How Yacob Became Rich
Laban had tricked Yacob into taking a wife whom he did not want. According to the mentality of the Hebrew nomads it was quite normal for Yacob to seize the first occasion for his revenge, It was a primitive form of morality which still stood in need of evolution. Joseph the eleventh son had just been born at this time. Yacob took the opportunity to tell Laban of his desire to leave this region of the Euphrates and to return with his wives and children to his native Negeb. But Laban, not wishing to lose a valuable associate, insisted on his nephew's remaining in his service. Yacob therefore laid down his terms.
They were rather surprising. In addition, the passage which tells us of them contains many glosses 15 which, for once, instead of helping us to understand, complicate the facts of the case. The various articles of the contract are not put before us very clearly, but we can try to discover their meaning.
In the first place, it should be realized that in the pastures of the Near East the smaller livestock is usually uniform in colour; the goats are usually completely black and the sheep a dirty white. There are few black sheep and still fewer white-spotted goats.
The terms of the bargain
With this in mind we can examine the terms of the bargain offered by Yacob to his uncle. As in the past, Yacob would continue to look after Laban's flocks in the pastureland of Paddan-aram, but after the breeding period, that is at the end of spring, a division would be made: all the animals of a single colour would belong to Laban; those of two colours, the exceptions, would be Yacob's; they would constitute his wages. Laban was sure that he had a good bargain and hastened to agree.
Obviously he did not realize that he was dealing with an astute young man. Yacob then carried out some very curious operations. In front of the troughs (when the flocks were taken to drink was the time when the males covered the females) he placed branches of trees from which the bark had been partially removed so that they appeared to the eye as having white and green stripes. Since the sight of these stripes influenced the morphological character of the embryo Yacob soon succeeded in obtaining a herd of goats which was almost completely spotted. He took care that the white sheep should mate while they were looking at a herd of black goats. Black lambs were the result. Of course, modern zoologists and specialists in genetics would certainly not accept these explanations.
It hardly needs mentioning that Yacob only made use of sturdy animals. The weaker ones did not undergo any special treatment; on this account they kept their original colours and their offspring formed Laban's share. Something had to be kept for him after all. But Yacob with his original methods of selection gradually built up large flocks of striped, spotted or abnormally coloured sheep and goats.
Laban changes the terms of the contract
Yacob's unexpected success caused Laban's sons to murmur. 'Yacob,' they were saying among themselves, 'has taken everything that belonged to our father; it is at our father's expense that he has acquired all this wealth.' In the circumstances Laban thought it advisable to change the terms of the contract; as many as ten times, Yacob informs us. But, as Bereshith explains, YAHWEH was protecting Yacob, although, as we have seen, he appeared well able to look after his own interests.
If Laban required as his share all the spotted animals the kids and lambs were all of one colour; if the following year he claimed all the animals of one colour those which were born were all speckled. Thus gradually Yacob became the owner of considerable livestock. He had even been able to acquire tents, slaves and even camels, by the sale of the wool from his sheep. Between uncle and nephew the situation grew increasingly tense.
In such circumstances it might have been prudent to seize the first opportunity of leaving the country. But suddenly amidst these family differences YAHWEH made his voice heard. It might be thought that so far he had left the man of his choice very much to his own devices. But in no way had he abandoned him to his fate. The time had now come for YAHWEH to appear, to speak, to command. Characteristically, it was during a dream that HE manifested HIMSELF to Yacob: 'I am YAHWEH of Bethel' HE announced, 'where you poured oil on a monument and where you made a vow to ME.'
Had Yacob forgotten Bethel? YAHWEH fully intended to make HIS own man of HIS keen-witted shepherd, although he was for the time being deeply involved in material cares, to transform him spiritually and to entrust him with a mission. 'I am YAHWEH of Bethel. Now get ready to leave this country and return to the land of your birth.
15 'Glosses' are the explanatory notes which certain readers of ancient manuscripts added in the margins of ancient manuscripts or else between the lines to clarify the text by a phrase or additional statement. Most of the ancient codices which have survived provide proof of this custom. Subsequently, when a scribe copied a document enriched with glosses he often thought it right to incorporate these notes in the original text. These additions are sometimes improvements but can also on occasion prove ill-advised. Fortunately modern philologists usually succeed in detecting the gloss because in style or vocabulary it differs from the context.
Yacob Called Yisrael Index Yacob Sitemap Scripture History Through the Ages Yacob Called Yisrael Yacob and Esau Theft Of The Paternal Blessing Flight, The Only Solution For Yacob Yacob's Dream At Bethel Yacob Puts Up A Stele Named BethEl The Location Of Bethel Importance Of The Well, A Meeting Place Details Of The Mohar The Sons Of Yacob How Yacob Became Rich Yacob Leaves The Land Of The Fathers Treaty Between Yacob And Laban Messages Between Yacob And Esau Yacob Wrestles With YAHWEH Two Brothers, Yacob and Esau Meet Towards The Promised Land The Departure From Shechem The Conclusion Of Yacob