Read Genesis 30:25-31:3 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph division
Gen 28:10-32:2 {p} God fulfills His promise to Jacob (wives + children + flocks)
Gen 30:25-31:3 chiastic structure
1a) Gen 30:25-26a When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban: “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go;”
1b) Gen 30:26-29 Laban desired Jacob to remain, for YHVH has blessed him for Jacob’s sake;
1a) Gen 30:26b “For you know my service with which I have served you;”
1b) Gen 30:27a Laban: “If now I have found favor in your eyes—
central axis) Gen 30:27b I have observed the signs;
2b) Gen 30:27c-28 YHVH has blessed me for your sake/ Appoint me your wages, and I will give it;”
2a) Gen 3028-29 Jacob: “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me;”
1c) Gen 30:30 Jacob: “For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased abundantly; and YHVH has blessed you wherever I turned. And now when shall I provide for my own house also?”
1d) Gen 30:31-33 Jacob negotiates for the blemished among Laban’s flock;
1a) Gen 30:31 Laban: “What shall I give you?” Jacob: “You shall not give me anything; if you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it;”
1b) Gen 30:32a “I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled + spotted one/ every dark one among the sheep; spotted + speckled among the goats;”
1c) Gen 30:32b “And of such shall be my hire;”
central axis) Gen 30:33a “So shall my righteousness witness against me hereafter;”
2c) Gen 30:33b “When you shall come to look over my hire that is before you;”
2b) Gen 30:33c “Every one that is not speckled + spotted among the goats/ dark among the sheep;”
2a) Gen 30:33d That if found with me shall be counted stolen;”
central axis) Gen 30:34 And Laban said: “Behold, may it be according to your word;”
2d) Gen 30:35-42 Jacob separated the blemished among the flock for his own;
1a) Gen 30:35a He removed that day the he-goats that were streaked + spotted, and all the she-goats that were speckled + spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the dark ones among the sheep;
1b) Gen 30:35b And gave them into the hand of his sons;
central axis) Gen 30:36a And [Laban] set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob;
2b) Gen 30:36b And Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks;
2a) Gen 30:37-42 Jacob increased the blemished among Laban’s flock, and separated them for his own;
1a) Gen 30:37-39 Laban’s flock conceived before the rods + brought forth streaked, speckled, spotted;
1b) Gen 30:40a And Jacob separated the lambs—
central axis) Gen 30:40b He also set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked + all the dark in the flock of Laban—
2b) Gen 30:40c And put his own droves apart, and put them not with Laban’s flock;
2a) Gen 30:41-42 Jacob set the rods before the stronger flock when they conceived, so that the stronger flock was Jacob’s;
2c) Gen 30:43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks + maid-servants + men-servants + camels + donkeys;
2b) Gen 31:1-2 Laban’s sons: “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.” Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, that it was not favorable toward him as before;
2a) Gen 31:3 Then YHVH said to Jacob: “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
This passage is prophetic of Messiah, as one of the signs of Messiah in Torah is the number three. Laban and Jacob’s flocks were separated by a distance of three days’ journey. The prophesy is that as Jacob desired the blemished sheep for his own, so Messiah desires to redeem the blemished for His own, and separate them to be His own flock.
Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou biddest me come to Thee
Oh Lamb of God, I come — I come.
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