And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock.
And he said, 'What should I give you?' And Jacob said, 'You don't need to give me anything. If you'll do this one thing for me, I'll continue to take care of your flocks.'
Jacob is negotiating with Laban, saying he doesn't want payment but will continue working if Laban agrees to a specific arrangement.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Genesis, Jacob had fled from his brother Esau and ended up working for his uncle Laban in Haran, where he served for many years and married Laban's daughters. As Jacob's family grew, he sought to negotiate fair wages to secure his future, reflecting the common practices of ancient Near Eastern societies where family alliances and livestock were central to economic survival. In this verse, Laban asks what Jacob wants, and Jacob proposes taking certain animals as payment for continuing to tend the flocks, highlighting the relational and contractual dynamics of that era.
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