◄ Genesis 31:16 ►
Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you."
Study Bible
Surely all the wealth
This phrase emphasizes the certainty and completeness of the wealth transfer. In the Hebrew context, "wealth" (חֵיל, cheyl) often refers to strength, resources, or riches. The use of "surely" underscores the conviction of Rachel and Leah in acknowledging the divine justice in the redistribution of wealth. Historically, wealth in ancient times was often measured in livestock, land, and servants, which were tangible signs of God's blessing and favor.

that God has taken away
The phrase highlights God's active role in the situation. The Hebrew verb used here for "taken away" (נָצַל, natsal) can mean to snatch away, deliver, or rescue. This suggests that God intervened to rectify the injustice done by Laban to Jacob. It reflects a recurring biblical theme where God acts as a defender of the oppressed and a restorer of justice.

from our father
This phrase acknowledges Laban's previous ownership and mismanagement of the wealth. In the patriarchal society of the time, the father was the head of the household and the primary decision-maker. Rachel and Leah's reference to "our father" indicates their recognition of Laban's failure to act justly, which necessitated divine intervention.

belongs to us and to our children
Here, the phrase asserts the rightful ownership of the wealth by Rachel, Leah, and their descendants. The Hebrew word for "belongs" (לָנוּ, lanu) implies possession and inheritance. This reflects the biblical principle of generational blessing and inheritance, where God's provision is not only for the present but also for future generations.

So do whatever God has told you
This phrase is a powerful affirmation of faith and obedience. The Hebrew word for "told" (אָמַר, amar) means to say, command, or promise. Rachel and Leah's encouragement to Jacob to follow God's directive demonstrates their trust in God's plan and their willingness to submit to His will. It serves as an inspirational reminder of the importance of aligning one's actions with divine guidance, trusting that God's plans are for the ultimate good.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jacob
The patriarch who has been working for Laban, his father-in-law, and is now preparing to leave with his family and possessions.

2. Rachel and Leah
The wives of Jacob, daughters of Laban, who express their support for Jacob's decision to leave Laban's household.

3. Laban
The father of Rachel and Leah, who has been deceitful and manipulative in his dealings with Jacob.

4. God
The divine being who has blessed Jacob and instructed him to return to his homeland.

5. Paddan-aram
The region where Jacob has been living and working for Laban, and from which he is preparing to depart.
Teaching Points
Divine Justice and Provision
God ensures that justice is served and provides for His people, even when others act deceitfully.

Family Unity in God's Plan
Rachel and Leah's agreement with Jacob highlights the importance of family unity in following God's direction.

Trust in God's Timing
Jacob's patience and trust in God's timing resulted in blessings and protection, encouraging believers to wait on the Lord.

Obedience to God's Command
Jacob's willingness to follow God's command, despite potential risks, serves as a model of faith and obedience.

God's Sovereignty Over Wealth
The transfer of wealth from Laban to Jacob's family illustrates God's control over material resources and His ability to provide for His people.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the context of Genesis 31:16 demonstrate God's faithfulness to Jacob despite Laban's deceit?

2. In what ways can we see the importance of family unity in following God's will, as demonstrated by Rachel and Leah's support for Jacob?

3. How does the transfer of wealth from Laban to Jacob's family reflect the principle found in Proverbs 13:22?

4. What can we learn from Jacob's obedience to God's command to return to his homeland, and how can we apply this in our own lives?

5. How does the account of Jacob's departure from Laban's household encourage us to trust in God's provision and timing in our own circumstances?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 31:3
God instructs Jacob to return to the land of his fathers, promising to be with him. This sets the stage for the events in verse 16.

Genesis 31:7-9
Jacob recounts how God protected him and ensured that Laban's deceit did not harm him, highlighting God's providence.

Exodus 3:21-22
The Israelites are instructed to ask the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, similar to how Jacob's family takes wealth from Laban.

Proverbs 13:22
The wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous, reflecting the transfer of wealth from Laban to Jacob's family.

1 Timothy 6:17
A reminder to trust in God rather than wealth, relevant to the context of wealth transfer in Genesis 31:16.
Sermons
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.
People
Aram, Isaac, Jacob, Laban, Leah, Nahor, Rachel
Places
Canaan, Euphrates River, Galeed, Gilead, Jegar-sahadutha, Mizpah, Paddan-aram
Topics
Belongs, Children's, Ours, Property, Riches, Surely, Wealth, Whatever, Whatsoever
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Genesis 31:1-24

     5095   Jacob, life

Library
Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Appendix xvi. On the Jewish views About Demons' and the Demonised,' Together with Some Notes on the Intercourse Between Jews and Jewish Christians in the First Centuries.
IT is not, of course, our purpose here to attempt an exhaustive account of the Jewish views on demons' and the demonised.' A few preliminary strictures were, however, necessary on a work upon which writers on this subject have too implictly relied. I refer to Gfrörer's Jahrhundert des Heils (especially vol. i. pp. 378-424). Gfrörer sets out by quoting a passage in the Book of Enoch on which he lays great stress, but which critical inquiries of Dillmann and other scholars have shown to be …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

How the Rude in Sacred Learning, and those who are Learned but not Humble, are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 25.) Differently to be admonished are those who do not understand aright the words of the sacred Law, and those who understand them indeed aright, but speak them not humbly. For those who understand not aright the words of sacred Law are to be admonished to consider that they turn for themselves a most wholesome drought of wine into a cup of poison, and with a medicinal knife inflict on themselves a mortal wound, when they destroy in themselves what was sound by that whereby they ought, …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Epistle Xlix. To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch .
To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch [35] . Gregory to Anastasius, &c. I received the letters of thy Fraternity, rightly holding fast the profession of the faith; and I returned great thanks to Almighty God, who, when the shepherds of His flock are changed, still, even after such change, guards the faith which He once delivered to the holy Fathers. Now the excellent preacher says, Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. iii. 2). Whosoever, then, with love of …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Great Shepherd
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. Wealth, in those …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

And He had Also this Favour Granted Him. ...
66. And he had also this favour granted him. For as he was sitting alone on the mountain, if ever he was in perplexity in his meditations, this was revealed to him by Providence in prayer. And the happy man, as it is written, was taught of God [1112] . After this, when he once had a discussion with certain men who had come to him concerning the state of the soul and of what nature its place will be after this life, the following night one from above called him, saying, Antony, rise, go out and look.' …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Meditations for the Morning.
1. Almighty God can, in the resurrection, as easily raise up thy body out of the grave, from the sleep of death, as he hath this morning wakened thee in thy bed, out of the sleep of nature. At the dawning of which resurrection day, Christ shall come to be glorified in his saints; and every one of the bodies of the thousands of his saints, being fashioned like unto his glorious body, shall shine as bright as the sun (2 Thess. i. 10; Jude, ver. 14; Phil. iii. 21; Luke ix. 31;) all the angels shining …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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