Genesis 31:15

Gen 31:15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

Ver. 15. Are we not counted of him strangers?] Well might that father {a} say, Aεινος και παντολμος πης φιλοχρηματιος ερως. "The love of money is the root of all evil," as the apostle hath it. {1Ti 6:10} This kyte-footed corruption, wheresoever it seizeth and domineereth, it blasteth and banisheth all nobleness of spirit, natural affection, humanity, reason, discretion, manliness, mutual entertainment, intercourse of kindness and love: so that, for any fair dealing, a man had as good converse with a cannibal, as with a truly covetous captive. Well might the apostle set "covetousness" and "want of natural affection" together, as signs of a reprobate sense. {Rom 1:29; Rom 1:31} Laban sells his own daughters here, and devours also their price. And the covetous Pharisees taught children to starve their parents, to offer to the altar; that is, to their paunches and purses. {Mat 15:4-6}

{a} Isidor., Pelus., lib. iii. Ep 24.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For they were given to Jacob in recompence of his service, which was a kind of sale.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 15. Are we not counted of him strangers?] Rachel and Leah, who well knew the disposition of their father, gave him here his true character. He has treated us as strangers - as slaves whom he had a right to dispose of as he pleased; in consequence, he hath sold us - disposed of us on the mere principle of gaining by the sale.

And hath quite devoured also our money.] Has applied to his own use the profits of the sale, and has allowed us neither portion nor inheritance.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(15) He hath sold us.—There is a marked asperity towards their father in the answer of Jacob’s wives, and not only the petted Rachel but the neglected Leah joins in it. Now, though his sale of them to Jacob had been more open than Oriental good manners usually allowed, and though he seems to have acted meanly in giving no portion with them, yet these were old sores, long since healed and forgiven. Laban must have been stingy, grasping, and over-reaching in recent times, to have kept the memory of old wrongs so fresh in the minds of his daughters.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. strangers] i.e. foreigners, people of another kindred or country.

sold us] Referring to the bargain by which Jacob had obtained his two wives at the price of fourteen years’ service (Gen_29:15-20; Gen_29:27).

our money] Better, as marg., the price paid for us. Laban had taken to himself the full profits of Jacob’s fourteen years’ service as the gift, or mohar, to the bride’s family; but had assigned nothing of it as the dowry or gift to the two brides. Cf. Gen_24:53. This conduct they imply was contrary to usual custom, and was part of his stinginess. It was too late now to expect him to give anything back.

18 (P). all his substance] It would appear that this verse, taken from P, is the brief summary of Jacob’s departure given in that narrative. The words for “substance” and “his getting,” the mention of “Paddan-aram,” and the redundancy of the language, are characteristic of P.

to Isaac his father] The narrative of JE (Gen_27:1, Gen_28:21) would suggest that Isaac had died long previously.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For all the riches which God hath taken from our father,.... And given to Jacob for his labour:

that is ours, and our children's; it belonged to us by the law of nature, before it came into thine hands; and our right unto it is still more manifest, and is confirmed by the service thou hast done for it, by which means it came into thy possession; and therefore it is no point of conscience with us, nor need it be any with thee especially, to go off with it:

now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do; for that must needs be right: this was well spoken indeed; they mean, that he should leave their father's house, and go into the land of Canaan, as God had directed him; and they signified that they were willing: to go along with him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Eaten up. Laban kept for himself the dowry paid by Jacob for his wives, though he ought to have allotted it to them, with the addition of something more, in proportion to his immense wealth. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Are we not confuted of him strangers? as if we had no more right to his estate than strangers? Instead of a good part of his estate, which by the law of God and nature belongs to us, 2Co 12:14, wherewith he should have endowed us upon our marriage, he hath made sale of us for this fourteen years’ hard service, seeking only his own, not our advantage. He hath not only withheld from us, but spent upon himself, that money which he got by thy care and industry, whereof a considerable part was due in equity to us and to our children.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. Counted of him strangers — Rachel and Leah both readily sympathize with their husband as against their father, and look upon Laban’s dealings as narrow, unfatherly, and unworthy of him. The last twenty years had largely alienated them from their father’s house.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

הלא נכריות נחשבנו לו ARE WE NOT THOUGHT ALIENS BY HIM? — Even at a time when it is customary for people to give a dowry to their daughters — at the time of their marriage — he treated us as strangers for he sold us to you in return for your labour during fourteen years

את כספנו [HAS EATEN] OUR MONEY — for he kept for himself the money for the wages of your labour during the next six years.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

גם אכול את כספנו, the money he had been supposed to give us to get married. As to the word גם in this verse, the sisters referred to more than one “eating.” Not only did he consume what he had been supposed to give us, but he even consumed the proceeds of your hard work which was intended for the benefit of our family.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.