count reads: And he placed the rods which he had peeled in the runnels . . . in front of the flock, and they bred when they came to drink. . . . And the flock brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted (young).
The physiological law involved is said to be well established (Dri.),
and was acted on by ancient cattle breeders (see the list of authorities
in Bochart, Hieroz. ii. c. 49; and cf. Jer. Quæst. ad loc.). The full representation
seems to be that the ewes saw the reflexion of the rams in the
water, blended with the image of the parti-coloured rods, and were deceived
into thinking they were coupled with parti-coloured males (Jer.,
We. Comp.2 41).
40. And (these) lambs Jacob set apart . . . and made separate flocks for himself and did not add them to Laban's stock (We.).—41, 42. A further refinement: Jacob employed
his device only in the case of the sturdy animals, letting the
weakly ones gender freely. The difference corresponds to a
difference of breeding-time (v.i.). The consequence is that
Jacob's stock is hardy and Laban's delicate.
XXXI. 1-XXXII. 1.—Jacob's Flight from Laban: their friendly Parting (J, E).
Jacob perceives from the altered demeanour of Laban and his sons that he has outstayed his welcome (1. 2); and, after consultation with his wives, resolves on a secret flight (3-21). Laban pursues, and overtakes him at Mt. Gilead (22-25), where, after a fierce altercation (26-43), they enter into a treaty
(
Hebrew characters) to (Hebrew characters), rendering thus (38b) (Greek characters)
[(Greek characters)] (Greek characters) (39) (Greek characters).—(Hebrew characters)]
On the unusual pref. of 3 f. pl., see G-K. § 47 k.—39a is a
doublet to the last three words of 38.—(Hebrew characters)] ib. § 69 f; [E] (Hebrew characters).—40. 'He
set the faces of the flock towards a (sic) streaked and every dark one in
Laban's flock,' is an imperfect text, and an impossible statement in J,
where Laban's cattle are three days distant. G vainly tries to make
sense by omitting (Hebrew characters), and rendering (Hebrew characters) = (Greek characters), and (Hebrew characters) = (Greek characters)
((Hebrew characters)!) (Greek characters).—41. (Hebrew characters)] GSTO supply (Hebrew characters).—42. (Hebrew characters), (Hebrew characters)] G (Greek characters);
but Σ. (paraphrasing) (Greek characters), and similarly Aq.
VSTO. It is the fact that the stronger sheep conceived in summer and
yeaned in winter, while the weaker conceived in autumn and yeaned
in the spring: Pliny, HN, viii. 187 ('postea concepti invalidi').
