Bible Strands
Genesis 30:42
But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records Jacob’s selective breeding practice during the mating season of Laban’s flock, immediately after describing his placement of peeled branches in the watering troughs. This moment captures the execution of Jacob’s labor agreement as he separates the breeding outcomes between himself and Laban.
The words — עֲטֻפִים ('a.tu.Fim) denotes the enfeebled or feeble ones, contrasted with קְשֻׁרִים (ke.shu.Rim), which refers to the vigorous or strong ones. These terms establish the physical condition of the animals that determines their eventual ownership.
The thread — This mechanism of division directly follows the breeding protocol in Genesis 30:41 and directly produces the prosperity noted in Genesis 30:43. The narrative thread tracks how controlled exposure to the branches dictates which flocks increase for Jacob and which remain with Laban.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition that Jacob’s method systematically directed the stronger offspring to himself while leaving the weaker ones to Laban. A reader must observe how the described practice functioned as a practical mechanism for wealth transfer under the stated agreement.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.