Genesis
31:43 ¶ And Laban answered and said unto
Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children,
and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I
do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have
born? 44 Now therefore come thou, let us
make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up
for a pillar. 46 And Jacob said unto his
brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did
eat there upon the heap. 47 And Laban
called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness
between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD
watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. 50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if
thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is
witness betwixt me and thee. 51 And
Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have
cast betwixt me and thee; 52 This heap
be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to
thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for
harm. 53 The God of Abraham, and the God
of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the
fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob
offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and
they did eat bread, and tarried all night in 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 unto his place.
Laban replies that
Rachel and Leah are his daughters and that Jacob’s offspring belong to him. He
claims that Jacob’s sheep are his sheep and everything Jacob has carried off
belongs to him. He then admits that he could not possibly do any harm to his daughters
and their children, weakly cutting Jacob out of the equation. After this verbal
domination game he then offers a covenant to Jacob. I would presume he knows he
is beaten in this, that he cannot go against Jacob and face God’s wrath.
They laid a pile
of stones to memorialize their covenant. Laban called it Jegarsahadutha which Strong says, confirmed by the context, means
‘witness heap.’ Jacob calls it Galeed. This
also means ‘witness heap’ according to Strong’s. It is given the names Galeed and Mizpah, meaning a watchtower. Laban, and most fathers can
understand this sentiment as Laban warns that this heap of stones signifies
that God is watching Jacob’s behavior toward Laban’s daughters. Laban
acknowledges Jehovah God as the judge between himself and Jacob. Neither of
them is to pass that heap of stones to each other with the intent of doing
harm. Jacob agreed and offered a sacrifice and then they had a meal. The next
day Laban departed after kissing his daughters and grandchildren, presumably
never to see them again.
Laban has engaged
in a psychological device where he feels more secure even though he has no
security. The presumed weaker party in a conflict, it is revealed, has a
powerful ally who changes the balance of power in the conflict. The party that
thought it had all the power now demands an agreement where they mutually agree
not to harm each other, as if he still had the power to harm the weaker party
and would be held back by the agreement he proposed. Neither Laban, nor you,
nor your employer, nor your government, nor any individual or collective you
can imagine is able to stand against God; all contracts, signed agreements, and
treaties aside.
God’s plan of
reconciling mankind to Himself continues and another saint has been nurtured
and strengthened in a potential enemy’s camp, receiving booty and gain, then
moving on. The stage is now being set for the creation of the people of Israel,
through which Christ will come.
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