition, wasted by heat in the day and by the bitter cold at night; and sleep went from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back.
43 Then Laban, answering, said, These women are my daughters and these children my children, the flocks and all you see are mine: what now may I do for my daughters and for their children? 44 Come, let us make an agreement, you and I; and let it be for a witness between us. 45 Then Jacob took a stone and put it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his people, Get stones together; and they did so; and they had a meal there by the stones. 47 And the name Laban gave it was Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob gave it the name of Galeed. 48 And Laban said, These stones are a witness between you and me today. For this reason its name was Galeed, 49 And Mizpah, for he said, May the Lord keep watch on us when we are unable to see one another's doings. 50 If you are cruel to my daughters, or if you take other wives in addition to my daughters, then though no man is there to see, God will be the witness between us. 51 And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put between you and me; 52 They will be witness that I will not go over these stones to you, and you will not go over these stones or this pillar to me, for any evil purpose. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 And Jacob made an offering on the mountain, and gave orders to his people to take food: so they had a meal and took their rest that night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban, after kissing and blessing his daughters, went on his way back to his country.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 31:22-55
Commentary on Genesis 31:22-35
(Read Genesis 31:22-35)
God can put a bridle in the mouth of wicked men, to restrain their malice, though he do not change their hearts. Though they have no love to God's people, they will pretend to it, and try to make a merit of necessity. Foolish Laban! to call those things his gods which could be stolen! Enemies may steal our goods, but not our God. Here Laban lays to Jacob's charge things that he knew not. Those who commit their cause to God, are not forbidden to plead it themselves with meekness and fear. When we read of Rachel's stealing her father's images, what a scene of iniquity opens! The family of Nahor, who left the idolatrous Chaldees; is this family itself become idolatrous? It is even so. The truth seems to be, that they were like some in after-times, who sware by the Lord and by Malcham, Zephaniah 1:5; and like others in our times, who wish to serve both God and mammon. Great numbers will acknowledge the true God in words, but their hearts and houses are the abodes of spiritual idolatry. When a man gives himself up to covetousness, like Laban, the world is his god; and he has only to reside among gross idolaters in order to become one, or at least a favourer of their abominations.
Commentary on Genesis 31:36-42
(Read Genesis 31:36-42)
If Jacob were willingly consumed with heat in the day, and frost by night, to become the son-in-law of Laban, what should we refuse to endure, to become the sons of God? Jacob speaks of God as the God of his father; he thought himself unworthy to be regarded, but was beloved for his father's sake. He calls him the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac; for Abraham was dead, and gone to that world where perfect love casts out fear; but Isaac was yet alive, sanctifying the Lord in his heart, as his fear and his dread.
Commentary on Genesis 31:43-55
(Read Genesis 31:43-55)
Laban could neither justify himself nor condemn Jacob, therefore desires to hear no more of that matter. He is not willing to own himself in fault, as he ought to have done. But he proposes a covenant of friendship between them, to which Jacob readily agrees. A heap of stones was raised, to keep up the memory of the event, writing being then not known or little used. A sacrifice of peace offerings was offered. Peace with God puts true comfort into our peace with our friends. They did eat bread together, partaking of the feast upon the sacrifice. In ancient times covenants of friendship were ratified by the parties eating and drinking together. God is judge between contending parties, and he will judge righteously; whoever do wrong, it is at their peril. They gave a new name to the place, The heap of witness. After this angry parley, they part friends. God is often better to us than our fears, and overrules the spirits of men in our favour, beyond what we could have expected; for it is not in vain to trust in him.