What is the meaning of Genesis 31:7? And although he has cheated me Jacob recounts to his wives the long pattern of dishonesty he has endured at Laban’s hands (Genesis 29:21-27; 30:27). • Laban’s conduct violates the clear moral standard later articulated in Leviticus 19:13, “Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him.” • Like Jacob, Job experienced repetitive mistreatment and cried, “These ten times you have reproached me” (Job 19:3), underscoring how persistent wrong can wear down the righteous. • God’s people are not naïve about evil; they recognize it for what it is but refuse to become embittered (Romans 12:17-19). and changed my wages ten times The phrase reports deliberate, repeated manipulation (Genesis 31:41). • “Ten” often marks fullness or completeness; here it stresses that Laban used every turn to advantage himself, yet Jacob stayed the course (cf. Numbers 14:22; Daniel 1:20). • The injustice was concrete—sheep and goats that should have belonged to Jacob were stripped away (Genesis 30:31-36). • Scripture consistently condemns shifting terms to exploit workers (Deuteronomy 24:14-15; James 5:4). • Jacob’s endurance models steadfastness under pressure (1 Peter 2:19-20). God has not allowed him to harm me Divine oversight overrules human scheming. • Before Laban could overtake Jacob, the LORD warned him in a dream, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad” (Genesis 31:24). • This protective hand fulfills the earlier promise at Bethel: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go” (Genesis 28:15). • Similar safeguarding appears when God told Abimelech, “I also kept you from sinning against Me” (Genesis 20:6) and when David confessed, “The LORD will keep you from all harm” (Psalm 121:7). • God’s sovereign boundary setting shows that no human plot can thwart His covenant purposes (Proverbs 21:30; Romans 8:31). summary Genesis 31:7 highlights the tension between human injustice and divine protection. Laban’s relentless deceit and wage-tampering could not cancel God’s plan or injure Jacob beyond what the LORD permitted. The verse invites believers to recognize wrong, endure faithfully, and rest in the sure promise that God Himself guards their lives while He works out His larger purposes. |
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