22 When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled , 23 then he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him a distance of seven days' journey , and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead . 24 God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, " Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad ."
25 Laban caught up with Jacob . Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country , and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead . 26 Then Laban said to Jacob , "What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword ? 27 "Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs , with timbrel and with lyre ; 28 and did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters ? Now you have done foolishly . 29 "It is in my power to do you harm , but the God of your father spoke to me last night , saying , ' Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob .' 30 "Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house ; but why did you steal my gods ?" 31 Then Jacob replied to Laban , "Because I was afraid , for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force . 32 " The one with whom you find your gods shall not live ; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maids , but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent . 34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle , and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them. 35 She said to her father , "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot e rise before e you, for the manner of women is upon me." So he searched but did not find the household idols .
36 Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban ; and Jacob said to Laban , "What is my transgression ? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me? 37 "Though you have felt through all my goods , what have you found of all your household goods ? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen , that they may decide between us two . 38 "These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried , nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks . 39 "That which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself . You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night . 40 "Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night , and my sleep fled from my eyes . 41 "These twenty years I have been in your house ; I served you fourteen e years for your two daughters and six years for your flock , and you changed my wages ten times . 42 "If the God of my father , the God of Abraham , and the fear of Isaac , had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed . God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands , so He rendered judgment last night ."
43 Then Laban replied to Jacob , "The daughters are my daughters , and the children are my children , and the flocks are my flocks , and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne ? 44 "So now come , let us make a covenant , you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me." 45 Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar . 46 Jacob said to his kinsmen , "Gather stones ." So they took stones and made a heap , and they ate there by the heap . 47 Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha , but Jacob called it Galeed . 48 Laban said , " This heap is a witness between you and me this day ." Therefore e it was named e Galeed , 49 and Mizpah , for he said , "May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other . 50 "If you mistreat my daughters , or if you take wives besides my daughters , although no man is with us, see , God is witness between you and me." 51 Laban said to Jacob , "Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me. 52 "This heap is a witness , and the pillar is a witness , that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me, for harm . 53 " The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor , the God of their father , judge between us." So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac . 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain , and called his kinsmen to the meal e ; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain . 55 Early in the morning Laban arose , and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place .
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.