Laban cheerfully accepted the proposal, but did not leave Jacob to make the selection. He undertook that himself, probably to make more sure, and then gave those which were set apart as Jacob's wages to his own sons to tend, since it was Jacob's duty to take care of Laban's flock, and "set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob," i.e., between the flock to be tended by himself through his sons, and that to be tended by Jacob, for the purpose of preventing any copulation between the animals of the two flocks. Nevertheless he was overreached by Jacob, who adopted a double method of increasing the wages agreed upon. In the first place (Genesis 30:37-39), he took fresh rods of storax, maple, and walnut-trees, all of which have a dazzling white wood under their dark outside, and peeled white stripes upon them, הלּבן מחשׂף (the verbal noun instead of the inf. abs. חשׂף), "peeling the white naked in the rods." These partially peeled, and therefore mottled rods, he placed in the drinking-troughs (רהטים lit., gutters, from רהט equals רוּץ to run, is explained by המּים שׁקתות water-troughs), to which the flock came to drink, in front of the animals, in order that, if copulation took place at the drinking time, it might occur near the mottled sticks, and the young be speckled and spotted in consequence. ויּחמנה a rare, antiquated form for ותּחמנה from חמם, and ויּחמוּ for ויּחמוּ imperf. Kal of יחם equals חמם. This artifice was founded upon a fact frequently noticed, particularly in the case of sheep, that whatever fixes their attention in copulation is marked upon the young (see the proofs in Bochart, Hieroz. 1, 618, and Friedreich zur Bibel 1, 37ff.). - Secondly (Genesis 30:40), Jacob separated the speckled animals thus obtained from those of a normal colour, and caused the latter to feed so that the others would be constantly in sight, in order that he might in this way obtain a constant accession of mottled sheep. As soon as these had multiplied sufficiently, he formed separate flocks (viz., of the speckled additions), "and put them not unto Laban's cattle;" i.e., he kept them apart in order that a still larger number of speckled ones might be procured, through Laban's one-coloured flock having this mottled group constantly in view.

Genesis 31:1 Parallel Commentaries

Jacob.

Genesis 31:8,9 If he said thus, The speckled shall be your wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus...

Job 31:31 If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

Psalm 57:4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows...

Psalm 64:3,4 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words...

Psalm 120:3-5 What shall be given to you? or what shall be done to you, you false tongue...

Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

Ecclesiastes 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor...

Ezekiel 16:44 Behold, every one that uses proverbs shall use this proverb against you, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy...

glory. 'Glory' is here used for 'wealth,' riches, or property; since those who possess riches, generally make them the subject of glory. The original word cavod, signifies both 'glory' and 'weight.'

Genesis 45:13 And you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen...

Esther 5:11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him...

Job 31:24,25 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, You are my confidence...

Psalm 17:14 From men which are your hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life...

Psalm 49:16,17 Be not you afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased...

Ecclesiastes 4:4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor...

Isaiah 5:14 Therefore hell has enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp...

Jeremiah 9:23 Thus said the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might...

Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil takes him up into an exceeding high mountain, and shows him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

1 Timothy 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof comes envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

1 Peter 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass wither, and the flower thereof falls away: