Day 15. Genesis 43-46

Genesis 43-46

Genesis 43

¹And the famine was sore in the land.

²And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

They had used up all the provisions and had to go back and get more. In the meantime, according to Gen. 42:24, Simeon was locked up in Egypt's prison system.

Judah tells Jacob (Israel) that they aren't supposed to go back down there unless they take Benjamin with them.

⁶And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

Jacob is wondering, why did you tell this man you had another brother?

⁷And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

It's as though he knew...

Judah tells Jacob to send Benjamin with him.

⁸And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

Benjamin here, is referred to as "the lad". Why? During this time, Benjamin is always drawn as a child.

The picture to the right is from 1789, by Charles Thevenin, Joseph und seine Brüder. You see Benjamin as just a youth, probably not even a teenager. The rest of the brothers seem to vary in age.

Artists seem to take some freedoms when dealing with the family. Seemingly forgetting that the first son was born AFTER Jacob married Rachel (after the 14 years) and that Joseph was the last son born before Jacob asked to leave Laban. The first 11 boys (and Dinah) were born in only a 6 year period. The boys are all relatively close in age, on average separated by only 6 months. Leah managed to have 7 children in that six year period. There are 72 months in 6 years, Leah was pregnant for 63 of them.

Back to today...

¹¹And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

¹²And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

Well, there was still some food in the land, but you aren't going to make a staple diet out of those things.

¹³Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

¹⁴And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

Your other brother... what's his name... Simeon.

¹⁶And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.

¹⁷And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

Joseph just had to assume the person that went with his brothers was Benjamin. If Ben was just a child, then it's at least 9 years later, his brothers didn't recognize him, why would he recognize a younger brother?

The brothers are surprised about being taken into "the man's" house. They tell his servant they don't know why their money was returned.

²³And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them.

Simeon was given back to the other 10 brothers.

²⁷And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive?

²⁸And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance.

Joseph was glad to hear his dad was still alive. He sees his brother, and he gets all weepy, just like his dad when Jacob saw Rachel.

³⁰And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

He didn't want to cry in front of his brothers.

³²And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

So, the Egyptians never ate bread with Hebrews? Joseph was married to an Egyptian, did she ever eat with him? Joseph was the #2 guy in Egypt, but to eat with him was an abomination? I don't think this part of the story makes any sense.

³⁴And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of their's. And they drank, and were merry with him.

Joseph, like his father before him, played favorites.

Genesis 44

¹And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

²And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

Joseph's going to Punk his brothers again.

⁴And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

⁵Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.

He's having his steward ask why they stole his things. The brothers said, they didn't take anything, then they say something really stupid.

⁹With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.

So the steward starts going through the sacks.

¹²And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

Ohhhhh, fuuuuuddddddgggggeeeee. Only I didn't say "Fudge." I said THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the "F-dash-dash-dash" word!

¹³Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

¹⁴And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

¹⁵And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

Joseph is like, I knew it was you guys who did it, I'm the all powerful Zaphnathpaaneah, I know when people steal from me...

Judah apologized.

¹⁷And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

Judah then says, please, don't take the boy. They retell the whole story of how Jacob didn't want to send Benjamin, but they promise they'll take care of him. Also, if Benjamin is taken, their father will die.

³³Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

³⁴For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

Judah says, you might as well take me, because if you keep Benjamin, not only will dad die, but he's going to take me out first.

Genesis 45

¹Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

Joseph says "YOU JUST GOT PUNK'D". Actually, he was relieved, because he didn't know how much longer he could keep up the charade.

³And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

The brothers are slightly more scared of Zaphnathpaaneah, now than they were a second ago. They realize that he (Joseph) is happy to see Benjamin; however, they are really really scared that he's going to hold a grudge for that whole "put him in a pit, then sell him into slavery" thing.

⁵Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

Joseph says that God put him there, so he could take care of his family.

⁶For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

This is two years into the 7 years of famine. Now we can figure out some more dates, and clear up the timeline a bit (maybe). We are still going to need a couple more dates to get the whole thing correct-ish.

⁸So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

⁹Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not:

Joseph says for them to move down, go get dad, and move down here.

¹³And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither.

Hurry, go get dad.

¹⁶And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

¹⁷And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;

¹⁸And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.

Even Pharaoh wants the family to move down.

The brothers leave, with moving vans; even though they were told to just go down, Egypt will provide. They make it home, and tell Jacob that Joseph was alive.

²⁸And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

Jacob says he'll make the journey.

Genesis 46

Jacob goes to Beersheba and offers some sacrifices to god, and asks if he should go to Egypt.

³And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

⁴I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

God says it's ok to go.

⁶And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:

⁷His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.

Now we get a list of everyone who went. It's not a very interesting list, mostly. There are some highlights.

¹²And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zarah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

Er and Onan are listed. It doesn't say what they did with Tamar. If they took her to Egypt, they probably would have told the "she's my sister story".

²¹And the sons of Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

Wait... what? Benjamin had sons? Benjamin had 10 sons that went down into Egypt. Look at that picture up there of Joseph and Benjamin. That picture is a representation of an even that took place a couple of weeks (months at the most) before everyone moved down into Egypt. That person had 10 sons. You have been deceived.

²⁶All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six;

66 people, besides wives, went to Egypt.

²⁹And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

³⁰And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.

Move over Benjamin, daddy's favorite is back.

Joseph then tells his father that when Pharaoh asks what he does, say that you were a cattle guy.

³⁴That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

So, it's sheep that Egyptians had a problem with.

Points to ponder:

1. Is it alright to play tricks on your brothers? Tricks that wind up getting one of them thrown in jail.

2. When you think of Benjamin, do you think of him as old enough to have fathered children? Do you fall into the normal thinking that he was just a child. Remember, Joseph was 17 when he started dreaming (there were 11 sheafs, so Benjamin was alive), then he was 30 when he stood in front of Pharaoh the first time (add 13). Then there were the 7 years of plenty, (37) then we are now at 2 years of famine (minimum of 39). If Benjamin was only a newborn when Joseph was 17, he's still at least 22 now. Yet he's depicted as a child.

Day 12. Genesis 34-36

Genesis 34-36

Genesis 34

¹And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

²And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

Dinah's name means "judged, vindicated".

The Hivites are also descendants of Canaan. (Gen. 10:17). So they are black as well.

This incident is commonly referred to as, the Rape of Dinah.

³And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.

Shechem loved Dinah? Perhaps he was just infatuated. Unless it's love at first sight; except that's not real love, that's infatuation/lust/desire.

Shechem asked his father Hamor to get him to marry Dinah.

⁵And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.

Even though Jacob (at nearly 60) was able to wrestle god, and win until god cheated; he didn't want to get into a fight with Hamor... at least until his 11 sons were there to back him up.

⁷And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter: which thing ought not to be done.

Why is the land called Israel, when Jacob isn't yet? He was told his name was Israel, why isn't he going by Israel?

Hamor pleads with Jacob, saying his son really loves Dinah. Why don't your people and our people make marriages together. Well, Jacob is probably a racist like his dad and grandfather. Shechem asks what dowry they can provide so that he can marry Dinah.

¹³And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

¹⁴And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:

¹⁵But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;

¹⁶Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

If your men become circumcised, then we will marry your daughters, and you can marry ours... even though they only had Dinah.

Hamor and Shechem thought this was a good idea.

²⁴And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

Hamor and Shechem, and all the men of the city were circumcised.

²⁵And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

The men were sitting around, with their very tender penis'; and Simeon and Levi came to town with their swords and killed all the men. I like the word "boldly". It implies that Simeon and Levi had courage. How much courage does it take to fight against a man who has one hand on his extremely sore penis?

²⁶And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.

They even killed Hamor and Shechem.

²⁷The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

The rest of the brothers came and took all the livestock, and all the gold.

²⁹And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

They even took the children and the wives. Those boys really wanted to revenge their sisters rape.

Jacob calls Simeon and Levi and says, you made the Canaanites hate us now. Now they are going to come after us.

³¹And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

And that's how Dinah earned her name of "vindicated". Odd how Dinah got her name of "vindicated" when she was born, and then after her rape, the rapist, and his whole town got killed, thus providing her ultimate vindication.

I find it odd that this story would be included in the bible. Here we see the punishment for rape is complete destruction of the town that was the home of the rapist. Later, in Deuteronomy 22, we'll get the new law for rape. Here it is. Deut. 22: ²⁸If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

²⁹Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

In Deut, we see the punishment for a rapist is he has to pay the father 50 shekels of silver, and marry the girl, additionally, he can't divorce her. In the Dinah rape story, we see Shechem offering to marry her, and also offered to pay whatever dowry Jacob and his sons asked. They asked for foreskins.

Why would Moses put in the law of 50 shekels and marriage, when precedence has already been set that you get to kill the rapists entire city?

It's because the Deuteronomy laws only deal with Hebrews amongst Hebrews. The Deuteronomy law for rape wouldn't apply to a Hivite raping a Hebrew anyway. Since the people were Hivites (descendants of Canaan) and black anyway, it didn't really matter that they were all killed. Jacob, like his father and grandfather, didn't want his sons marrying any blacks. He definitely isn't going to let his daughter marry a black.

Genesis 35

¹And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

That's really convenient of god to tell Jacob to leave when he's probably going to be chased out of town anyway.

²Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

Odd how Jacob allowed his people to have strange gods, except when they were going to Bethel.

⁵And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

This is the first use of the word terror in the bible. I find it interesting that the thing that causes terror (terrorist) is god.

⁸But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.

Who is Deborah? Why is she being carried around by Jacob? Rebekah was Jacob's mother, was she still around at this point? Why is she important enough to name here? This is the only mention of her. The next time we hear of a Deborah is in Judges. Apparently Allon-bachuth means "oak of weeping". Someone really loved Deborah.

¹⁰And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

He was already name changed back in Genesis 32:28, of course, that time it didn't stick, but now it will... probably.

¹¹And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

¹²And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

All these promises have been said before.

¹⁵And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

How many times is this place going to be named Bethel?

¹⁶And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

Rachel was pregnant again?

¹⁸And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

Nice of Abraham to honor his dieing wife's wish and name the son that killed her the thing that she named it. Of course, Benoni means "son of my pain". What else could it mean? Benjamin probably means "son who killed my beautiful loving wife, I hate this boy". Nope, Ben means "son of" Jamin means "right" or "right hand" or "south". Some scholars say that his name is Benjamim, the mim meanding "days". Which would mean that Abraham named his son "son of days" referencing his old age.

¹⁹And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

²⁰And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.

Well, the claim of "unto this day" is kind of doubtful. There is a place in Isreal, on the south of Jerusalem, that is named Kever Rochel "Rachel's Tomb". It is traditionally considered to be that. Somehow, the Hebrews managed to go into captivity in Egypt, come out, take over the whole land, and remember exactly where one person was buried. Additionally, they were carried away to Babylon, and returned, and knew where it was. Then the land was captured by the muslims... and they knew where it was...

²²And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

Reuben lay with his dad's concubine? Reuben was the oldest. Sleeping with his father's concubine was a grievous offense. Oddly, this is considered incest, and taboo, but marrying your cousin isn't.

Next is a list of Jacob's sons.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher.

²⁷And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

²⁸And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

²⁹And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Isaac dies at 180. If Isaac now dies, this is at least 20 years after Jacob stole the blessing. He lived with dim vision for a long time. Isaac was 60 when the boys were born, so they were 120 when Isaac died. If they were 40 at the time of the blessing incident, then Isaac was 100 and this is now 80 years after that.

Genesis 36

¹Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

Edom, means red, Esau was red.

²Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

³And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.

Uh... what? Gen 26:34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: and Gen. 28:9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

Gen 26:34/28:9 says he married Judith Beeri and Bashemath Elon and Mahalath Ishmael.
Now, Gen 36:2/3 says he married Anah Zibeon and Adah Elon and Bashemath Ishmael.

There's a bit of inconsistency there. This is a whopping 10 chapters later that it can't get the wives of Esau correct. Since lineage is so important, why can't they get it right?

⁶And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.

⁷For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.

Very similar to Lot and Abraham. The land couldn't hold both, son one of them moved away.

What follows in verses 9-43 is a list of the offspring of Esau. Remember, the bible is supposedly an accurate historical document. We see it can't get the history right, does it still get the theology right?

Points to ponder:

1. If Esau became the father of the Edomites, then was the blessing that Isaac bestowed upon him correct?

2. Does murdering an entire town justify the rape of your sister?

3. Is the lineage important?

Day 11. Genesis 31-33

Genesis 31-33

Genesis 31

¹And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.

Laban's sons are angry about something... what could it be?

²And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

Laban is now pissed about something... what could it be?

³And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

Right when Jacob's cousins and Jacob's uncle are really really mad at him, god conveniently tells him to run back to where his parents live.

So Jacob calls Rachel and Leah to him, and he tells them, "it's not my fault". He may actually believe that it's not his fault. He is probably deluded enough to actually think that he's done nothing wrong. Granted, I don't believe that you would get spotted cows from putting sticks in front of them when they are drinking, but Jacob believes it to be so.

⁶And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

⁷And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

He's saying this to Leah and Rachel. LEAH AND RACHEL. I can understand telling it to Rachel, but he's telling Leah. Surely she's really happy about being reminded that he didn't want to marry her, that he wanted Rachel, and he was tricked by Laban. She must get a real kick out of that.

⁸If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.

⁹Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

It's not my fault, the stick thing worked.

¹⁴And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

Wow, Rachel and Leah have 12 children between the two of them (Zilpah and Bilhah's kids kind of count to their number), Jacob has managed to make off with all the good livestock, and Rachel and Leah still want an inheritance.

¹⁵Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

¹⁶For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Now, Jacob has managed to get his wives to say that it isn't his fault either.

Jacob then takes his wives and sons and cattle and everything else.

¹⁹And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

This will be important in a bit.

²⁰And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

He was unaware, because he didn't tell him. That sentence is rather redundant.

²²And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

They didn't notice that Jacob, Zilpah, Bilhah, Leah, Rachel, 12 children, and a whole lot of livestock were missing... for three days. Laban chased after them and caught them after 7 days.

²⁴And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Nice of god to do Jacob's dirty work.

²⁶And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?

²⁷Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?

After Jacob managed to leave Laban with only feeble cattle, I'd expect Laban to sing great songs of him leaving.

²⁸And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

You didn't even let me tell my daughters and grandkids goodbye.

Laban mentions that it's in his right to hurt Jacob. I wonder if this is another one of those "my people's traditions" like the firstborn daughter has to be married first, traditions.

³⁰And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

Laban didn't worship the god of Abraham. Rachel took them, no one really knew that she did.

³²With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

Jacob said, whoever took them, should be killed. He probably assumed it was Leah, Zilpah or Bilhah. He didn't really care if they died.

Laban then searches from tent to tent, first Jacob's, then Leah's, then Zilpah's, Bilhah's, and finally gets to Rachel's tent.

³⁴Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

Camel's furniture was probably a saddle.

³⁵And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but found not the images.

Rachel lied to her father. Saying she had her period. That's a good daughter.

³⁶And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

³⁷Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.

Jacob now has the balls to speak up to Laban. He's (technically) in the wrong, he just doesn't know it.

³⁸This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

(21 actually)

⁴¹Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

It's weird how they keep saying six years, when in Gen 29:30 it says he served another seven years.

Jacob says that Laban would have attacked him if it wasn't for the dream. Laban says that everything Jacob has is actually his. Finally they make a truce. They build a pills and had a feast there.

⁴⁷And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

Laban called the place "pile of testimony" in either Aramaic or Syriac. Jacob called it "heap of witness" in Hebrew.

⁵⁰If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

Laban cared enough to curse Jacob if he took some other wives.

⁵²This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

That was the line in the sand. Neither was to cross.

⁵⁵And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

Laban apparently has enough blessings to go around for all of his daughters and grandchildren, unlike Isaac.

Genesis 32

¹And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

He called that place Mahanaim. Mahanaim means two camps. You'll see why in a bit.

³And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

Edom, that's the land of Esau. This verse is another repetitive one.

⁴And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

⁵And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

It's been 20 or 21 years since he ran away. Now he comes back, because he's worn out his welcome at uncle Laban's.

⁶And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

Esau, who didn't get a blessing, now has 400 people working for him. Jacob has 4 wives, 11 sons, 1 daughter, a lot of livestock, and a couple men working for him. Esau is coming with 400.

⁷Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

Divided into two bands, Mahanaim.

⁸And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

Jacob is courageous. He prayed.

⁹And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

¹⁰I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

¹¹Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

¹²And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

God, please don't let my brother kill me. God, remember when you said my offspring would be like the sand, now would be a good time to remember that.

Jacob then prepares a gift for his brother.

200 she-goats
20 male goats
200 ewes
20 rams
30 milch camels (milk camels) with their colts (so they would continue to produce milk)
40 kine (cows)
10 bulls
20 female donkeys
10 foals

¹⁶And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.

Jacob had them sent over in waves, so that he'd be able to see if Esau slaughtered them all as they showed up.

²⁰And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

Jacob still believes that Esau is going to kill him.

²²And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

²³And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

Jacob then sends his wives over to Esau. He still hasn't showed up yet.

²⁴And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Jacob wrestled god that night.

²⁵And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

The almighty, all powerful god couldn't beat Jacob. So god cheated. God dislocated Jacob's thigh.

²⁶And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

God said "let me go, it's about to be morning". Is god a vampire? Does he have to be back in heaven before the sun comes up? He already showed he can't beat Jacob, who is a real wussie, and now he's so fair that he can't be in the sunshine?

²⁸And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Jacob is now named Israel. Oddly, Jacob means "heel" or "leg-puller" as though he was destined to have his leg pulled. Israel means "persevere with god", since he managed to fight god all night.

²⁹And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

³⁰And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Jacob may be renamed, but he isn't referred to as Israel yet.

³²Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

This has definitely been added after the event. It should be a side note instead of an actual verse. I'm surprised the authors of the KJV1611 allowed that verse to remain in.

Genesis 33

¹And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.

If you come from a family with many children, ask your parents how they would divide up the kids. Which ones are they willing to sacrifice first, which ones stay behind.

Jacob made the decision quickly.

²And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.

Zilpah and her kids along with Bilhah and her kids (that's 2 wives and 4 kids) then Leah and her 6 boys and Dinah, finally Rachel and Jacob.

³And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Jacob stops several times, bowing, hoping that Esau won't kill him.

⁴And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

Esau's crying from joy from seeing his brother again. Jacob is crying because he's happy that his brother isn't going to kill him.

⁵And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.

Uncle Esau then meets his nephews and niece, and their mothers. He asks what all the livestock was for, Jacob says it was a gift (in the hopes that you don't kill me; or that you start killing them and I notice and can run away). Esau says he has enough.

Jacob asks for Esau to please take them, Jacob has more than he can deal with. So Esau nicely accepts.

¹⁷And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

He journeyed to a place, and then named it? Once again, an example of a place being named in the bible before it's actually named. Sukkot means booths.

¹⁸And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.

¹⁹And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.

He just built a house, after you do that, isn't it time that you put the tents away? Wierd that they actually call the city Shechem. In Genesis 12:6 it was called Sichem.

²⁰And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.

El-Elohe-Israel means' God, the God of Israel.

Things to ponder for today:

1. Did Laban have the right to smite Jacob? Why would a JUST GOD not allow Jacob to be attacked by Laban when Jacobs party did steal from Laban?

2. How old was Jacob at the end? 40 + 20, was he 60?

3. If God can't beat a 60 year old man at wrestling without cheating, is he really worthy of being called all-powerful?

4. If you are afraid for your life, the best thing to to is attempt to bribe your opponent.

5. I'm surprised Jacob didn't pull out the old "she's my sister" line, when introducing Rachel. That seems to be a popular line used by the patriarchs when going into new land. Jacob probably thought it but didn't say it.

6. The Paleo-Hebrew alphabet first came around in the 10th century BC (1000 BC). Jacob is routinely believed to have lived around 1831 BC . This story would have been an oral tradition for about 831 years. No wonder people were named descriptively. Jacob named "leg puller" later renamed to Israel "god wrestler". Leah, the tender eyed one named "weary". Were these people actually named that, or did the story just evolve to include their names that way? Ham, Shem, Japheth... I wonder what Methuselah means. Probably "guy who lived the longest"... wait, no, it's "when he dies, it shall be sent". Coincidence that when he died that's when the flood started?