At this point, for better or for worse, Jacob is attached to Laban. He has a large number of children (at least eleven sons and one daughter) and four wives to support. His fortunes are clearly intertwined with those of Laban. However, he is restless. “After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, ‘Send me on my way so that I can go home to my own country. Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. Then I’ll depart, because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.’” (30:25-26) Though Laban’s response is one in which he seems to be imploring Jacob to stay, saying “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay her, for I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me on account of you… Just name your wages---I’ll pay you whatever you want” (30:27-28), this hardly seems necessary. The fact that Jacob has requested that Laban allow him to leave, and that Laban allow him to take his wives and children with him, is indicative of the nature of the relationship. This probably has to do with his need to continue paying for his wives.
Though we have the record of his seven years of service by which he acquired Leah, and then the seven years of service that he promised after also acquiring Rachel, there is no record of his service rendered for the acquisition of Bilhah and Zilpah. These two women would be just as much the property of Laban as were his daughters before Jacob met the required bride-price. Until Jacob had paid for them as well, he would be under obligation to Laban. Until payment was completed, both these wives and the children birthed through them, would be the property of Laban. So even though Laban seems to plead with Jacob, it does not appear that he has to engage in such behavior.
It is clear that Jacob wants to return home. However, as part of the previously mentioned plan, he has not been summoned by his mother, nor is there yet any indication, in the text, that his brother’s rage against him has subsided. Though he wants to leave Laban, the circumstances conspire against him. So rather than leaving with his wife and children, in order to return to his father’s house, he takes Laban up on his offer, naming his wages. An arrangement is made wherein Jacob suggest that, while he continue to care for all of Laban’s flocks, that he have the opportunity to “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,” saying “These animals will be my wages” (30:32). Laban indicates that this arrangement is satisfactory, but we go on to find out that “that day Laban removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted, all the female goats that were speckled or spotted, and all the dark colored lambs… Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey, while Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks” (32:35a,36).
This is quite underhanded, and hardly in tune with the spirit of the agreement. It certainly does not seem like the actions of one who has “learned by divination that the Lord has blessed” him because of Jacob’s presence and service. Laban knows that if Jacob is able to gain his own flocks, that he will be able to complete the acquisition of his wives and children and depart. So by these actions, at least on the surface, it seemingly becomes clear that Laban does not want Jacob to leave. What is obvious is that this is an oppressive course of action that has been undertaken by Laban, and it is quite in line with what we would expect from him, especially as we keep in mind his substitution of one daughter for another after Jacob’s first seven years of service.
While it takes the appearance of a desire on Laban’s behalf to keep Jacob working for him indefinitely, it could also be understood as an effort by Laban to cause Jacob to rebel and leave. Understood from this angle, we could see Laban striking a deal with Jacob that will theoretically enable him to fund the acquisition of his wives and children, while Laban takes steps to ensure that Jacob, attempting to do so under the terms that he himself has proposed, will be unable to accomplish this goal. In Laban’s mind, this will cause Jacob to take an extreme action. He will either come to realize that his efforts will be encumbered in futility, and he will take it upon himself to leave, leaving his wives and children behind; or alternately, he will attempt to leave, taking with him wives and children that still, financially, belong to Laban. If the first option is chosen, then Laban will have gained himself women and children (which will result in greater wealth and honor), if the second option is chosen, then Laban will have a basis upon which to take Jacob’s wives and children by force, especially if it is understood that Jacob, by leaving with his wives and children while his debt is still unpaid, has presented a grave challenge to Laban’s honor---a challenge that would have to be met by force.
We see something like this in the thirty-first chapter, when Jacob does leave, and he is pursued by Laban. There, when Laban questions Jacob about his abrupt departure, Jacob says “I left secretly because I was afraid! I thought you might take your daughters away from me by force” (31:31). Either way, by his actions it seems clear that Laban actually desires to rid himself of Jacob. With Jacob’s sons coming of age, Jacob, in Laban’s eyes, has outlived his usefulness. Jacob’s sons can now do the work that their father had performed, on a more grand scale, and if Laban can successfully remove Jacob from the picture, then they can do that work for Laban, rather than for Jacob. Additionally and importantly, Jacob’s continued presence with Laban constitutes a threat to Laban’s authority and his honor. If we understand that honor is a limited good, and that a rise in the honor possessed by one individual would automatically mean the diminishing of the honor that is possessed by another individual, we can understand at least part of Laban’s motivations. Jacob, however, in spite of all of these machinations, is undeterred. He does not acquiesce and depart. He counters Laban’s plans; and through careful breeding practices, accomplishes what it is that he set out to accomplish, becoming “extremely prosperous. He owned large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys” (30:43).
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