Laban

“ Jacob had by deception obtained the blessing of the first-born son, but Laban sarcastically reminded him, “It must not be so done in my country to give the younger before the first-born.” He found that Laban could drive as sharp a bargain as he. Wherever you find a sharp, shrewd man, you will always find that he draws just such men around him, and that he who cheats will himself be cheated. “Birds of a feather flock together”; blasphemers get together, and sharp, shrewd men get together. Jacob found in Laban just such a man as himself. ”

“ But Laban treated Jacob like a slave, and Jacob retaliated with meanness. He speciously secured from Laban a large proportion of Laban's cattle, and with his wealth thus gathered started away from his angry master toward the old-time Bethel, that somehow was always in his memory. There was a sense in which he deserved every sheep and goat and servant that he had: he had earned them all; they ought by right of service to be his. But in another sense he had tricked Laban and was going away with ill-gotten gains. ”

“ Immediately Laban fell to remonstrating with his son-in-law for having stolen away unawares to him. He showed his true character when he said, "It is in the power of my hand to do thee hurt, but the God of thy father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad." That is the way of the wicked, they boast of the evil they can do. Laban wanted to let Jacob know that only the dream warning him against doing aught that was harmful to Jacob prevented him from carrying out the wicked design he had formed against him. ”

“ Because he deceived his fellow-citizens thus, Laban is called Arami, "the deceiver." They feasted all day long, until late at night, and when Jacob expressed his astonishment at the attention shown him, they said to him: "Through thy piety thou didst a great service of lovingkindness unto us, our supply of water was increased unto abundance, and we desire to show our gratitude therefor." And, indeed, they tried to give him a hint of Laban's purpose. In the marriage ode which they sang they used the refrain "Halia," in the hope that he would understand it as Ha Leah, "This is Leah." ”

“ Note, Wherever we are, it is good to be employing ourselves in some useful business, which will turn to a good account to ourselves or others. Laban, it seems, was so taken with Jacob's ingenuity and industry about his flocks, that he was desirous he should continue with him, and very fairly reasons thus, (v. 15.) "Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for naught? ”

“ And Laban said: I like well what thou demandest.
30:35. And he separated the same day the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams of divers colours, and spotted; and all the flock of one colour, that is, of white and black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.
30:36. And he set the space of three days journey betwixt himself and his son-in-law, who fed the rest of his flock. ”

“ It was Ezra Phelps who announced this cheering view, which instantly found general favor, and poor Laban's limited mental powers were at once the topic of comments more plain spoken than flattering. Paul Hubbard, indeed, shook his head and smiled bitterly at this revulsion of hopefulness, but even Laban himself seemed eager to find ground for believing himself to have been, in this instance, an ass.
“Ye see the hull thing's in a nutshell,” said Abner. “Either Laban's a fool, or else the hull caounty convenshin o' Berkshire is fools an wuss, an I callate it's Laban.” ”

“ Jacob served Laban seven years, and was given Leah to wife; and he served seven years more, and he was given Rachel to wife; and he served six years for cattle that Laban gave him; and then, seeing that Laban’s face was set against him, he fled away secretly from Laban’s house, and Rachel stole the image that Laban worshipped. And this image was the head of a man, a first-born, that Laban had slain, and he had salted it with salt and balsams, and had written incantations on a plate of gold for it, and this head spake to him and told him oracles, and Laban bowed himself down before it. ”

“ To this the necessity of the case caused Jacob to agree; and thus Laban had fourteen years' service instead of seven: for it is not likely that Jacob would have served even seven days for Leah, as his affection was wholly set on Rachel, the wife of his own choice. By this stratagem Laban gained a settlement for both his daughters. What a man soweth, that shall he reap. Jacob had before practiced deceit, and is now deceived; and Laban, the instrument of it, was afterwards deceived himself. ”

“ And if thou thinkest to reduce them through hard and rigorous labor, thou wilt also not prevail, for their father Jacob served Laban in all manner of hard work, and yet he prospered. If it please the king, let him order all the male children that shall be born in Israel from this day forward to be thrown into the water. ”

“ Jacob's character we have already seen, and hitherto have met in it little to admire; but we shall soon find a blessed change both in his mind and in his conduct. Laban's character appears in almost every instance to disadvantage; he does not seem to be what we commonly term a wicked man, but he was certainly both weak and covetous; and covetousness extinguished in him, as it does in all its votaries, the principles of righteousness and benevolence, and the very charities of human life. Provided he could get an increase of property, he regarded not who was wronged or who suffered. ”

“ Laban was well pleased with this agreement, and consented to give the damsel to him, as not desirous to meet with any better son-in-law; and said he would do this, if he would stay with him some time, for he was not willing to send his daughter to be among the Canaanites, for he repented of the alliance he had made already by marrying his sister there. And when Jacob had given his consent to this, he agreed to stay seven years; for so many years he had resolved to serve his father-in-law, that, having given a specimen of his virtue, it might be better known what sort of a man he was. ”

“ Laban, and Laban runs to the man who [is] outside, to the fountain; 30 indeed, it comes to pass, when he sees the ring, and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he hears the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, "Thus has the man spoken to me," that he comes to the man, and behold, he is standing by the camels by the fountain. 31 And he says, "Come in, O blessed one of YHWH! Why do you stand outside—and I have prepared the house and place for the camels?" ”

“ His prayer shows that he is beginning to profit by the long years of schooling. Though its burden is only deliverance from Esau, it pleads with God on the grounds of His own command and promise, of Jacob's unworthiness of God's past mercies, and of His firm covenant. A breath of a higher life is stirring in the shifty schemer who has all his life been living by his wits. Now he has come to a point where he knows that his own power can do nothing. With Laban, a man of craft like himself, it was diamond cut diamond ”

“ He feared lest Laban would by force take away his daughters, and so oblige him, by the bond of affection to his wives, to continue in his service. Note, Those that are unjust in the least, it may be suspected, will be unjust also in much, Luke 16. 10. If Laban deceived Jacob in his wages, it is likely he will make no conscience of robbing him of his wives, and putting those asunder whom God had joined together. What may not be feared from men that have no principle of honesty? 2. As to the charge of stealing Laban's gods, he pleads not guilty, v. ”

“ Laban and his household remark the result, if not the stratagem. Vexation ensues: Jacob flees with his family and goods, and partly by fortune, partly by cunning, escapes the pursuit of Laban. Rachel is now about to present him another son, but dies in the travail; Benjamin, the child of sorrow, survives her; but the aged father is to experience a still greater sorrow from the apparent loss of his son Joseph. ”

“ They'll probably put up a monument to me for startin' the thing; don't you think they will, Al? Eh? Don't you, now?”
Albert and he walked up the road together. Laban told a little more of his battle with John Barleycorn. ”

“ The bargain, therefore, seemed to be wholly in favor of Laban; and to turn it to his own advantage, Jacob made use of the stratagems afterwards mentioned. This mode of interpretation removes all the apparent contradiction between [1411] and [1412] , with which commentators in general have been grievously perplexed. From the whole account we learn that Laban acted with great prudence and caution, and Jacob with great judgment. Jacob had already served fourteen years ”

“ In connection with this, it is written, "and you have changed my wages ten times" (Beresheet 31:41) . Laban used all these tools against him, but could not harm him, as it is written, "and changed my wages ten times; but Elohim did not allow him to hurt me" (Ibid. 7) . What is the meaning of "times (Heb. מוֹנִים) ?" It was translated into "kinds (Heb. מִינִים) ." It is also written, "the demons, after whom they have gone astray (Heb. זוֹנִים) " (Vayikra 17:7) . "Times" are literally 'kinds' (Aramaic זִינִין) , the ten kinds of sorcery and divination of the lower crowns of the Klipot. ”

“ In love to himself, not to Jacob or to his wives or children, he speaks fairly and gently, that he may engage him to continue his chief shepherd; entreating him, by the regard he bore him, not to leave him; If I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry. Note, Churlish selfish men know how to give good words, when it is to serve their own ends. Laban found that his stock had wonderfully increased with Jacob's good management, and he owns it, with very good expressions of respect both to God and Jacob ”

“ But God hath taken our father's riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore, do all that God hath commanded thee.
31:17. Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children and wives upon camels, went his way.
31:18. And he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and went forward to Isaac, his father, to the land of Chanaan.
31:19. At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father's idols.
Her father's idols. . .By this it appears that Laban was an idolater ”

“ His star and his constellation are so lucky that good fortune will attend all his undertakings, and for his sake the blessing of the Lord will rest upon all thou doest, in thy house or in thy field."
Laban was satisfied with the advice of the teraphim, but he was embarrassed as to the way in which he was to attach Jacob to his house. He did not venture to offer him service, lest Jacob's conditions be impossible of fulfilment. Again he resorted to the teraphim, and asked them with what reward to tempt his nephew, and they replied: "A wife is his wage ”

“ Balaban shrugged.
“I have a mind to it. One cast of the dice——”
“For the bearer, the seguro is a death warrant.”
Now the mind of the Levantine read into this response that Michael valued the paper and would not hazard it. So his desire for it grew the more. Time pressed and he spoke under his lip. “Hearken, O Aga—leader of warriors— You and I have our feet in the same path. If the Cossacks are cut up we must look to ourselves. I can serve you, and you me.” ”

“ The slaves struck out wildly, and defended themselves with fingers and teeth after they were thrown to the deck. It was more difficult to break down the wooden bars that had been built into place without any door as far as Demid could see. He tore down a damask hanging within the lattice, and stared in silence at the treasure of the galley.
At the end of the cabin and raised above it by several steps was a large recess made comfortable with silk rugs, draperies of cloth sewn with gold, and pillowed couches.
“Women!” Balaban’s voice was exultant. ”

“ He liked him exceedingly for a sort of odd pessimism of aggressive philosophy, a species of mysticism mingled with bitterness, which Labanoff took no pains to conceal. The young Hungarian had, perhaps, among the men of his own age, no other friend in the world than this Russian with odd ideas, whose enigmatical smile puzzled and interested him. ”

“ Demid’s keen eyes studied the polished poop of the pursuer, outlined clearly in the setting sun, and the steady beat of the long oars. Now he could hear the measured throbbing of the drum on the Moslem ship—could make out the lateen sail clewed up skilfully. Every warrior except the helms man and the reis was stretched prone on the deck, to offer less resistance to the air.
“Aye,” Balaban noticed his gaze, “’tis a corsair from Barbary, on cruise in the Black Sea to collect wealth for the Sultan, doubtless. ”

“ The Turks eyed the wall of rock on three sides with misgivings; no ponies could climb the cliff here, and yet the Cossacks were gone.
“Dil i yarana—be of stout hearts, comrades,” they said, one to another. “The ghils have taken the infidels and without doubt we shall behold them of nights. Aye, fire will rush out of their nostrils, as they spur their ponies through the air while the spirits whip them on.”
With this wonder to relate in the villages they hastened back rather more quickly than they came. Only Balaban smiled his wry smile—
“The time is not yet.” ”