Saul is Chosen as King

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(1 Samuel 9:1) Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

In the last chapter, the Israelites decided they wanted a king to rule over them instead of God and His judges.  God told Samuel to go ahead and find the people a king even though He did not approve.  Meanwhile, we learn of a Benjamite named Kish who came from a long line of Benjamites.  He was a man of great strength.

(2) And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice young man and goodly, and not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he, from his shoulders and upward higher than any of the people.    

Kish had a son named Saul who was a fine man probably in stature and looks, and a good man, as good a man to be found among the Israelites.  He was a very tall man, as well, taller than any other.

(3) And the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, "Take now one of the servants with you, and arise, go look for the donkeys."

Kish's donkeys were lost, and he told his son Saul to take a servant and to go look for them.

(4) And he passed through Mount Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and not there, and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them. (5) When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come and let us return lest my father cease caring for the donkeys and take thought for us."

Saul and his servant passed through Mount Ephraim, Shalisha, Shaalim, and all through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find the donkeys.  When they came to the land of Zuph (where Ramah was), Saul told his servant that they should go back before his father started worrying about them.

(6) And he said to him, "Behold now, in this city there is a man of God, and an honorable man; all that he says comes surely to pass. Now let us go there; perhaps he can show us our way that we should go."

Saul's servant told him that there was a man of God there in that city in Zuph.  He was an honorable man and a prophet whose words always came to pass.  He suggested that they go to him and see if he could tell them which way they should go.  With that city being Ramah, the honorable prophet was, of course, Samuel.

(7) Then Saul said to his servant, "But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and no present to bring to the man of God. What have we?" (8) And the servant answered Saul again, and said, "Behold, I have here at hand one fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give that to the man of God to tell us our way."

However, Saul told his servant that they had nothing to give the man.  It was a custom that if one asked a great man for a favor, he should bring a gift for him.  Or perhaps, as a prophet, he expected the man to charge for his prophecy.  But they had no bread nor any money nor anything of value to give such a man.  However, his servant said that he did have a quarter of a shekel of silver, and he would give that to the man of God in exchange for telling them how they should go.

(9) (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, he spoke thus, "Come and let us go to the seer," for he now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer.)

As this is a parenthetical statement, I believe it is made to explain how people might seek seers and perhaps it was customary to pay them.  It also explains why Saul and his servant ask for a seer in verse 11.

(10) Then Saul said to his servant, "Well said, come let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was.

Saul agreed with his servant that that was a good plan, and they went to the city, Ramah, where the man of God, Samuel, was.

(11) As they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, "Is the seer here?" (12) And they answered them, and said, "He is, behold, he is before you. Make haste now for he came today to the city for a sacrifice of the people today in the high place."

As they went up the hill to the city, they saw some young maidens going down the hill to fetch some water, and they asked them if the seer was there.  They answered that indeed he was, and he was ahead of them also going up to the city for a sacrifice of the people that day in the high place at the top of the hill.

(13) "As soon as you come into the city, you shall straightway find him before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes because he blesses the sacrifice; afterwards, they eat who are invited. Now therefore, get up, for about this time you shall find him."

The maidens went on to tell Saul and his servant that the seer had gone up to the high place to eat, but they would find him before he went to the feast to bless the sacrifice, if they hurried and went straight there.

(14) And they went up into the city. When they were coming into the city, behold, Samuel came out opposite them to go up to the high place.

Indeed, when Saul and his servant went up into the city, they saw Samuel coming toward them from his place into the high place in the city.

(15) Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, (16) "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin and you shall anoint him captain over My people Israel that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines, because their cry has come to Me."

The Lord had told Samuel the day before that He would send to him the next day a man out of Benjamin whom He wanted Samuel to anoint as captain over His people Israel.  He had heard the cries of His people, and He wanted that man to save His people out of the hand of the Philistines.

(17) And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, "Behold the man of whom I spoke to you. This same shall reign over My people."

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord spoke to him again and told him that Saul was the one He had spoken of the day before, the one He chose to reign over His people Israel.

(18) Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Tell me, I pray you, where is the seer's house?" (19) And Samuel answered Saul, and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart."

Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate and asked him where he might find the seer.  Samuel told him that he was the seer he sought.  He told him to go on up to the high place and participate in the feast, for Samuel would have Saul eat with him that day.  Then he could depart the next day when and after Samuel would answer all his questions for which he had sought the seer in the first place.

(20) "And as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and all your father's house?"

Samuel went on to tell Saul not to worry about his donkeys, for they had been found.  He also rhetorically asked on whom was the desire of all Israel, meaning the king they wanted.  Was it not on him and his father's house, indicating Saul was the one to be king.

(21) And Saul answered and said, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me so?"

Saul answered Samuel, pointing out he was from the smallest tribe in Israel, and from a family that was least among the families in that tribe.  Therefore, he asked why Samuel would talk to him in that manner.

(22) And Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the parlor and made them sit in the chiefest place among them who were invited, which were about thirty persons.

Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the parlor which was the dining room of the house of the high place.  He placed them in the most honored places at the table among the thirty people who had been invited.

(23) And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, 'Set it by you.'"

Samuel told the cook to bring the portion which he had given the cook earlier, instructing him to set it aside by him, not serving it to anyone else.

(24) And the cook took up the shoulder and what was on it and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Behold that which is left, set before you, eat! For until this time has it been kept for you since I said, 'I have invited the people.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

The cook took up the shoulder and the meat attached to it, which some Biblical scholars think meant the breast, and he set it before Saul.  The right shoulder and breast in peace offerings were given to the priest.  In this case, it was Samuel's portion, and he gave it to Saul as a token of the highest honor.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote that "it was an emblem of the government to which he was now called."  He referred to prophecy in Isaiah 9:6, which said a child would be born, and the government would be upon His shoulder.  That of course, referred to Jesus Christ.  However, the government would now be upon the shoulder of Israel's king.  Samuel told Saul that he had set back that portion ever since he had invited the people to the feast.  So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

(25) And when they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul on the top of the house. (26) And they arose early, and it came to pass about the spring of the day that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, "Up, that I may send you away." And Saul arose, and they went out, both of them, he and Samuel, outside.

After the feast at the high place, Samuel and Saul went back to Samuel's house where they communed on the roof of Samuel's house.  The houses back then were all flat allowing people to sit, commune, and sometimes even sleep in the fresh air.  The next morning about daybreak, Samuel called Saul again to the roof from where he apparently wanted to send Saul on his way.  They both went outside on the roof.

(27) As they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to pass on before us" (and he passed on), "but stand here awhile that I may show you the word of God."

It seems going out on the roof took them outside where they walked together to the end of the city.  Samuel told Saul to send his servant on ahead, which he did, but asked him to stay behind while Samuel shared with him the word of God.

(1 Samuel 10:1) Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it upon his head and kissed him, and said, "Is it not because the Lord has anointed you captain over His inheritance?"

Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on Saul's head.  He kissed him in reverence and respect to him, asking him rhetorically if that was not because the Lord Himself had anointed Saul captain over His inheritance, His people Israel.

(2) "When you have departed from me today, then you shall find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, 'The donkeys which you went to seek are found, and lo, your father has left the care of the donkeys and sorrows for you, saying, "What shall I do for my son?"'"

Samuel, the seer, the prophet of God, told Saul when he had departed from him, he would come to two men at the tomb of Rachel which was on the border of Benjamin and Judah, at a place called Zelzah.  They would tell him that his donkeys had been found, but now his father had ceased worrying about the donkeys, and was worried and sorrowful for him, Saul, wondering what had happened to his son.

(3) "Then shall you go on forward from there and you shall come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet you three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine. (4) And they will salute you and give you two loaves of bread which you shall receive of their hands."

Samuel continued prophesying, telling Saul that after he left Zelzah, he would come to the plain of Tabor (not the foot of Mount Tabor, but a different place).  There he would meet three men going up to Bethel to worship God, probably at Jacob's altar (Genesis 28:19).  One man would be carrying three kid goats, another three loaves of bread, and the other a bottle of wine.  The men would greet Saul and give him two loaves of bread which Saul was to accept.  

(5) "After that you shall come to the hill of God where the garrison of the Philistines is, and it shall come to pass, when you have come there to the city, that you shall meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them, and they shall prophesy; (6) And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them and shall be turned into another man."

After leaving the three men, Saul would come to "the hill of God."  The word translated as "hill" is "gibah" and is the same word as Gibeah, the place.  There was a high place in Gibeah, probably hence the name, and this was closer to Saul's home, and it makes good sense he would have reached there by that time.  Apparently, there was a garrison of the Philistines there.  It being a hill, the Philistines probably kept a watch on the top of the hill, with a company of soldiers to keep the Israelites in check.  When he came into the city, Saul would meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with several musical instruments, and they would prophesy.  The Spirit of the Lord would come upon Saul, and he would prophesy with them.  And he would be turned into another man.  Perhaps a "new man" as one becomes after accepting Christ, "renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created him" (Colossians 3:10).

(7) "And let it be, when these signs are come to you, you do as occasion serves you, for God is with you."

When those signs had all come to Saul, he was to do as the occasion required, for he would then be furnished with the wisdom to undertake what was necessary for his office, and God would be with him.  How incredibly detailed was Samuel's prophecy!  There could be no doubt he was a true prophet of God, and Saul could have great confidence to trust everything Samuel had said.

(8) "And you shall go down before me to Gilgal, and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings, to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings; seven days shall you tarry till I come to you and show you what you shall do."

Samuel then told Saul that he was to go before him to Gilgal, wait there seven days, and Samuel would come to him and offer burnt offerings and sacrifices and then show Saul what to do, surely as shown him by inspiration of God.  However, this was not to be immediately, as we will see in the forthcoming scriptures.  Most Biblical scholars agree that "it may be this was a general rule to be observed by Saul, that whenever anything turned up of importance to the children of Israel, and was a difficulty with him, he should go to Gilgal, and there wait seven days for Samuel, from the time he gave him notice of it, who would come at the appointed time, and would give him what advice and instructions were necessary" (Dr. John Gill); thus he would be guided by God through Samuel.

(9) And it was so that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all those signs came to pass that day.

Interestingly, the Biblical scholars whom I study who chose to comment on this, made it a point to say that this new heart was not the new heart and new spirit as in conversion, but rather another heart and wisdom fit for government.  This was probably due to the fact we may later discover by his actions, that Saul was not a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), or I should say in His Holy Spirit, as the person of Christ was not available to Saul at that time.  All of Samuel's prophesies for that day came to pass.

(10) And when they came there to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

"They" came to the hill or Gibeah.  I'm not sure if Samuel had rejoined Saul at this point, or if this was Saul and his servant, but when they came to that place, indeed a company of prophets met Saul, and the Spirit of God came upon him so that he prophesied among the prophets.

(11) And it came to pass, when all who knew him beforetime saw that behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, "What is this come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"

When the people who knew Saul before then saw him prophesying, they wondered among themselves how the son of Kish had come to be among the prophets.  They had known Saul to be a herdsman who took care of his father's farm and flock, and now he was among the prophets performing as well as any of them.

(12) And one of the same place answered and said, "But who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Some other people asked rhetorically who the father of the prophets was.  It was God who inspired them and instructed them; their gift did not come from their parents.  God inspired and used whom He wished so He could just as easily have inspired Saul as anyone else.  Therefore it became a saying among the people, "Isn't Saul also among the prophets?"  That saying could be used as encouragement that even Saul was among the prophets, so anyone could be.  However, it could also be used to diminish the father or leader who would admit such a person as Saul into his company.  I can't help but relate this to the people during Jesus's time who were offended by Him because they knew Him only as the carpenter's son (Matthew 13:54-57).  Jesus had said then that a prophet did not have honor in his own home among his own people, and that is because they did know him so well as an ordinary person that they could not comprehend that he had become a prophet of God.

(13) And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

Saul made an end of prophesying.  His place was not to be a prophet of God.  One can only truly prophesy when inspired by God's Holy Spirit.  Saul was given the gift for a short time to make him respectable among the people because God had honored him with a special gift, and when he was chosen as king, the people would more readily receive him.  When he had stopped prophesying, Saul went to the high place where the prophets had come from (verse 5), probably to thank and praise God for the honor He had bestowed on him.

(14) And Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To seek the donkeys and when we saw they were nowhere, we went to Samuel."

It would seem that Saul's uncle was at the high place, as well.  He asked Saul where he and his servant had gone as they had been gone for so long.  Saul told him that they had gone to look for his father's donkeys, but when they could find them nowhere, they went to Samuel.

(15) And Saul's uncle said, "Tell me, I pray you, what Samuel said to you." (16) And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys were found." But of the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he did not tell him.

Saul's uncle asked Saul to tell him what Samuel had said to him.  He told him that he had told them that the donkeys had been found.  However, he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about his being made king.

(17) And Samuel called the people together to the Lord to Mizpeh, (18) And said to the children of Israel, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel, 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all kingdoms, of them who oppressed you.' (19) And you have this day rejected your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations, and you have said to Him, 'No, but set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands."

Samuel called all the people together at Mizpeh, the one in the tribe of Benjamin, where he had called the people to pray for them in 1 Samuel 7:5.  He told all the people the words of the Lord, that He had brought them out of Egypt and delivered them from the Egyptians and had continued to deliver them out of the hands of all kingdoms that had oppressed them.  Yet they had rejected their Lord who had always saved them from their adversities and had decided they now needed a king to save them.  Samuel told the people to present themselves before the Lord in groups by their tribes and by the rulers of the thousands into which their tribes were divided.

(20) And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

When Samuel had brought all the tribes together before him, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by Urim and Thummim, or by casting lots to reveal the will of God.

(21) When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken, and when they sought him, he could not be found.

The tribe of Benjamin came forward by their families, and the family of Matri was chosen.  Nowhere else in the Bible is the name Matri mentioned, but he was undoubtedly head of a family within the tribe of Benjamin, of which Kish and his son Saul were a part.  The lot eventually came down to Saul, but when the people looked for him, they could not find him.

(22) Therefore they enquired of the Lord further, if the man should yet come there. And the Lord answered, "Behold, he has hidden himself among the stuff."

The people inquired of the Lord again, probably through the same means He had been showing them who their king should be.  They wondered if their king was there or if they should expect him to come.  The Lord answered that he was hiding behind some stuff, household tools, equipment, arms, baggage the people may have brought, whatever stuff was there.  I don't know if Saul felt unworthy, unwilling, or embarrassed, but I can't help but think about the people's rejection of their Lord as their king to have this man in hiding be their king.

(23) And they ran and fetched him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

The people ran to him and brought him among them.  He was a very tall man, head and shoulders above the rest of the people.  The people probably thought him very majestic.  I still can't rid myself of the image of their tall majestic king in hiding.  They wanted that instead of their Lord God who was greater than all (Exodus 18:11, John 10:29).

(24) And Samuel said to all the people, "See him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?" And all the people shouted and said, "God save the king!"

Samuel pointed out to the people that the Lord had chosen Saul, and they could see that there was none like him among all the people.  In stature and appearance, that was true, but I wonder if there wasn't a part of Samuel that thought, "See what you have chosen above the Lord?"  After all, he had been most displeased that the people wanted a king.  Whether he was thinking it or not, I believe it is a perfect illustration of what people get when they choose anyone or anything over God.  Even though he was the best among men, their desired king was a sniveling coward compared to Almighty God.

(25) Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

Samuel told the people the laws and rules by which the kingly government was to operate, and he wrote it down in a book and laid it before the Lord, which probably meant before the ark of the covenant.  Then Samuel sent the people back to their homes.

(26) And Saul also went home to Gibeah, and there went with him a band of men whose hearts God had touched.

Saul also went back to his home in Gibeah, not yet to any grand palace.  A group of men went with him, men whose hearts God had touched and made them inclined to show honor and respect to their king.

(27) But the children of Belial said, "How shall this man save us?" And they despised him and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

The children of wickedness, which is what Belial means, despised Saul and did not think him able to save them.  Without God, he would not be able to, that is true, but we are told these were wicked men, so their reasoning was not because they preferred God to man, but they had no faith in God's choice.  They brought him no presents as others did, but Saul took no notice, or at least he acted as if it did not matter to him.

The Israelites wanted to be as the other nations and have a king to rule over them, and God provided one, although He saw it as a rejection of Him.  How patient and good is our Lord!  This shows how people do not know what is best for them.  I think about this with regard to prayer all the time.  I don't know what is best; only God does.  I may think I know what is best, but my desire may just get in the way of a more perfect plan of God.  If only we could just trust in God's will, that it be done, and let go, and let God.  However, God still acts in love for us, sometimes giving us what we want, and letting us learn for ourselves why it is not always best.  Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, pointed out that those who knew the scriptures back then would be able to foresee that the family of Saul would not succeed for long.  It was the tribe of Judah that would rule as a lion, and "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes" (Genesis 49:10); Benjamin was just a ravenous wolf (Genesis 49:27).

Boaz Marries Ruth

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Ruth 4:1) Then Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by, to whom he said, "Ho, such a one! Turn aside, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down.

At the end of the last chapter and post, Ruth had let Boaz know he was her next of kin, and by law, should marry her.  Boaz, in turn, let Ruth know that although he was her kin, he knew she had one who was nearer in kin to her than he was.  So Boaz went to the city gate and sat and waited until that kinsman he had spoken of came by.  He did indeed come by, and Boaz said something to the effect of he was the one Boaz had been looking for, and he asked him to sit down.  The man did as Boaz asked and sat down with him.

(2) And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here." And they sat down.

Boaz also called ten elders of the city to come and sit by him.  His purpose was to call a court to determine whether or not Ruth's next of kin would assume his responsibility as laid out in Deuteronomy 25:7-9.

(3) And he said to the kinsman, "Naomi, who has come again out of the country of Moab, sells a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's, (4) And I thought to advise you, saying, 'Buy it before the inhabitants and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it, but if you will not redeem it, tell me that I may know, for there is no one to redeem it besides you, and I after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it."

Boaz began by explaining to his kinsman that Naomi who had come back from Moab was now needing to sell a parcel of land that had belonged to their mutual kinsman, Elimelech.  He had come to inform Elimelech's nearest kinsman that he might buy it and redeem it, preserving the inheritance in the family according to the law (Leviticus 25:25).  Boaz asked his kinsman to tell him then and there if he would redeem the land, for if he didn't, then it was Boaz's responsibility to redeem it as he was the nearest of kin after the kinsman to whom he now spoke.  The kinsman said he would indeed redeem it.

(5) Then said Boaz, "What day you buy the field of the hand of Naomi, you must buy also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance."

Boaz went on to explain that on the day the kinsman bought the field from Naomi, he was also buying it from Ruth, as her husband had been the rightful heir of Elimelech's land upon his passing.  Now that her husband was also dead, it was the redeemer's duty to raise up the name of Ruth's husband and Naomi's son, Mahlon, perpetuating it according to the law (Deuteronomy 25:5).

(6) And the kinsman said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance; you redeem my right to yourself as I cannot redeem it."

At that, the kinsman said he would not be able to redeem the land, for he had his own inheritance to think of and pass on to the next generation.  He was surely married and had children and thought that marrying Ruth and raising up children in her husband's name would greatly diminish his own inheritance for his children.

(7) Now this was the custom in former time concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things, a man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor, and this was a testimony in Israel.

The custom at that time concerning redemption and the exchanging of property, in order to confirm the transaction, a man was to take off his shoe and give it to the other party, in this case Boaz, to confirm that he had refused his right of redemption and allowed it to pass to Boaz.  In Deuteronomy 25:8-9, we saw a stricter version of this custom that was the law, where the widow of the brother of the man who refused to uphold his responsibility in taking his brother's widow as his wife, she herself took off her brother-in-law's shoe and spit in his face because he refused to do his duty in perpetuating his brother's name.  As this kinsman was not a brother to Mahlon, he was therefore not obliged to take Ruth as his wife, but it appears that it remained a custom in the transferring of property to remove the shoe and pass it to the other party to confirm the transaction in the presence of the elders in Israel.

(8) Therefore the kinsman said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he drew off his shoe. 

So the kinsman told Boaz to buy the land for himself, and he took off his shoe to confirm that he was relinquishing his right to the land and giving Boaz the right to redeem it.

(9) And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. (10) Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of this place, you are witnesses this day."

Boaz then said to the elders and thus in testimony to all the people of Israel that they were witnesses to the fact that he had bought all that had been Elimelech's, and all that would have been passed down to his sons, Chilion and Mahlon, from Elimelech's widow, Naomi.  In addition, he was purchasing the right to make Ruth his wife and agreeing to raise up the names of Mahlon and his father Elimelech, so that their names would not be cut off and forgotten among their brethren.  From their position at the gate of the city, the elders and the people present were witnesses to those facts that day.

(11) And all the people who were in the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and like Leah, the two who built the house of Israel, and may you do worthily in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem, (12) And let your house be like the house of Pharez whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give you of this young woman."

The elders and the people present at the gate of the city declared they were indeed witnesses.  They blessed the union of Boaz and Ruth.  The fact that they wished that Ruth who was coming into his house be like Rachel and Leah seems to indicate that Boaz had married before this time, and their wish was that both women would continue to build up the house of Israel as Rachel and Leah had done.  They wished that Boaz might do well in Ephratah and Bethlehem, which were one and the same place, where Rachel had died and was buried, according to Genesis 35:19.  The elders and the people also wished that Boaz's house might be like that of Pharez, the son of Judah, by Tamar who was actually Judah's daughter-in-law.  When Tamar's husband Er died, the other sons of Judah and Judah himself refused to do their duty to Tamar to raise up an inheritance to her dead husband.  However, she tricked Judah into impregnating her when he did not know it was his daughter-in-law.  This event was detailed in Genesis 38.  The people wished that Boaz's house might be like that of Pharez who was the result of the union between his mother and a redeemer, although an unwitting one.  May he as Ruth's redeemer have descendants as numerous as Judah by Pharez.  The fact that Ruth was a Moabitess, although often mentioned, seems to be of no concern, as Ruth had obviously become a proselyte or convert to the Jewish religion.  

(13) So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife, and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.

Boaz took Ruth as his wife, and he performed his conjugal duty.  As the ultimate proof that God blessed this union, it is said that He gave her conception, and she bore a son.

(14) And the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. (15) And he shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him."

The women of Bethlehem, neighbors of Naomi, told her that the Lord had not abandoned her and left her without descendants after all.  Through her daughter-in-law Ruth, who so loved her, and was better to her than seven sons would have been, she had a grandson.  They wished that his name be famous in Israel as he was to her a restorer of life and nourisher to her in her old age at a time when she had felt alone and abandoned.

(16) And Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became nurse to him.

Naomi took the baby and laid him in her bosom as a sign of her tender love and affection for him, and she became a nurse to him, aiding Ruth in her care of him.

(17) And the women her neighbors gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi," and they called his name Obed; he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The neighbor women suggested a name for the baby that was indeed adopted by Ruth and Boaz.  They suggested the name of Obed which meant "serving," as they saw him serving, nourishing, and comforting Naomi in her old age as they had wished for her in verse 15.  However, the name had greater significance than they knew as Obed's grandson, David, was God's beloved servant.  Life was restored to Naomi's name as a son, actually a grandson, was born to her son's wife.  Obed would go on to have a son Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.  In this would Obed's name become famous in Israelite history as the grandfather of David, as the women neighbors had wished (v. 14).

(18) Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

The author of Ruth now inserted a descendant genealogy of Pharez, the son of Judah and Tamar, whose house the people of Israel wished for the descendants of Boaz and Ruth to mirror (v. 12).  Pharez's son was Hezron.

(19) And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, (20) And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, (21) And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

Pharez's son Hezron had a son Ram who produced Amminadab, who produced Nahshon, and Nahshon produced Salmon, the father of Boaz.  And of course, Boaz's son was Obed.

(22) And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

Completing the genealogy from Judah (by his son Pharez) to David, Obed would go on to have a son Jesse, who was the father of David.  How beautiful and fitting that Ruth the Moabitess should play a prominent role in the genealogy of David which would also extend to Jesus, the Son of David, the Lion of Judah.  Of course, Ruth had converted to Judaism, so was not really a Moabite at the time she married Boaz.  But this shows how the Gentile, someone not originally of the Jewish faith, was grafted into the line of Jesus, just as Jesus offered his salvation to the Gentiles and allowed them to be grafted into His living vine (Romans 11).  As the author of Ruth linked her to her great-grandson David, we know her book was written after David's anointing which agrees with Jewish tradition that the prophet Samuel may have written it.

The Child Jesus

Continuing a study of the Gospels:

(Matthew 2:1) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, (2) Saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, so called because there was another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebulon.  This Bethlehem was a small town about six miles south of Jerusalem.  Jesus was born during the reign of Herod, called Herod the Great, the first with that name.  After His birth there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem inquiring about the newborn King of the Jews.  The ancient historians write that during this time there was a prevalent expectation that some remarkable person was about to appear.  The Jews were looking for their Messiah, but they expected Him to arrive as a king who would deliver them from their Roman bondage.  This expectation spread to other countries, so it was natural that these wise men should come looking for a king.  These wise men who came to Jerusalem had seen a remarkable star all the way from where they had been in the east, which they took to mean an extraordinary person had been born in Judea.  They came seeking to worship the newborn King as a king, not as God, but as honoring an earthly king.  It is interesting to note that men came from afar to see this king because they had known the expectation of Him, but the Jews closest to the event did not seem to take much notice.  

(3) When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

When Herod the king heard about these wise men seeing an extraordinary star and coming to see the newborn King of the Jews, he was very much troubled, for he was a foreigner who had taken the kingdom by force.  He would certainly have been alarmed at the news of a remarkable appearance of a star that would prove that indeed a new King was born and would depose him.  All Jerusalem was troubled, as well, Herod's friends and supporters for the same reason Herod was troubled, but the rest of Jerusalem probably just feared what Herod might do that might result in war or some other sort of commotion.

(4) And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

After hearing the news, he gathered all the chief priests, and scribes who were men learned in the law, and demanded they tell him where this Christ was to be born. 

(5) And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, (6) 'And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of you shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.'"

The chief priests and scribes told Herod that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea, referencing the prophecy of Micah, which literally read in Micah 5:2, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall He come forth to Me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."  The priests and scribes called the coming Christ a Governor, and the word literally meant "leader"; they said He would rule His people, and the word translated as "rule", "poimaino", was a form of the word "shepherd", and literally meant to tend or feed the flock.

(7) Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

Then Herod summoned the wise men who had come from the east seeking the newborn king, and met with them secretly.  He asked them exactly when the star had appeared.  The scripture says he diligently inquired, meaning he must have taken great pains to determine the exact time.

(8) And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child, and when you have found him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship him also.”

Herod then sent the wise men to Bethlehem, where the birth of the newborn king they had originally inquired about, was to have been.  He told them to search diligently for the child, and when they had found him, return to him and tell him where they had found the child, so that he might also go and worship the child; at least that is what he told them.

(9) When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

After meeting with the king and hearing what he had to say, they departed from him, and saw the star they had seen in the east, and it went before them, guiding them to the child.  Whether the star literally moved, or it was just before them and they followed it to the place where it hung over where the child was, it was a precise guide to take them directly to the child.

(10) When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

This seems to suggest that they had lost sight of the star that had led them from the east to Jerusalem.  It seems they had gone as far as they could to Jerusalem when they had to ask for directions to the child, so when they saw that same star again, guiding them, they were overjoyed.

(11) And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented to Him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

When they reached the house that had stood under the star, the wise men went in and found the young Child with His mother, Mary.  They fell down and worshiped him, not as God, but bowing and giving homage as King of the Jews.  They presented Him with gifts, as was the custom in the east when meeting a person of distinction.  They gave Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Frankincense was a very fragrant incense, and myrrh, a spice used in perfumes and medicines.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote that some suggested these gifts were emblematic of the divinity, regal office, and manhood of Christ.  They offered incense as to their God, gold as to their king, and myrrh as to a human body.

(12) And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

After seeing the Child and offering Him gifts, the wise men departed to return to their own country.  However, they had been warned in a dream by God not to return to Herod, so they went back another way.

(13) And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to take the Child and Mary, His mother, and flee to Egypt.  They were to remain there until God brought further word because Herod would be seeking the Child to kill Him. 

(14) When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed into Egypt.

When Joseph awoke and rose up from his dream, he took the Child Jesus and Mary, His mother, apparently still in the night, so he had acted immediately to take them to Egypt.

(15) And was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son."

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus stayed in Egypt until the death of Herod, fulfilling a prophecy spoken of the Lord through the prophet Hosea, that precisely in Hosea 11:1, read, "When Israel was a Child, then I loved Him, and called My Son out of Egypt."  The statement at the time of Hosea speaks of God bringing young Israel out of Egypt under the direction of Moses.  However, by this scripture, we understand that Hosea was actually prophesying that God would call His Son Jesus out of Egypt, and that God bringing His people out of Egypt during the exodus was symbolic of God bringing His Son out of Egypt.  So much of the Old Testament was symbolic of God's plan of sending Jesus from the beginning.

(16) Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all its coasts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

Herod felt he had been mocked by the wise men when they did not return to him, and he was exceedingly angry.  He had all the children two years old and younger in Bethlehem to all its borders killed, choosing that age based on his conversation and the information he had received from the wise men regarding the time of the appearance of the star.

(17) Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, (18) "In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are no more."

Once again there is a fulfillment of prophecy, this time spoken by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31:15, "Thus says the LORD, 'A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were no more.'"  Ramah was a town in the tribe of Benjamin, very near Bethlehem in the tribe of Judah.  Between these two places, and near to both of them, was the grave of Rachel, and because Ramah belonged to Benjamin, a son of hers, Rachel is here representing all the Jewish women in these parts mourning the loss of their infants in this massacre by Herod.

(19) But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, (20) Saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”

After Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord again spoke to Joseph in a dream, telling him to return to Israel with the Child Jesus and His mother, Mary, because those who had sought to kill Jesus were dead.

(21) And he arose, and took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

Joseph arose from his dream and did just as the angel of the Lord had told him, and took Jesus and His mother Mary back to the land of Israel.

(22) But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; however, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside to the parts of Galilee.

The angel had first told Joseph just to return to Israel, no specific place.  However, when Joseph went back to Judea from where he had come when he went to Egypt, he found Herod's son Archelaus reigning and he was afraid to stay there.  Evidently, God spoke to him in another dream, guiding him to Galilee.

(23) And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Joseph brought his family to the city of Nazareth, again fulfilling a prophecy, said to be spoken by the prophets, plural, so it seemed to be a common acknowledgment that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.  The closest language of a prophecy to this seems to be before the birth of Samson, when the angel of the Lord prophesied to Samson's barren mother, “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5).  Again, as with so many Old Testament scriptures, the events were symbolic of the coming Christ.  Most early Biblical scholars believed the prophecy in verse 23 was more of a consensus of many prophets.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, wrote:

The character of the people of Nazareth was such that they were proverbially despised and contemned...(he referenced John 1:46 suggesting nothing good came out of Nazareth).  To come from Nazareth, therefore, or to be a Nazarene, was the same as to be despised, or to be esteemed of low birth; to be a root out of dry ground, having no form or comeliness. This was what had been predicted by all the prophets. When Matthew says, therefore, that the prophecies were “fulfilled,” his meaning is, that the predictions of the prophets that he would be of a low and despised condition, and would be rejected, were fully accomplished in his being an inhabitant of Nazareth, and despised as such.

Once Again the Younger is "Preferred" Over the Elder

Continuing a chronological Bible study ordered by Skip Andrews:

(Genesis 48:1) And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. (2) And one told Jacob, and said, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.

Chapter 47 ended with Jacob near the end of his life asking Joseph to swear that he would take his body back to Canaan to be buried with his fathers.  It was after this that someone told Joseph that his father was really sick, at the point of death.  Joseph obviously already knew his father was sick and near the time of death, but now he was told that the time was now.  Joseph took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him to see his father.  Someone told Jacob that Joseph was coming to him, and he straightened himself up on the bed to receive his son.

(3) And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, (4) And said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’"

Jacob spoke to Joseph, telling him first of God's appearance to him promising him numerous descendants and Canaan as an inheritance.  

(5) “And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. (6) And your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; and will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance."

Jacob told Joseph that he intended to make Joseph's two sons his own, not just his grandsons, but he considered them his own sons, just as Reuben and Simeon, or any of his other sons were considered his own sons.  I noticed that he mentioned Ephraim first, even though he was the younger.  Jacob went on to say that any children who were born after Ephraim and Manasseh would be Joseph's, definitely distinguishing Joseph's two firstborn sons from any other siblings they might have.  By adopting Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons, Jacob intended them to be heads of tribes as his own sons would be, having a distinct portion of the promised land.  Any other offspring after Ephraim and Manasseh would be Joseph's and would not be considered Jacob's sons and distinct heads of tribes.  They would be called by the name of their older brothers adopted by Jacob, meaning they might be considered "from the tribe of Ephraim" or of "the children of Manasseh", and would be considered as belonging to one tribe or the other, and would have their inheritance in them, but not in their own separate tribes.

(7) "And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little way to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem.”

Jacob mentioned losing the love of his life, Rachel.  She was buried along the way to Ephrath, which was also known as Bethlehem.  In another verse, Micah 5:2, the place is called Bethlehem Ephratah.  Rachel was Jacob's true wife by choice and Joseph's mother.  Perhaps because she was Jacob's lawful wife and was so dear to him, but was taken from him so soon, also meaning she could have no more children, he felt a sense of loyalty to her that her firstborn son should be reckoned as his firstborn, receiving a double portion of the inheritance, and Joseph's sons should be counted among his Rachel's sons.

(8) And Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”

Jacob had been speaking of Joseph's two sons, but until this time may not have realized they were there with Joseph, for his eyes were dim.

(9) And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me in this place.” And he said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”

Note that Joseph acknowledged that his sons were gifts from God, once again a sign of his Godly character.

(10) Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. (11) And Israel said to Joseph, “I had not thought to see your face; and, lo, God has also shown me your offspring.”

Jacob's eyes were blind, at least somewhat, and Joseph brought his sons over to Jacob, and he kissed and hugged them.  Then it was Jacob who acknowledged an unexpected gift from God that he should be able to see not only Joseph again, but also his sons.

(12) And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

Probably the meaning is that Joseph brought his sons out from between his father's knees where they had been when Jacob had been hugging and kissing them, but I suppose it could have been that Joseph moved his children from between his own knees, if he had sat close to his father when he brought his sons over to him.  Either way, he was moving his sons aside so that he could bow before his father, both in love and respect for his aged father, and in worship and thanksgiving to God for all they had just discussed.

(13) And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near to him.

Then because his father desired to bless his sons, Joseph brought them back to his father, with Ephraim, his youngest, in his right hand so that he would be in the correct position to have his grandfather's left hand put upon him; and Manasseh, his oldest son, in his left hand so that he would be in the correct position to have his grandfather's right hand laid on him, as seniority of birth required.

(14) And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn.

Regardless of the positions in which Joseph presented his sons to Israel (Jacob), Jacob knowingly and purposely placed his right hand on the younger Ephraim's head and placed his left on Manasseh's head.

(15) And he blessed Joseph, and said, “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who fed me all my life long to this day, (16) The Angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

Jacob first blessed Joseph and asked that the God of his fathers, the Angel of God who redeemed him from all evil, now let Joseph's sons be named among his own sons and have a direct part in the promise God had given Israel and his fathers before him.  This Angel of God is not to be understood as a created angelic being of God, merely a messenger of God, but is probably Jesus Christ Himself, the one eternal Angel of God, the Son of God, the only one who could truly redeem a man from all evil.  Indeed the original word "malak", although spelled the same, appears to have been a separate unique word with a slightly different pronunciation that the word "malak" that meant a simple created messenger angel.

(17) And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.

I'm not sure "displeased" gives the proper sense here.  Joseph didn't realize that his father was intentional in this and just thought his father had made a mistake, but I can't come up with a better word.  Joseph just knew that Ephraim wasn't the elder son and shouldn't have his father's right hand; it just wasn't right in his mind and Joseph picked his father's hand up from Ephraim's head to put it on Manasseh's which was the way he thought it should be.

(18) And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” (19) And his father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

Joseph thought he was correcting his father by telling him that Manasseh was his firstborn son, but Jacob replied that he knew what he was doing.  Great nations of people would come from both sons, but in this case, the greater would come from the younger.  Obviously, Jacob was speaking by the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit to know this.  Indeed the tribe of Ephraim would be more numerous and would have more honor being named first; the tribe of Manasseh would become divided and less numerous.

(20) And he blessed them that day, saying, “In you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’" And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

Jacob blessed Joseph's sons saying that future generations of Israelites would use the blessing of wishing that God make one as Ephraim and Manasseh, because it would be evident that God's blessing had been great upon them.

(21) And Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you again to the land of your fathers. (22) Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”

Jacob told Joseph he was about to die but that God's promise would not die with him, but would be with Joseph and his family and descendants and He would bring them back to the promised land.  In giving a portion of the inheritance to each of Joseph's sons, Jacob had given Joseph an additional portion more than his brothers.  That which Jacob "took out of the hand of the Amorite with (his) sword" is somewhat confusing.  We were told previously, and it is even referred to later in scripture, most specifically in Joshua 24:32, that Jacob had bought a parcel of land from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem, and that became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.  It didn't appear that Jacob used his sword and his bow to take the land.  Of course, a greater part of Shechem was taken by sword by his sons, although not by his approval, and it was something he still detested, so maybe that was Jacob's way of acknowledging and taking responsibility for the actions of his sons in taking of the land.  Perhaps this refers to the broader picture of the entire inheritance that was to be given by God to Israel's people out of the hands of the Amorites.  Also I have read that Jewish writers have written that Jacob and his sons had a very grievous war with the Amorites because of the slaughter and captivity of the Shechemites, and Jacob and his sons and servants recovered it by sword, but there is nothing of this war in scripture.  It's not clear what Jacob meant by that descriptive clause, but Joseph surely knew what he meant, and he gave Joseph a double portion.

Once again, in this chapter, we have the younger given blessings above the elder.  I had to wonder why God always seem to prefer the younger above the elder, but after giving it more thought, the reasons the younger received the blessing over the elder were always different.  In the case of Isaac, he would have been the only son if Sarah and Abraham hadn't decided to help God out with His promise.  Because God is omniscient, He knew and it was prophesied that Jacob would rule over his brother Esau.  In that case, the birthright was something for which Jacob seemed to fight and strive all his life, and it was not very important to Esau.  In the case of Joseph, he was the oldest son of Jacob's true wife by choice.  In blessing Ephraim over Manasseh, Jacob was prophesying by the Holy Spirit of God that which an omniscient God knew would be the case.  It wasn't that the younger was preferred for any reason, but that was just the way it would be.  Was God purposely blessing the younger over the elder and making him greater?  I don't think so.  Even in the case of Cain and Abel, God told Cain that he would have been accepted if he had done right.  I believe the message is the same in all of these cases:  one's place in life does not guarantee God's blessings, and one must really desire and strive for the things of God.  Is that not the case for Christians now?  We don't have to be born of God's people, the Jews, to be accepted by Him.  Salvation was given first to the Jews, but when rejected by His own people, Christ was given as a gift to all who would seek after Him.  The "firstborn" Jew may have salvation in Christ as well as the "second born" Gentile; it is the heart that God judges and that is the constant theme throughout the Bible.

Jacob Meets Esau Again

Continuing my chronological Bible study:

(Genesis 33:1) And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and there Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. (2) And he put the maidservants and their children in front, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph last. (3) And he crossed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

In the last chapter, Jacob had prepared himself to meet Esau, whom he feared still wanted to kill him.  He divided his company and possessions into two bands, saying that if Esau attacked one, the other might escape.  Now Jacob separated his wives and children into their own smaller groups.  It seems he placed the ones he esteemed less toward the front, and kept Rachel and Joseph, his most beloved, last.  He himself went out in front and went near to his brother, bowing all the way, it seems.

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

Esau ran to and embraced his brother with what appears to be genuine love and affection.  If he had harbored any ill feelings toward Jacob, he had forgiven him upon the sight of him, or perhaps he had long ago forgiven him.  Either way, Jacob's prayers were certainly answered and his fears abated, and he wept surely out of relief as well as out of joy for this reconciliation.

(5) And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, "Who are those with you?" And he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." (6) Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. (7) And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves; and after Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed themselves.

When Jacob had sent the message ahead to Esau, he never mentioned his wives and children, so now when Esau saw them, he asked whose they were.  Jacob answered that they were his gifts from God, and one by one, the small groups of his family came up to Esau and bowed themselves in greeting.

(8) And he said, "What do you mean by all this drove which I met?" And he said, "These are to find grace in the sight of my lord." (9) And Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself."

Now Esau asked Jacob about all the herds which went before him.  He had been told by the messengers about those, but he wanted to ask his brother about them.  When Jacob told him they were meant to be a gift to him, he once again showed sincerity that he was truly reconciled with his brother and didn't need anything from him to make up for any hurts of the past.

(10) And Jacob said, "No, please, if I have now found grace in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, for therefore I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. (11) Please take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." And he urged him, and he took it.

Jacob insisted that Esau take his present.  He surely felt as if he had seen the face of God in that God so graciously answered his prayers and worked on the heart of Esau his brother.  I don't see that there was anything in the scriptures leading up to their meeting that showed that Esau still harbored resentment toward his brother.  One might ask why he had four hundred men with him, and there could be countless speculations as to why, but whether he just recently came to forgiveness for his brother, or if he had long ago forgiven him, it was still God working within his heart for love and forgiveness.  At Jacob's urging, Esau did take the gift, but it is apparent there was no selfish covetousness on his part.

(12) And he said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before you."

At first glance, it is difficult to know which "he" is speaking, but judging by the "he" who answered, this was Esau inviting Jacob to come along and follow him back to his home.

(13) And he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me, and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. (14) Let my lord please pass over before his servant, and I will lead on softly as the cattle that go before me, and the children are able to endure, until I come to my lord in Seir."

Jacob declined the company and asked that he and his family and flocks be allowed to take their time and go slowly.  He asked that Esau go on ahead of him and Jacob would travel at the pace that his children and the young of the herds could endure and he would come to Esau at Seir later.

(15) And Esau said, "Now let me leave with you some of the folks who are with me." And he said, "What need is it? Let me find grace in the sight of my lord."

Esau offered to leave some of his men with Jacob's company, perhaps to show them the way or help them along, but Jacob refused, saying there really was no need.  As long as he had Esau's favor and good will, that is all he needed.  Interestingly, in the last few verses of this chapter, there is no record of Jacob ever going to Esau's home.  I suppose it's possible that he did and it is not recorded, but it may be that Jacob never planned to go to Esau's home.  He asked not to travel with him and refused any help or company in his travels.  It may be that all he really did desire was to have found grace and forgiveness from his brother, and then went on to build his life in his homeland.

(16) So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. (17) And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house, and made booths for his cattle; therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

Esau returned to his home in Seir, and Jacob traveled to Succoth.  It would appear that he is the one who named the place Succoth, which literally meant "booths", as that is where he built a house and made booths, or some sort of huts or stalls for his animals.

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

It is unclear to me if Jacob moved on after building his house in Succoth, or if this is more detail about the place where he built his house and his booths.  Some Bible scholars say that Shalem was not meant to be the name of a place, but rather as the word means "complete, safe, peaceful", the meaning was that Jacob came safely and soundly to a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan.  That is where he ultimately came after he left Padan Aram, and he pitched his tent near the city, but it would seem not in it.  Since Jacob is the one who named Succoth, I wonder if he didn't come safely to a location near Shechem and built his home at a place he called Succoth.  It doesn't appear that any of the old commentaries saw it that way, and it may be that the two cities are not close enough that that idea makes any sense, but it just seems a bit odd to me that Jacob built a house and booths in one place and then moved on and pitched a tent.  Perhaps it shows that Jacob is making a name and multiple places for himself and his God in the region.

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

Jacob bought a parcel of land where he had pitched his tent near Shechem.  He bought it from Shechem's descendants, apparently the person for whom Shechem was named.  Once again, I am unclear as to whether Jacob built a house and booths in an unhabited area until he could buy the land from Shechem, or if this outlying area of Shechem became Succoth after he bought it.  I suppose if I am to read nothing extra into the scriptures, I will have to assume he lived in Succoth first and then moved on to Shechem.  They are definitely two different places, perhaps not too far from each other, but they are two different places.

(20) And he erected there an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.

There in the parcel of land that Jacob bought near Shechem, he built an altar and called it El Elohe Israel, which literally meant "the mighty God of Israel".  At this point, Israel is only the name given to Jacob; it is not yet a place, so Jacob is calling this altar in honor of his mighty God who had blessed him and delivered him back to this land.

Laban's Final Deceit and Jacob's Flight From Haran

In my chronological Bible study, it is now time to get back to Jacob.

(1 Chronicles 2:1) These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,

The last study recapped the life and descendants of Esau, and now I am going back to Esau's brother, Jacob, who will later be known as Israel.

(2) Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

All twelve sons of Jacob are listed in this passage in 1 Chronicles 2, although not all of them have been born yet in my study in Genesis.

(3) The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah; these three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him.

All I'm going to say about this passage is to question what it is doing here in this place in a chronological study!  As I have already begun a chronologically ordered study by Skip Andrews, I won't try to change course now, but I am pretty sure I will get back to the sons of Judah in Genesis, so I will not bother to study this now.  Now back to Genesis:

(Genesis 30:25) And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country."

In the study before the last one that was the recap of the life and descendants of Esau, Rachel had just borne a son, Joseph.  Apparently, Jacob's second seven years' servitude for Rachel (Gen. 29) had now expired.  Jacob asked Rachel and Leah's father, Laban, to let him go now to his own place in his own country.

(26) "Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you."

Jacob continued asking Laban to release him from service and to let him take his wives and children and go away from him, for Laban knew that he had fulfilled his service well.

(27) And Laban said to him, "Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, stay, for I have learned by experience that the LORD has blessed me for your sake." (28) And he said, "Name me your wages, and I will give it."

Laban was not so eager to see Jacob go.  He could see that the Lord blessed Jacob, and he was therefore blessed because of Jacob.  He pleaded with Jacob to stay and offered to pay him whatever he wanted.

(29) And he said to him, "You know how I have served you and how your cattle was with me. (30) For it was little what you had before I came, and it is now increased to a great amount, and the LORD has blessed you since my coming; and now, when shall I provide for my own house also?"

Jacob expounded on the fact that the Lord had indeed blessed Laban since Jacob's coming, pointing out that he had little before Jacob came and he now had a great deal, but Jacob felt it was high time that he provide for his own family now.

(31) And he said, "What shall I give you?" And Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything; if you will do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep your flocks: (32) I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown ones among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages. (33) So my righteousness will answer for me in time to come, when the subject of my wages comes before you: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, will be considered stolen, if it is with me."

Laban persisted in wanting Jacob to name his fee for staying on with him.  Jacob devised a plan.  He would agree to take care of Laban's flocks, if he would allow Jacob to take the speckled and spotted ones (and brown sheep) and let him keep and take care of those for himself.  In this way, he could begin to increase and provide for his own family, as he cared for Laban's flocks.  It would be evident by the coloring which were of Laban's flocks and which were of Jacob's.

(34) And Laban said, "Oh, that it were according to your word!"

Laban thought that sounded like an excellent idea and agreed to it.

(35) And he removed that day the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female 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. (36) And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

Laban SAID that he agreed to it, but then he removed all the streaked, speckled, and spotted (and brown sheep), and gave them to his own sons, and I am assuming set three days' journey between these and the rest of his flocks that Jacob would feed.  I don't see how he could set three days' journey between his flocks and Jacob's flocks if Jacob was to tend to them all himself, so I believe the meaning is that the ones he took out of his flocks he set three days' journey away from the rest so that Jacob would not find them.

(37) And Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the hazel and chestnut trees, and peeled white strips in them, and exposed the white which was in the rods. (38) And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink. (39) And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle streaked, speckled, and spotted.

By stripping away parts of the barks of the rods, Jacob made striped rods that he set before the flocks in the troughs and supposedly that made them conceive striped and streaked and speckled young.  It sounds odd and even seems like witchery until I get to the next chapter when Jacob tells his wives of Laban's deceit and God's plan to prosper Jacob in spite of it.  I have to believe that God probably told Jacob in a dream or vision to do this.

(40) And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves and did not put them with Laban's flock.

As the flocks began to conceive streaked and speckled young, Jacob separated the flocks and positioned the solid colored of Laban's flocks facing toward the streaked and spotted, and in the same way looking at the striped rods would bring forth streaked young, so would looking at the streaked flocks.  Jacob kept his growing flocks separated from Laban's flocks.

(41) And it came to pass, whenever the stronger cattle conceived, 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 did not put them in, so the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's. (43) And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Jacob began to pick and choose the livestock he wanted to reproduce as streaked so that his flocks became stronger and thus were Laban's made weaker.  In this way, Jacob prospered exceedingly, and of course, it had to be by God's blessing, as there was no real magic in striped sticks.

(Genesis 31:1) And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and of that which was our father's he has gotten all this glory." (2) And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before. (3) And the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you."

Jacob began to hear the grumblings of Laban's sons that he had taken away all that was their father's to become great, and Laban began to treat him differently, as well.  It was then that the Lord told Jacob to return to the land of his fathers and that He would be with him.

(4) And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock, (5) And said to them, "I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me."

Jacob called his wives out to the field of his flocks to tell them of the situation with their father.

(6) "And you know that with all my power I have served your father. (7) And your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me."

Jacob told his wives that he had served their father well, as they would well know, but that their father had deceived him and changed his wages more than once.  I don't think "ten" was meant literally, but it seemed to Jacob Laban was constantly changing what he had told him he would pay him.  Laban had deceived Jacob into 14 years' service instead of the seven Jacob had first agreed to for Rachel.  When Laban told Jacob he could have all the spotted and speckled of the flock, he then took those from the flocks and hid them three days' journey from Jacob.  As Jacob continued telling his wives of Laban's deceit and fraud, it sounds like there may have been more agreements than the reader of these accounts may have known, so maybe "ten" was a literal number after all.  As Jacob related these events to his wives, he told them that regardless of what Laban had tried to do to hurt him, God did not allow it.

(8) "If he said thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages', then all the cattle bore speckled; and if he said thus, 'The streaked shall be your wages', then all the cattle bore streaked. (9) Thus God has taken away the cattle of your father and given them to me."

Here it does seem like there may have been more agreements and changes to their agreements than we knew, but whatever Laban tried to do, Jacob recognized that it was God working in Jacob's favor against Laban's deceit, and it was in that way that Jacob had taken the flocks from Laban, from honest agreements on his part, not from any theft.

(10) "And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were streaked, speckled, and spotted. (11) And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, 'Jacob.' And I said, 'Here am I.' (12) And He said, 'Lift up your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the cattle are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban does to you. (13) I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me; now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.'"

Indeed, Jacob had seen in a dream or vision that God had made the flocks streaked, speckled, and spotted, because He saw Laban's deceitful acts and plans.  He declared He was the same God who had appeared to Jacob at the place he called Bethel where he had had the dream of the ladder and where he had erected the stone and made the vow to God.  God now told Jacob to leave this land and return to the land of his family, and this Jacob relayed to his wives.

(14) And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? (15) Are we not counted by him as strangers? For he has sold us, and has quite devoured also our money. (16) For all the riches which God has taken from our father, that is ours and our children's; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it."

Rachel and Leah could see that they had been treated as things by their father, and that he had never intended to give them any inheritance.  Anything he made from his deals with Jacob, he had apparently kept and spent on himself.  The wives of Jacob felt that anything God had allowed their husband to take from their father they should have had coming as an inheritance anyway, so they were in full agreement that whatever God had told Jacob, they should do.

(17) Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; (18) And he carried away all his cattle and all his goods which he had gotten, his acquired cattle which he had gotten in Padan Aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

Jacob took his family and all his acquired possessions and headed back to Canaan, the land of his father Isaac.

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

Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and this would have been an ideal time to steal away unbeknownst to him, but Rachel had taken some things that were her father's.  What they were exactly is pretty much a mystery, and any one of many Biblical scholars' guesses.  The original word for "images" here is "teraphim" which seems to mean, gathered from its mentions in other parts of the Bible, some sort of image or idol used in a household shrine or for worship.  There are three uses of "teraphim" in Judges and one in Hosea where the words "teraphim" and "image" are both used in the same sentence, so merely "image" doesn't appear to be its full meaning, so that sort of puts the quietus on the suggestion by some that these were just family images, like portraits of sorts, of family members that Rachel wanted for her own.  Indeed, the other uses of the word in scripture make it sound like it was a sort of superstitious talisman, perhaps used in sorcery.  Some suggest that Rachel stole them so that her father would not be able to consult them to know where they had gone, but I wouldn't think that after so many years with Jacob, Rachel would give any credence to such false idols.  She certainly doesn't treat them with respect as will be pointed out in a later scripture.  Based on what Rachel and Leah had said in verses 14-16 above, I think it is more likely that even if Laban considered them idols of worship with perhaps some power, Rachel may have stolen them simply because they may have had some value and she felt she was entitled to some inheritance.  That doesn't make it right to take something of her father's, but it does explain why she might want these idols.

(20) And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he fled. (21) So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up and crossed the river, and headed toward the mount Gilead.

It does seem that for the time being, Jacob had stolen away with all his family and his possessions, unbeknownst to Laban, and had gotten a good distance away.

(22) And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. (23) And he took his brethren with him and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

Since it was three days before Laban knew Jacob was gone, it would seem he was tending his flocks that he originally separated and kept three days' journey from Jacob.  Otherwise, I would think he would have discovered Jacob was no longer tending his flocks as he may have felt they still had an agreement for Jacob to do.  When Laban found out Jacob and his family were gone, he pursued him with his brethren, which may have been his actual brothers, or may have been other relations or maybe just friends and/or neighbors.  Because Jacob had a three day head start, it took Laban seven days to catch up, but he eventually did.

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

Probaby this vision of God came to Laban right before he actually overtook Jacob.  God warned Laban not to speak good or bad, probably meaning to keep the speech generic with no promises of good if he were to stay or no accusations of bad because of the stolen images, for examples.

(25) Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount; and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

It does appear that it was after the dream that Laban actually reached Jacob.  Jacob and his family were already in tents on the mount, and now Laban and his brethren pitched tents there, too.

(26) And Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? (27) Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me, that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with timbrel and with harp?"

Up to this point, Laban had been careful to say neither good nor bad, but simply asked Jacob why he felt the need to steal away secretly like a thief in the night.  Based on previous experiences, I don't believe Laban would have readily let them go and with celebration to boot, but he at least pretended that might have been his intention if Jacob had not stolen away secretly.

(28) "And have not allowed me to kiss my sons and my daughters. You have now done foolishly in so doing. (29) It is in the power of my hand to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Take heed that you not speak to Jacob either good or bad.' (30) And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father's house, yet why have you stolen my gods?"

Laban got a little close to speaking bad when he told Jacob he had acted foolishly and that it was within his right to do harm to Jacob, but he told Jacob of his dream of God telling him not to speak either good or bad to Jacob, so he returned to a generic comment and another question--why did he steal his gods?  Rather than "teraphim", the stolen items were called "elohiym" or "gods" by Laban, indicating he probably did use them for some sort of worship.

(31) And Jacob answered and said to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I said perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force. (32) With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live; before our brethren, discern what is yours with me and take it with you." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

Jacob answered the first questions about why he had stolen away secretly.  He was afraid that Laban would not let them go and might take his daughters from him by force, perhaps changing his wages yet again.  As far as the stolen gods, Jacob had no idea that Rachel had taken them and was so confident that Laban would not find them with him or his company, that he told Laban to kill whoever had taken his gods and to take whatever he considered his.

(33) And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maids' tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered into Rachel's tent. (34) Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat on them. And Laban searched all the tent but did not find them.

Laban looked diligently for his gods or images in the tents of Jacob, Leah, the maids, and now searched Rachel's tent.  Rachel was in her tent and had hidden the images in what sounds like the camel's saddle and sat upon the saddle.  Rachel's act of sitting upon "gods" would seem to be one of disrepect if she had any reverence for these false gods; that is why I don't think she revered them as idols of worship, but probably just for their monetary value, or maybe she just felt it was within her right to take something her father valued because he had taken away any inheritance from her, and maybe she didn't really value them at all.

(35) And she said to her father, "Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before you, for the custom of women is upon me." And he searched but did not find the images.

I always thought this was rather amusing.  Just in case Laban would decide to look under Rachel, she told her father she was having her period!  Laban searched everywhere else, and of course, did not find the images.

(36) And Jacob was angry and argued with Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued after me? (37) Although you have searched all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both."

By now, Jacob was angry with Laban's intrusion and his apparent (to Jacob) false accusations.  He challenged Laban to put before them all his personal property he had found among Jacob's group and let their brethren judge between them.

(38) "These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. (39) That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you, I bore the loss of it; you required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. (40) There I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. (41) Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your cattle, and you have changed my wages ten times."

Jacob did not hold back and told Laban how he had served him for 20 years.  He told him how he had treated him more than fairly, absorbing any losses himself.  Day in and day out, no matter what the weather, and for as long as it took, even if he lost sleep, Jacob had served Laban well.  He pointed out that Laban had not treated Jacob as fairly, but had changed his wages ten times, whether that is literal or figurative, I don't really know.

(42) "Had not the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, been with me, surely you would have sent me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night."

Jacob continued his tirade to Laban.  He finished by saying if it hadn't been for God and the reverence and fear for Him that he undountedly learned from his father Isaac, that he knew Laban would have sent him away empty-handed.  It was God who had seen how Laban treated him as he described to Laban above, and it was God who rebuked Laban in the dream because of it.

(43) And Laban answered and said to Jacob, "These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that you see is mine; and what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne?"

Laban didn't deny anything Jacob said, but he pointed out that these were his daughters and grandchildren, and his flocks, or at least young that came from his very flocks.  He saw all these as his own and would not do anything to hurt any of them.

(44) "Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be for a witness between you and me." (45) And Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. (46) And Jacob said to his brethren, "Gather stones"; and they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. (47) And Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

Laban asked that they come to a peaceful agreement, and Jacob set up a stone as a pillar to serve as a sign of their agreement.  They heaped stones around or beside it and then ate there at the heap.  Laban called the place Jegar Sahadutha, which literally meant "heap of the testimony" or "witness heap" in his Syrian language.  Jacob called the place Galeed, which literally meant the same, but was in his Hebrew language.

(48) And Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me this day." Therefore its name was called Galeed, (49) And Mizpah, for he said, "The LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.

Laban proclaimed that the heap would serve as a witness to their covenant.  It was called Galeed by Jacob, as already cited, but it was also called Mizpah, which literally meant "watchtower", because the Lord would watch over them when they were absent from one another and see to it that they adhered to their covenant.

(50) If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters; no man is with us, see, God is witness between you and me."

As a "for instance", Laban declared that if Jacob ever did anything to harm his daughters or if he took new wives, although no man might be there to see, God would see and would be a witness.  Laban appears to show a kindness and affection for his daughters, although up to this point, he had treated them more like property.

(51) And Laban said to Jacob, "Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. (52) This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over 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." And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

Actually, Jacob was the one who placed the pillar, but I suppose Laban was in agreement that it be set, and he and his brethren helped to pile the heap.  The heap wasn't really meant to be a boundary between them, but the meaning was that they would do no harm to one another.  It appears that Laban may have sworn by more than one god, the true God of Abraham, and the false gods of Terah.  I guess he thought he was covering all his bases, unless he realized the God of Abraham was the God of all, but regardless, Jacob swore by the one true God feared and revered by his father, Isaac.

(54) Then Jacob offered sacrifice on the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread; and they ate bread and stayed all night on the mount. (55) And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them; and Laban departed and returned to his place.

Jacob offered a sacrifice and it appears that Laban and his company stayed with Jacob's on the mount all night, and then Laban departed the next morning, after kissing and blessing his daughters and his granchildren.  The same Laban who had tracked them down, and by his own admission in so many words, probably had the intention of doing them harm, now kissed and blessed them and departed from them in peace, after his dream from God.