Genesis 31:50
If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights Laban's shrewd concern not just for Jacob's future treatment of his daughters, but specifically for the risk of Jacob taking additional wives. This reveals Laban's underlying anxiety about the division of his "inheritance" (which he controversially claims all his assets are) and the potential dilution of his daughters' and grandchildren's shares.
After years of working for his father-in-law Laban, Jacob has secretly fled with his family and possessions. Laban, discovering this, pursued Jacob and caught up to him. Though initially furious and ready for conflict, God intervened in a dream, warning Laban not to harm Jacob. Instead of violence, a tense negotiation and covenant-making occur, culminating in this statement by Jacob to Laban, setting terms for Jacob's daughters and their future families.
In the heat of a tense family dispute, Jacob and Laban reach a critical agreement. But what does it mean when they invoke God as a witness?
The Solemnity of Divine Witness
When Laban makes this declaration, he’s not just saying, 'God knows.' He's invoking God as the ultimate, impartial judge. In a situation where human witnesses could be biased or absent, God's omnipresence and omniscience make Him the perfect arbiter.
Laban, who had previously exploited Jacob, now seems fiercely protective of his daughters. What drives this sudden concern for their welfare?
A Father's Vow for His Daughters
This verse reveals a father's deep-seated concern for the security and happiness of his daughters, even after a long and often strained relationship with his son-in-law. Laban’s words carry significant weight in this context:
Understand the original words
anah · Hebrew Verb
To afflict, maltreat, or deal harshly with someone; often used in a legal or social context to describe the exploitation of the vulnerable.
Elohim · Hebrew Proper Noun
The Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Supreme Judge to whom all humans are accountable, especially regarding oaths and moral behavior.
This covenant was made at a critical juncture after a period of intense conflict and deception between Jacob and his father-in-law, Laban. The verse reflects Jacob's deep concern for the future well-being of his daughters within the patriarchal, polygamous society, seeking divine assurance that they would not be mistreated or supplanted by future wives.
c. 1800 BC
Jacob lives in Haran
Jacob serves Laban for 20 years in Haran, first for his daughters Leah and Rachel, and then for his flocks. During this time, Jacob has many children with Leah, Rachel, and their servants.
c. 1780 BC
Jacob flees Haran
Under divine guidance, Jacob secretly flees Haran with his family and possessions, taking advantage of Laban's absence shearing sheep. Laban's sons hear of Jacob's departure and suspect theft.
c. 1780 BC
Laban pursues Jacob
Laban gathers his kinsmen and pursues Jacob for seven days, eventually catching up to him at Mount Gilead. God warns Laban in a dream not to harm Jacob.
c. 1780 BC— this verse
Covenant at Gilead
After a heated exchange, Jacob and Laban make a covenant of peace. They set up a stone heap and pillar as a witness, and Jacob offers sacrifice.
This verse echoes the sentiment of divine oversight and intervention in the affairs of people, similar to how God is invoked as a witness in Genesis 31:50 to ensure justice and protection.
Ruth 1:8This passage shows Naomi calling upon God as a witness and judge between her daughters-in-law and herself, mirroring the solemn invocation of God as a witness in Genesis 31:50 during a critical family agreement.
1 Samuel 20:42Here, Jonathan and David make a covenant with God as witness to their pledge of friendship and protection, illustrating the ancient practice of invoking God as a guarantor of agreements, much like Laban does with Jacob.
Malachi 2:14The prophet Malachi speaks of God as a witness to the marriage covenant and a judge against those who break faith, reinforcing the idea that God is a divine arbiter in sacred relational agreements, as seen in Genesis 31:50.
Proverbs 19:11This proverb speaks about understanding and patience in overlooking an offense, which provides a wise principle that underlies the need for a witness like God to ensure fairness and prevent future transgressions, as articulated by Laban in Genesis 31:50.
clarkeGenesis 31:50: "If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee."
No man is with us - Though all were present at the sacrifice offered, yet it appears that in making the contract Jacob and Laban withdrew, and transacted the business in private, calling on God to witness it. Jacob had already four wives; but Laban feared that he might take others, whose children would naturally come in for a sha…
calvinGenesis 31:1-55: "And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory."
Si ita dicebat, Punctis parvis respersa erunt merces tua: pariebant omnes pecudes punctis parvis respersa: et si ita dicebat, Lineis distincta erunt merces tua: tunc pariebant omnes pecudes lineis distincta.
Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
Et abstulit Deus pecus p…
This verse highlights Laban's shrewd concern not just for Jacob's future treatment of his daughters, but specifically for the risk of Jacob taking additional wives. This reveals Laban's underlying anxiety about the division of his "inheritance" (which he controversially claims all his assets are) and the potential dilution of his daughters' and grandchildren's shares.
After years of working for his father-in-law Laban, Jacob has secretly fled with his family and possessions. Laban, discovering this, pursued Jacob and caught up to him. Though initially furious and ready for conflict, God intervened in a dream, warning Laban not to harm Jacob. Instead of violence, a tense negotiation and covenant-making occur, culminating in this statement by Jacob to Laban, setting terms for Jacob's daughters and their future families.
After years of working for his father-in-law Laban, Jacob has secretly fled with his family and possessions. Laban, discovering this, pursued Jacob and caught up to him. Though initially furious and ready for conflict, God intervened in a dream, warning Laban not to harm Jacob. Instead of violence, a tense negotiation and covenant-making occur, culminating in this statement by Jacob to Laban, setting terms for Jacob's daughters and their future families.
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"If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”" — This verse highlights Laban's shrewd concern not just for Jacob's future treatment of his daughters, but specifically for the risk of Jacob taking additional wives. This reveals Laban's underlying…
