Gênesis 31
Jerome · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Gênesis 31:7-8
(Chapter XXXI, verses 7 and 8) And your father deceived me and changed my wages ten times, and God did not allow him to harm me. If he said, 'Your wages will be the spotted flock,' then every flock was born spotted. And if he said, 'Your wages will be the solid-colored flock,' then every flock was born solid-colored. Because of this, he changed my wages ten times. The Seventy Interpreters have stated, driven by some unknown opinion, that 'moni' in the Hebrew language means 'number' rather than 'lambs.' Finally, the meaning is further confirmed by the fact that Laban always changed the condition of each offspring. If he saw mixed livestock being born, he would say after the birth, 'I want mixed offspring in the future.' Again, when he saw single-colored animals being born (because Jacob had heard this, he did not place rods in the canals), he would say that the future offspring should be of a single color for him. And what more? Laban changed the condition of his flock or Jacob up to ten times. And whatever color he had intended to be born as, it turned into the opposite color. And so that no one may think that in ten years twenty births are incredible, read Virgil (Georg. II), in which it is said: The pregnant cattle twice. However, it is said that the nature of Italian and Mesopotamian sheep is the same. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Gênesis 31:19
(Verse 19) And Rachel stole her father's idols. Where we now read idols, it is written in Hebrew Theraphim, which Aquila interprets as μορφώματα, that is, figures or images. This is done so that we may understand what the word Theraphim means in the Book of Judges (17:5). — Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Gênesis 31:21
(Verse 21) And he crossed the river and came to the mountain of Gilead. Not that at that time it was called Gilead; but in anticipation, as we have often said, it is called by that name by which it was later called. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Gênesis 31:41
(Verse 41.) And you changed my reward to ten lambs. The same mistake as above: The word 'numerus' should be read instead of 'agnis'. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis
Gênesis 31:46
(Verse 46.) And Jacob said to his brethren, 'Gather stones.' And they gathered stones and made a heap, and they ate there upon the heap. And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. The heap is called Galeed in the Hebrew language and Jegar-sahadutha in the Syriac language, both meaning 'witness heap'. Jacob called the heap 'Galeed' in Hebrew, and Laban called it 'Jegar-sahadutha' in the language of his people. For he was a Syrian, and had changed the ancient language of his parents to the language of the province in which he dwelt. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis