I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
Today I will go through all your flocks and herds, taking out all the speckled and spotted cattle, all the dark-colored sheep, and all the spotted and speckled goats. These animals will be my wages.
Jacob is proposing a deal where he'll take only the spotted, speckled, and dark animals as his payment for working.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes from Jacob's negotiation with his uncle Laban about his wages for tending Laban's flocks. After working for Laban for twenty years (fourteen for his wives Rachel and Leah, and six more for livestock), Jacob was seeking to build his own wealth. In ancient Middle Eastern culture, livestock was the primary measure of wealth, and breeding practices were well understood by shepherds.
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