Genesis 30:40 - Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock.
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "Genesis 30:40" mean?
Genesis 30:40 describes a pivotal moment in Jacob's strategy to gain wealth from his uncle and father-in-law, Laban. Let's break down the meaning:
"Jacob separated the lambs...": This means Jacob took the newborn lambs born to Laban's flock and separated them into a group.
"...and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban...": This is the key part. Jacob positioned the adult sheep (Laban's flock) so they would face (or be attracted to) the "streaked" (spotted/speckled) and black sheep that were still within Laban's flock. This was likely based on a belief (common at the time, though not necessarily accurate) that a ewe seeing these unusual colors while mating would be more likely to produce offspring with similar coloring. Jacob believed he could influence the colors of the future offspring in Laban's flock.
"...and he put his own droves apart...": This means Jacob created a separate group of animals that he considered his own. This was the flock containing the streaked, speckled, and dark-colored animals he was trying to build up.
"...and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock.": This is crucial. Jacob kept his "unusual" animals (the streaked, speckled, and dark ones) completely separate from Laban's main flock of solid-colored animals. This was to ensure that the flocks would not mix and would allow Jacob to control the breeding of his own flock. By keeping them separate, Jacob was ensuring that more and more of the offspring born to "his" flock would also be streaked, speckled, or dark.
In essence, the verse describes Jacob using a combination of selective breeding and a common, albeit likely superstitious, belief about visual influence during mating to manipulate the flocks in his favor. He's trying to increase the number of spotted and dark-colored animals, which, according to his agreement with Laban, would become his property. The verse highlights his strategic cunning and sets the stage for his increasing wealth at Laban's expense.
Genesis 30:40 - Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban: and he put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock.
What does "Genesis 30:40" mean?
Genesis 30:40 describes a pivotal moment in Jacob's strategy to gain wealth from his uncle and father-in-law, Laban. Let's break down the meaning:
"Jacob separated the lambs...": This means Jacob took the newborn lambs born to Laban's flock and separated them into a group.
"...and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in the flock of Laban...": This is the key part. Jacob positioned the adult sheep (Laban's flock) so they would face (or be attracted to) the "streaked" (spotted/speckled) and black sheep that were still within Laban's flock. This was likely based on a belief (common at the time, though not necessarily accurate) that a ewe seeing these unusual colors while mating would be more likely to produce offspring with similar coloring. Jacob believed he could influence the colors of the future offspring in Laban's flock.
"...and he put his own droves apart...": This means Jacob created a separate group of animals that he considered his own. This was the flock containing the streaked, speckled, and dark-colored animals he was trying to build up.
"...and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock.": This is crucial. Jacob kept his "unusual" animals (the streaked, speckled, and dark ones) completely separate from Laban's main flock of solid-colored animals. This was to ensure that the flocks would not mix and would allow Jacob to control the breeding of his own flock. By keeping them separate, Jacob was ensuring that more and more of the offspring born to "his" flock would also be streaked, speckled, or dark.
In essence, the verse describes Jacob using a combination of selective breeding and a common, albeit likely superstitious, belief about visual influence during mating to manipulate the flocks in his favor. He's trying to increase the number of spotted and dark-colored animals, which, according to his agreement with Laban, would become his property. The verse highlights his strategic cunning and sets the stage for his increasing wealth at Laban's expense.