Genesis 31
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Summary
The Lord commands Jacob to return to the land of his fathers with his family. He flees in secret to escape the wrath of Laban. Jacob recounts his dream to Rachel and Leah, wherein the Lord told him to leave the house of Laban. Laban discovers that Jacob has fled, and catches him in Gilead. Laban searches for his graven images which Rachel stole, and Jacob confronts Laban about Laban’s mistreatment of him and his family. Laban and Jacob covenant not to harm one another or their families. They eat bread together on mount Gilead and in the morning, Laban blesses his sons and daughters and departs back to his house.
Commentary
Bible Central Commentary
These free resources were developed for use in the free ScripturePlus app. Many of the contributors are professors of religion and ancient scripture at Brigham Young University.
Avram Shannon, “Camels,” in Old Testament Cultural Insights, ed. Taylor Halverson (Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2022).
Historical Commentaries
Many of the commentaries below are in the public domain and were authored over 100 years ago. In many cases, they do not reflect the findings of modern scholarship, but they may be helpful for understanding the history of biblical scholarship.
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Historical Settings
Time
*All Dates Are Approximate, according to the narrative of the Bible. These dates may reflect literary significance as opposed to the precise dates of history.
See Biblical Chronology- 1908 BC*
Further Reading
Jamie J. Huston, “The Integration of Temples and Families: A Latter-day Saint Structure for the Jacob Cycle,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 13 (2015): 131–167.
Andrew C. Skinner, “Jacob in the Presence of God,” in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (Provo and Salt Lake City, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book 2005), 117–132.
Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry (1706)
Commentary on the Bible
Adam Clarke (1831)
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable
Thomas Constable
Rashi’s Commentary
Rashi (Shlomo Yitzchaki)
Notes on the Bible
Albert Barnes (1834)
Exposition of the Entire Bible
John Gill (1746–63)
Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch (1857–78)
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
John Wesley (1754–65)