Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
54. offered a sacrifice ] Lit. “killed a sacrifice.” The killing of an animal for sacrifice was the occasion of a feast. The sacrifice consisted not only in an offering to the Deity, but also in the eating of portions of the sacrificial victim by both the contracting parties of the covenant; cf. Gen 26:30.
eat bread ] i.e. to take a meal. To partake of food together was the sign of restored friendship and trust between disputing parties.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 54. Offered sacrifice upon the mount] It is very likely that Laban joined in this solemn religious rite, and that, having offered the blood and fat to God, they feasted upon the sacrifice.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Then Jacob offered sacrifice; either to give God thanks for the great mercies and deliverances vouchsafed to him, or to beg Gods blessing upon the present treaty, and upon their whole family. But it is not so probable that Jacob would choose that time for the offering of sacrifices when Laban was present, whom he could neither honestly admit to them, nor conveniently exclude from them. And therefore, seeing the same Hebrew word signifies killing as well as sacrificing, as appears from Num 22:40; 1Sa 28:24; 1Ki 1:9; 2Ch 18:2, &c., I rather understand it of his killing of beasts, in order to a feast which he made for his brethren, whom he called, as it here follows, to eat bread, & c., under which phrase all meats are usually comprehended in Scripture, as hath been already noted, and will appear hereafter. And this practice was usual in those times, to confirm covenants by a feast. See Gen 26:30.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount,…. On Mount Gilead, not in a religious way, in which he could not join with Laban, or admit him to it; but in a civil way he “slew a slaughter” s, or rather made one; that is, as Jarchi explains it, he slew cattle for a feast, as it was usual to make feasts for the several parties concerned in covenant, see Ge 26:30:
and called his brethren, to eat bread; the, men that came with Laban, and him also, these he invited to his feast, for all sorts of food is called bread:
and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount; this affair between Laban and Jacob had took up the whole day, at evening they feasted together upon the covenant being made, and then tarried all night to take their rest.
s – “et mactavit mactationem”, Drusius, Cartwright, Schmidt, Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
54. And called his brethren to eat bread. In courteously receiving his kindred, by whom he had been ill-treated, as his guests, Jacob showed his kindness. Moses also intimates that it was by the special favor of God that, after the most dreadful storm which threatened the holy man with destruction, a placid serenity suddenly shone forth. To the same cause is to be assigned what immediately follows, that Laban departed in a friendly manner: for by this method the Lord openly manifested himself as the guardian of his servant, seeing that he wonderfully delivered him as a lost sheep out of the jaws of the wolf. And truly, not only was the fury of Laban appeased; but he put on paternal affection, as if he had been changed into a new man.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(54) Jacob offered sacrifice.The meaning is, that Jacob slaughtered cattle, and made a feast: but as animals originally were killed only for sacrifice, and flesh was eaten on no other occasion, the Hebrew language has no means of distinguishing the two acts.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
54. Jacob offered sacrifice He slew of the lambs of his flock, offered a solemn offering to his God, and made a sacrificial meal, and called his brethren to eat. It was the solemn evening of the last separation and farewell between the chosen seed and their “fathers on the other side of the flood.” Jos 24:14. Henceforth they diverge more and more widely, and none of Jacob’s sons go back to take wives in that eastern land.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brothers to eat bread, and they ate bread and tarried all night in the mountain.’
The offering of sacrifice to seal a covenant is well known (see Genesis 15). Compare the words of a government official to Zimri-Lim of Mari (18th century BC) “I have killed the ass with Qarni-Lim, and thus I spoke to Qarni-Lim under the oath of the gods. ‘If you despise Zimri-Lim and his armies I will turn to the side of your adversary’.” There too a covenant of peace was involved.
This is Jacob’s response to Laban’s offer. By offering sacrifice and eating with the confederate leaders he fully accepts his part in the covenant, while their eating with him is a sign of their peaceful acceptance of the terms. All are now agreed and the deed is done. The feast goes on through the night (compare Gen 24:54).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
No doubt in reference to the promised seed.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 31:54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
Ver. 54. Called his brethren to eat bread. ] And so overcame evil with good; which is the noblest of all victories. God cannot but love in us this imitation of his mercy; and that love is never fruitless.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
offered sacrifice = killed beasts. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
offered sacrifice: or, killed beasts
did eat: Gen 21:8, Gen 26:30, Gen 37:25, Exo 18:12, 2Sa 3:20, 2Sa 3:21
Reciprocal: Gen 31:46 – brethren Gen 43:16 – slay Gen 43:32 – eat bread Exo 2:20 – call him Exo 24:11 – did eat Lev 17:5 – in the open Num 22:40 – General 1Sa 9:12 – sacrifice 1Ki 3:15 – a feast 1Ch 12:39 – eating and drinking Eze 39:17 – Speak Eze 44:3 – to eat