Ge 30:25-43

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Jacob tricks Laban

(Gen 30:25-43) After Rachel had borne him a son, Jacob decided to return to Canaan. Laban asked Jacob what wages he would like, since much of Laban’s prosperity had resulted from Jacob’s farming ability (Gen 30:25-30).

Jacob claimed as wages all the part-coloured animals in the flock, plus all the black sheep. As these were relatively few in number, Laban agreed, though he then attempted to lessen Jacob’s profit by removing from the flocks all the part-coloured animals and black sheep he could find (Gen 30:31-36).

But Jacob was not to be beaten. He decided not to return to Canaan immediately, and spent the next few years carefully breeding Laban’s animals.

He cross-bred the best of the animals to produce more and more sheep and goats that were healthy and of a colour that advantaged him, while the number of all-black goats and all-white sheep (Laban’s share) steadily decreased, in both quality and quantity.

Like others of his time, Jacob thought that if an animal when breeding was startled by the sight of something spotted or striped, its offspring would be spotted or striped.

His success was due rather to his wise selection of animals, and especially to the overruling activity of God (Gen 30:37-43; cf. Gen 31:8-9).