Genesis 30:32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.

◄ Genesis 30:32 ►

New International Version
Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages.

New Living Translation
Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages.

English Standard Version
let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages.

Berean Standard Bible
Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.

King James Bible
I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

New King James Version
Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages.

New American Standard Bible
let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled or spotted sheep and every black sheep among the lambs, and the spotted or speckled among the goats; and those shall be my wages.

NASB 1995
let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep and every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.

NASB 1977
let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep, and every black one among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.

Legacy Standard Bible
let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted sheep and every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.

Amplified Bible
Let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every dark or black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and those shall be my wages.

Christian Standard Bible
Let me go through all your sheep today and remove every sheep that is speckled or spotted, every dark-colored sheep among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the female goats. Such will be my wages.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Let me go through all your sheep today and remove every sheep that is speckled or spotted, every dark-colored sheep among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the female goats. Such will be my wages.

American Standard Version
I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

Contemporary English Version
Let me go through your flocks and herds and take the sheep and goats that are either spotted or speckled and the black lambs. That's all you need to give me.

English Revised Version
I will pass through all thy flock today, removing from thence every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Let me go through all of your flocks today and take every speckled or spotted sheep, every black lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages.

Good News Translation
Let me go through all your flocks today and take every black lamb and every spotted or speckled young goat. That is all the wages I want.

International Standard Version
Let me walk among your flocks today and remove every speckled or spotted sheep, along with every black lamb, and let me do the same with the speckled and spotted goats. These will be my wages.

Majority Standard Bible
Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.

NET Bible
Let me walk among all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and the spotted or speckled goats. These animals will be my wages.

New Heart English Bible
I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my wages.

Webster's Bible Translation
I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

World English Bible
I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
I pass through all your flock today to turn aside every speckled and spotted sheep from there, and every brown sheep among the lambs, and speckled and spotted among the goats—and it has been my hire;

Young's Literal Translation
I pass through all thy flock to-day to turn aside from thence every sheep speckled and spotted, and every brown sheep among the lambs, and speckled and spotted among the goats -- and it hath been my hire;

Smith's Literal Translation
I will pass over among all thy sheep this day, removing from thence every sheep speckled and patched, and every sheep black among the lambs; and the patched and speckled among the she-goats; and it shall be my hire.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Go round through all thy flocks, and separate all the sheep of divers colours, and speckled: and all that is brown and spotted, and of divers colours, as well among the sheep, as among the goats, shall be my wages.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Go around through all your flocks and separate all the sheep of variegated or spotted fleece; and whatever will be darkened or blemished or variegated, as much among the sheep as among the goats, will be my wages.

New American Bible
Let me go through your whole flock today and remove from it every dark animal among the lambs and every spotted or speckled one among the goats. These will be my wages.

New Revised Standard Version
let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
I will pass through all your flock today, and select for myself from it every speckled and spotted lamb, and every brown lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and of such shall be my wages.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I shall pass among all your sheep today and I shall separate for myself from there every white spotted forehead lamb and spotted, and every lamb that is speckled in white and spotted, and the white spotted forehead among the goats, and it will be my reward.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence every speckled and spotted one, and every dark one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and of such shall be my hire.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Let all thy sheep pass by to-day, and separate thence every grey sheep among the rams, and every one that is speckled and spotted among the goats - this shall be my reward.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Jacob Prospers
…31“What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks. 32Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages. 33So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Genesis 31:8-12
If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring. / Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me. / When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. ...

Genesis 31:38-42
I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock. / I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night. / As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes. ...

Genesis 29:31-35
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. / And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.” / Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon. ...

Genesis 31:1-2
Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.” / And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.

Genesis 31:9
Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

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.”

Genesis 31:18
and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.

Genesis 31:41
Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!

Exodus 12:35-36
Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing. / And the LORD gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they granted their request. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.

Leviticus 27:32
Every tenth animal from the herd or flock that passes under the shepherd’s rod will be holy to the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8:18
But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.

Deuteronomy 15:19-20
You must set apart to the LORD your God every firstborn male produced by your herds and flocks. You are not to put the firstborn of your oxen to work, nor are you to shear the firstborn of your flock. / Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.

1 Samuel 25:2
Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.

1 Kings 8:56
“Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Treasury of Scripture

I will pass through all your flock to day, removing from there all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.

of such.

Genesis 30:35
And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

Genesis 31:8,10
If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked…

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Genesis 30

1. Rachel, in grief for her barrenness, gives Bilhah her maid unto Jacob.
5. Bilhah bears Dan and Naphtali.
9. Leah gives Zilpah her maid, who bears Gad and Asher.
14. Reuben finds mandrakes,
15. with which Leah buys her husband's company of Rachel.
17. Leah bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah.
22. Rachel bears Joseph.
25. Jacob desires to depart.
27. Laban detains him on a new agreement.
37. Jacob's policy, whereby he becomes rich.

Berean Study Bible

Let me pass through your entire flock today
The phrase "Let me pass through" indicates an action of careful selection and separation. In Hebrew, the word for "pass through" is "ʿāḇar," which often implies a deliberate and discerning movement. This reflects Jacob's intention to personally inspect and choose from the flock, emphasizing his integrity and diligence. The phrase "your entire flock" underscores the comprehensive nature of the task, suggesting that nothing will be hidden or overlooked. Historically, this reflects the pastoral practices of the time, where shepherds were intimately involved with their flocks, knowing each animal personally.

removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep
The act of "removing" here is significant, as it denotes a separation of what is to be set apart for Jacob. The Hebrew root "bādal" means to divide or distinguish, which is a recurring theme in the Bible, often symbolizing holiness or consecration. "Speckled and spotted" sheep were considered less desirable in ancient Near Eastern cultures, often seen as blemished or imperfect. However, Jacob's choice of these animals as his wages highlights a divine reversal of human expectations, where God often chooses the weak or despised to fulfill His purposes.

every dark-colored lamb
The mention of "dark-colored" lambs further emphasizes the theme of choosing the unexpected. In Hebrew, "ḥūm" refers to a dark or dusky color, which was not the preferred color for lambs in Jacob's time. This choice reflects Jacob's faith in God's provision, trusting that God would bless him through what others might overlook. It also symbolizes the idea that God's blessings are not limited by human standards or appearances.

and every spotted or speckled goat
The repetition of "spotted or speckled" for goats reinforces the theme of divine selection of the unconventional. In the ancient world, goats were a valuable part of pastoral wealth, and their markings were often used to identify ownership. The Hebrew words "nāqōd" (spotted) and "ṭālā'" (speckled) suggest a variety and diversity within the flock, symbolizing the richness and abundance of God's blessings, even when they come in unexpected forms.

These will be my wages
The declaration "These will be my wages" is a statement of faith and trust in God's provision. In Hebrew, "śāḵār" means wages or reward, and it is often associated with the idea of just recompense. Jacob's reliance on these specific animals as his wages demonstrates his confidence that God will honor his integrity and hard work. This phrase also reflects the biblical principle that God rewards those who are faithful and diligent, even when the path seems uncertain or unconventional.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(32) The speckled and spotted cattle (sheep).--In the East sheep are generally white, and goats black or brown. Jacob, therefore, proposes that all such shall belong to Laban, but that the parti-coloured should be his hire. By "speckled" are meant those sheep and goats that had small spots upon their coats, and by "spotted," those that had large patches of another colour. Besides these, Jacob is to have all "brown cattle," that is, sheep, for the word "cattle" is usually now confined to kine, which was not the case 200 years ago. This translation is taken from Rashi, but the word usually signifies black. Philippsohn says that black sheep are seldom seen in the East, but that sheep of a blackish-red colour are common. In Genesis 30:35 we have another word, "ring-straked," that is, having the colours in stripes. This is never the case with sheep, but goats often have their coats thus definitely marked.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 32. - I will pass through all thy flock today, - wrongly rendered παρελθέτω πάντα τὰ πρόβάτα σου (LXX), gyra per omnes greges tuos (Vulgate}, as if Jacob proposed that the separation of the flocks should be effected by Laban, and not by himself - removing from thence - not remove thou, as if the verb were imperative (Rosenmüller, Murphy, Kalisch), but "to remove," the verb being in the inf. (Keil; cf. Ewald, 'Hebrews Synt.,' § 279) - all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. Since in Oriental countries sheep are commonly white and goats black, the number of speckled and spotted animals (i.e. sheep with little spots and largo patches of black, and goats with little or large points of white, in their hair) would be unusually small. And of such shall be my hire - i.e. the dark-spotted or entirely black sheep and white or white-speckled goats were to be Jacob's reward (Knobel, Delitzsch, Keil, Lunge), which was to be subsequently increased by whatever speckled animals might appear among the one-colored flocks; but it seems more probable that Jacob only claimed the latter, and, both to make the bargain more attractive to Laban and to show that he wanted nothing from Laban but only what God might be pleased in accordance with this arrangement to bestow, he suggested that the flocks and herds should be purged of all such speckled and spotted animals to begin with (Tuch, Baumgarten, Kurtz, Rosenmüller, Kalisch, Candlish; Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary,' Clarke, Bush).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Let me go
אֶֽעֱבֹ֨ר (’e·‘ĕ·ḇōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

through all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your flocks
צֹֽאנְךָ֜ (ṣō·nə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock

today
הַיּ֗וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

and remove
הָסֵ֨ר (hā·sêr)
Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 5493: To turn aside

from them
מִשָּׁ֜ם (miš·šām)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

speckled
נָקֹ֣ד (nā·qōḏ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5348: Speckled

or spotted
וְטָל֗וּא (wə·ṭā·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 2921: To cover with pieces, to spot, variegate

sheep,
שֶׂ֣ה ׀ (śeh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7716: A member of a, flock, a sheep, goat

every
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

dark-colored
חוּם֙ (ḥūm)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2345: Darkened, dark brown or black

lamb,
בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים (bak·kə·śā·ḇîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3775: A young sheep

and every spotted
וְטָל֥וּא (wə·ṭā·lū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 2921: To cover with pieces, to spot, variegate

or speckled
וְנָקֹ֖ד (wə·nā·qōḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5348: Speckled

goat.
בָּעִזִּ֑ים (bā·‘iz·zîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5795: Female goat

These will be
וְהָיָ֖ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

my wages.
שְׂכָרִֽי׃ (śə·ḵā·rî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 7939: Payment of contract, salary, fare, maintenance, compensation, benefit

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OT Law: Genesis 30:32 I will pass through all your flock (Gen. Ge Gn)