And my justice shall answer for me tomorrow before thee, when the time of the bargain shall come; and all that is not of divers colours, and spotted, and brown, as well among the sheep as among the goats, shall accuse me of theft.
וְעָֽנְתָה־בִּ֤י צִדְקָתִי֙ בְּי֣וֹם מָחָ֔ר כִּֽי־תָב֥וֹא עַל־שְׂכָרִ֖י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־אֵינֶנּוּ֩ נָקֹ֨ד וְטָל֜וּא בָּֽעִזִּ֗ים וְחוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים גָּנ֥וּב ה֖וּא אִתִּֽי׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Observe the proposal made by the righteous individual to Laban, assured of divine assistance. Take note of the wisdom displayed by the righteous man! Recognizing the extent of God’s favor upon him, he requests from Laban what, based on natural expectations, appeared either challenging or unfeasible (as it is uncommon for animals with varying coat colors to be born)....
In various interpretations, the significance appears quite ambiguous. To date, I have not encountered any of our theologians who have elucidated the meaning of this passage with clarity. Jacob asks, “Do you wish for me to serve you an additional seven years? Fulfill my request. Separate all the spotted and speckled sheep and goats, and hand them over to your sons. The solid-colored ones, both the white and the black, give to me. Therefore, if any offspring arise from the mixed colors, they will belong to me, and if they are solid-colored, they will be yours. This arrangement is quite simple.
The animals' nature will ensure that whites beget whites and blacks beget blacks, while my righteousness stands with me: God observes my humility and diligence.” Laban willingly accepted Jacob's terms and acted upon them: he distanced Jacob and his family by a journey of three days to prevent any potential deceit due to the closeness of the herds.
Jacob cleverly devised a plan, utilizing his own natural ingenuity to manipulate the characteristics of the white and black cattle. He stripped the bark from branches of poplar, almond, and pomegranate (although the Seventy mention styrax, walnut, and sycamore). This created branches with a mottled appearance; where the bark remained, the original color was intact, and where it was removed, the white was exposed. Jacob waited for the time of mating among the cattle, which would typically gather eagerly at the watering place after the heat of the day. He placed the variegated branches in the troughs. At the peak of their thirst, as he allowed the rams and goats to mate with the ewes, the animals conceived offspring resembling the rams and goats as they saw their reflections in the water. The presence of the branches in the ditches caused the reflections of the animals to appear mottled as well.
It is noteworthy that, during conception, it is common for females to give birth to offspring that reflect what they see or envision in moments of heightened desire. This phenomenon has also been observed among Spanish horse herds. Quintilian, during a legal proceeding in which a reputable married woman was accused of giving birth to a child of Ethiopian descent, presented evidence supporting the very principle I just described. After white and uniformly colored flocks produced motley and two-colored offspring, Jacob separated the latter from the original herd. Any solid-colored offspring, whether white or black, were given to Laban's sons. Jacob continued placing the stripped branches in the water troughs as the animals approached to drink. Thus, the livestock would conceive precisely at the moment they arrived at the watering hole.
Justice belongs to me, meaning that distinguishing the cattle by color will eliminate any doubt and suspicion. There will be no opportunity to take more than what is right or to favor the superior over the inferior. When you observe the color of my cattle, it will be evident that I have taken nothing from you. Should these cattle increase in number, it will be clear that Providence endorses my righteousness. To this end, I accept that any cattle born to me that do not match the specified color will be regarded as if they were taken unlawfully. Consequently, Jacob selects cattle of varying colors, which would originate from the white ones, agreeing that any white cattle born from those of different colors should be returned to Laban.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS