It is usually the manner of men, whose behavior is in the wrong, to clean up their own image and dirty the behavior of their opponent, which, apparently, is what Laban did, as he charged Jacob with wrongdoing. Laban believed he had been wronged by Jacob, when his son-in-law secretly departed Padan-aram, taking his daughters and all his possessions. Otherwise, why would he have left off shearing his sheep and return to his camp, which was three days distance away from his present work. Moreover, he hadn’t found out about the theft of his gods, until he arrived at his campsite three days later. Therefore, Laban’s original intentions were desires of violence and revenge over perceived wrongdoing, prior to his dream, in which God told him to take heed that he didn’t come upon Jacob violently (Genesis 31:24).
According to most scholars, Laban caught up to Jacob at Mt. Gilead (Genesis 31:25) in 13 to 14 days after Jacob left his campsite in Haran. This interpretation assumes the “seven days” at Genesis 31:23 refers to the time it took Laban to overtake Jacob after Jacob had a head start of six to seven days.[1] If, however, the seven days refers to the time Jacob left Haran, which needed to be made up, and, if Laban had any hope of overtaking his son-in-law, then the speed of both groups could be lowered to more believable levels. If scholarship is true, then Laban had to cover 300 miles from Haran to Gilead by traveling and average of 43 miles per day, and, if Jacob pitched his tent on Mt. Gilead just as his father-in-law caught up to him, Jacob had to have traveled the same distance in an average of 23 miles per day. In my opinion, this interpretation tests the limits of one’s imagination of the ability that folks could travel during ancient times.[2]
According to my interpretation of Genesis 31:23, the seven days refers to the time Laban had to make up, because, as he started out from Haran, Jacob was already seven days ahead of him. In this context, Laban could travel at a more believable rate of 23 miles per day, while Jacob traveled with his women and children and sheep and goats at the slower pace of 15 miles per day, and this would be really pushing his herds to their limit. Moreover, we are told, “Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount…” which implies that this may have been the first time that he “pitched his tent.” Previously, under a kind of forced march, he and his company rested and slept on the ground without the benefit of cover and the usual amenities that that implies. So, after coming to Mt. Gilead in the Land of Canaan (Genesis 31:25), Jacob felt he could finally rest his family and his animals, or perhaps he did so, because his father-in-law had finally overtaken him.
One could almost taste the hypocrisy in Laban’s words as he assumes the part of an injured party, asking Jacob why he had left Haran secretly and taken is daughters, as though he had kidnapped them, forcing them to go with him (Genesis 31:26). These are the same daughters he sold to Jacob for fourteen years of service. How injured could he have been? He accused Jacob of acting foolishly (Genesis 31:28), which reflects the opinion of all folks, who find it difficult to understand, why the servants of the Lord obey him (cp. Genesis 31:3). One could almost feel the hypocrisy in Laban’s heart, when he claims he wanted to kiss his daughters and grandchildren, and send them away with a great feast (Genesis 31:27-28), which is hardly believable, considering the last feast the text mentions Laban giving (Genesis 29:21-30) was twenty years prior.
After accusing Jacob of mistreating him, Laban then paints an image of Jacob being homesick, wanting to be near daddy, and then accuses him of stealing his gods (Genesis 31:30). Accordingly, Laban concluded that it was in his power to take Jacob’s life, for according to the Code of Hammurabi (#6), “If a man steals the property of a god (temple) or palace, that man shall be put to death; and he who receives from his hand the stolen (property) shall also be put to death.” However, Laban admitted that the God of Abraham and Isaac had appeared to him in a dream, while he was yet in pursuit of Jacob, and warned him against using violence against his son-in-law (Genesis 31:29).
Jacob was unaware, however, of Rachel’s theft of Laban’s gods (cp. Genesis 31:19), so he told Laban that whoever had done such a thing wasn’t worthy of life. Whether he meant that Laban could slay him, or that Jacob would do it for him or that he left it up to God, is a matter of conjecture, but by replying in this manner, Jacob was denying the charge that he or anyone with him had solen Laban’s gods. As for why he left secretly, Jacob told Laban that he was afraid he would have taken back his daughters and their children and sent Jacob away empty (Genesis 31:31-32; cp. 31:42-43).
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[1] If Laban didn’t spend a day resting his camels, arming his sons and servants and acquiring supplies for the journey, then he would have caught up to Jacob in 13 days. If he spent the additional day in preparation for the journey, he would have overtaken Jacob in 14 days.
[2] I believe better research would reveal that a man on foot, at best, could travel only 15 to 20 miles per day. Roman messengers, who had the advantage of fresh horses, stationed at regular intervals, could travel only 25 to 30 miles per day (see James S. Jeffers’ The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era; page 37). It is ludicrous to believe that Jacob, moving his family and his livestock, could manage a rate of travel of 23 miles per day, and having Laban manage 43 miles per day is simply ridiculous.
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