But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
But when the animals were weak, he didn't put the branches in front of them. So the weaker animals belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones belonged to Jacob.
This verse shows how Jacob's breeding strategy resulted in him getting the stronger animals while Laban got the weaker ones.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Jacob was serving his uncle Laban as part of an agreement for wages, which involved breeding flocks where Jacob would receive certain speckled and spotted animals. Jacob used a selective method with peeled branches to influence the stronger animals to breed, believing it would favor his flock. This verse shows how Jacob's strategy resulted in the feebler animals going to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob, highlighting themes of divine providence amidst human cunning in the patriarchal era.
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