Manipulation
Jacob, after 14 years of service in Haran, decides it is time to return home to Canaan with his family. But Laban, recognizing the prosperity Jacob has brought him, pleads for him to stay, offering new wages in exchange for continued service. Jacob cleverly negotiates, devising a strategy to claim the speckled and spotted cattle as his own, and over the next six years, he amasses immense wealth, outwitting Laban at every turn. As Jacob’s prosperity grows, envy and tension simmer within Laban’s household, setting the stage for an inevitable and dramatic conflict.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
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Genesis
40%
Jasher
48%
Jubilees
12%
Exposition
Jubilee: 45
Year: 2205
Jacob asked to return to his mother, Rebekah
Jasher 31:22-23
Rising Action
Jacob asks Laban if he can be released to go back home
Genesis 30:25-26
Jasher 31:24
Jubilees 28:25
Climax
Laban and Jacob discuss Jacob’s wages from the impure flocks
Genesis 30:27-34
Jasher 31:25-26
Jubilees 28:26-27
Falling Action
Jacob separates the flocks for his wages
Genesis 30:35-36
Jasher 31:27-28
Jubilees 28:28
Isaac’s servants leave Jacob while Deborah remains with him
Jasher 31:29-30
Resolution
Jacob schemes to increase his flock and decrease Laban’s flock
Genesis 30:37-43
Jasher 31:31-34
Jubilees 28:29-30
Jubilee: 45
Year: 2205
Jacob asked to return to his mother, Rebekah
Jasher 31:22-23
22 At that time Jacob’s mother, Rebecca, sent her nurse Deborah the daughter of Uz, and two of Isaac’s servants unto Jacob.
23 And they came to Jacob to Haran and they said unto him, Rebecca has sent us to thee that thou shalt return to thy father’s house to the land of Canaan; and Jacob hearkened unto them in this which his mother had spoken.
Jacob asks Laban if he can be released to go back home
Genesis 30:25-26
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.
Jasher 31:24
24 At that time, the other seven years which Jacob served Laban for Rachel were completed, and it was at the end of fourteen years that he had dwelt in Haran that Jacob said unto Laban, give me my wives and send me away, that I may go to my land, for behold my mother did send unto me from the land at Canaan that I should return to my father’s house.
Jubilees 28:25
25 And in the days when Joseph was born, Jacob said to Laban: ‘Give me my wives and sons, and let me go to my father Isaac, and let me make me an house; for I have completed the years in which I have served thee for thy two daughters, and I will go to the house of my father.’
Laban and Jacob discuss Jacob’s wages from the impure flocks
Genesis 30:27-28
27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.
28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.
Jasher 31:25
25 And Laban said unto him, Not so I pray thee; if I have found favor in thy sight do not leave me; appoint me thy wages and I will give them, and remain with me.
Jubilees 28:26
26 And Laban said to Jacob: ‘Tarry with me for thy wages, and pasture my flock for me again, and take thy wages.’
Genesis 30:29-30
29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
Genesis 30:31-32
31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock.
32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
Jasher 31:26
26 And Jacob said unto him, This is what thou shalt give me for wages, that I shall this day pass through all thy flock and take away from them every lamb that is speckled and spotted and such as are brown amongst the sheep, and amongst the goats, and if thou wilt do this thing for me I will return and feed thy flock and keep them as at first.
Genesis 30:33
33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
Genesis 30:34
34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.
Jubilees 28:27
27 And they agreed with one another that he should give him as his wages those of the lambs and kids which were born black and spotted and white, (these) were to be his wages.
Jacob separates the flocks for his wages
Genesis 30:35
35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
Jasher 31:27-28
27 And Laban did so, and Laban removed from his flock all that Jacob had said and gave them to him.
28 And Jacob placed all that he had removed from Laban’s flock in the hands of his sons, and Jacob was feeding the remainder of Laban’s flock.
Jubilees 28:28
28 And all the sheep brought forth spotted and speckled and black, variously marked, and they brought forth again lambs like themselves, and all that were spotted were Jacob’s and those which were not were Laban’s.
Genesis 30:36
36 And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
Isaac’s servants leave Jacob while Deborah remains with him
Jasher 31:29-30
29 And when the servants of Isaac which he had sent unto Jacob saw that Jacob would not then return with them to the land of Canaan to his father, they then went away from him, and they returned home to the land of Canaan.
30 And Deborah remained with Jacob in Haran, and she did not return with the servants of Isaac to the land of Canaan, and Deborah resided with Jacob’s wives and children in Haran.
Jacob schemes to increase his flock and decrease Laban’s flock
Genesis 30:37-42
37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.
41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
Jasher 31:31-34
31 And Jacob served Laban six years longer, and when the sheep brought forth, Jacob removed from them such as were speckled and spotted, as he had determined with Laban, and Jacob did so at Laban’s for six years, and the man increased abundantly and he had cattle and maid servants and men servants, camels, and asses.
32 And Jacob had two hundred drove of cattle, and his cattle were of large size and of beautiful appearance and were very productive, and all the families of the sons of men desired to get some of the cattle of Jacob, for they were exceedingly prosperous.
33 And many of the sons of men came to procure some of Jacob’s flock, and Jacob gave them a sheep for a man servant or a maid servant or for an ass or a camel, or whatever Jacob desired from them they gave him.
34 And Jacob obtained riches and honor and possessions by means of these transactions with the sons of men, and the children of Laban envied him of this honor.
Genesis 30:43
43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
Jubilees 28:29
29 And Jacob’s possessions multiplied exceedingly, and he possessed oxen and sheep and asses and camels, and menservants and maid-servants.
Jubilees 28:30
30 And Laban and his sons envied Jacob, and Laban took back his sheep from him, and he observed him with evil intent.
Notes
No notes.
Exposition
Jubilee: 45
Year: 2205
Jacob asked to return to his mother, Rebekah
Jasher 31:22-23
At that time, Jacob’s mother Rebekah sent her nurse Deborah, the daughter of Uz, along with 2 of Isaac’s servants to Jacob. They came to him in Haran and said, “Rebekah has sent us to you so that you will return to your father’s house in the land of Canaan.” Jacob listened to them and followed what his mother had asked.
Rising Action
Jacob asks Laban if he can be released to go back home
Genesis 30:25-26
Jasher 31:24
Jubilees 28:25
When Rachel gave birth to Joseph, it marked the end of the 14 years that Jacob had stayed in Haran. Then Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my own place, to my homeland. Let me go to my father Isaac and build my own house. Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and let me go. You know how faithfully I’ve served you.”
Climax
Laban and Jacob discuss Jacob’s wages from the impure flocks
Genesis 30:27-34
Jasher 31:25-26
Jubilees 28:26-27
Laban replied, “If I’ve found favor in your eyes, please don’t leave me. I’ve learned from experience that the LORD has blessed me because of you. Name your wages, and I’ll pay them.”
Jacob said, “You know how I’ve served you and how your livestock has done under my care. You had very little before I came, but now it has increased into a great multitude. The LORD has blessed you since I arrived. But when will I start providing for my own household too?”
Laban asked, “What should I give you?”
Jacob answered, “You don’t need to give me anything. If you agree to this, I will continue to tend and watch over your flock. Today I’ll go through your entire flock and remove every speckled or spotted animal, every brown sheep, and every spotted or speckled goat—these will be my wages. My honesty will be clear later when you check on my wages: any goat that isn’t speckled or spotted, and any sheep that isn’t brown, will be considered stolen if found with me.”
They agreed that Jacob would receive as his wages the lambs and kids that were born black, spotted, or white.
Falling Action
Jacob separates the flocks for his wages
Genesis 30:35-36
Jasher 31:27-28
Jubilees 28:28
Laban agreed and removed that day all the ringstraked and spotted male goats, all the speckled and spotted female goats—every one with white markings—and all the brown sheep, and gave them to Jacob. Jacob placed these animals under the care of his sons, while he continued tending the rest of Laban’s flock. He set a 3-day journey between himself and Laban, and Jacob fed the remaining flocks belonging to Laban.
Isaac’s servants leave Jacob while Deborah remains with him
Jasher 31:29-30
When Isaac’s servants saw that Jacob wasn’t going to return with them right away to the land of Canaan, they left and went back home. But Deborah stayed with Jacob in Haran and didn’t return with the servants. She lived there with Jacob’s wives and children.
Resolution
Jacob schemes to increase his flock and decrease Laban’s flock
Genesis 30:37-43
Jasher 31:31-34
Jubilees 28:29-30
Jacob took rods from green poplar, hazel, and chestnut trees. He peeled white stripes into them to expose the white underneath. Then he set the peeled rods in front of the flocks at the watering troughs where they came to drink, so they would mate while facing the rods. The flocks conceived in front of the rods and gave birth to young that were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted. Jacob separated the lambs and made the flocks face the ringstraked and brown animals in Laban’s herd. He kept his own flocks separate and didn’t mix them with Laban’s. Whenever the stronger animals were breeding, Jacob put the rods in front of them at the troughs so they’d conceive near the rods. But when the weaker animals came, he didn’t place the rods—so the weak ones belonged to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob.
Jacob continued to work for Laban for 6 more years. Whenever the sheep gave birth, Jacob took the speckled and spotted ones, just as he had agreed with Laban. He did this consistently during those 6 years, and Jacob’s wealth grew greatly. He had herds of cattle, female and male servants, camels, and donkeys. Jacob owned 200 herds of cattle. His livestock were large, beautiful, and very productive. People from all around wanted Jacob’s animals because they were so successful. Many came to trade for Jacob’s flocks, and he exchanged sheep for male or female servants, donkeys, camels—whatever he wanted, they gave him. Jacob gained wealth, honor, and possessions through these dealings, and Laban’s children grew jealous of his success.
Jacob prospered greatly and had many cattle, servants, camels, and donkeys. Laban and his sons became envious of Jacob. Laban took his sheep back from him and watched Jacob closely with bad intentions.