And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstreaked, speckled, and spotted.
The flocks conceived; Heb. were heated, i.e. inflamed or excited, and disposed to conceive, and this in a more than ordinary manner by the Divine disposal. The event hath some foundation in nature, because of the great power of imagination; and there are divers instances in many authors, both of women and of beasts, who either by the strong fancying, or by the actual and frequent contemplation, of some certain objects, have brought forth young ones exactly of the same colour and complexion, as one did an Ethiopian, &c. But the providence of God was the principal cause of this effect, without which the productions of that kind would neither have been so many nor so certain. This policy of Jacobs could scarcely be excused from deceit and injustice, if it were not manifest that it was done by the direction and authority of the sovereign Lord of all estates, Gen 31:9,11, &c., who may take them from one, and give them to another, as it pleaseth him; who also observed Labans injustice, and gave to Jacob no more than he abundantly deserved from Laban.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the flocks conceived before the rods,…. At them, and in sight of them; which had such influence upon them through thee force of imagination, and a divine power and providence so directing and succeeding this device, that they
brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted; such as Jacob was to have for his hire; and, though there was no doubt a more than ordinary concourse of divine Providence attending this affair; yet there have been many strange things brought about in a natural way by the strength of imagination, as may be observed in those marks which women are said to mark their children with, while with child of them; as also in conceiving and bearing such like unto them they have fancied, as the woman that bore a blackamoor, through often looking at the picture of one in her chamber; and an Ethiopian queen, who by the same means bore a white child, fair and beautiful, which she exposed, lest she should be thought an adulteress r: and what comes nearer to the case here, Jerom reports s the like things done in Spain among horses and mares, by placing beautiful horses before mares at the time of leaping; and the Apis, or Egyptian ox, which had peculiar spots in it, was produced in like manner, so that there was always in succession one of the same form and colour, as Austin asserts t; and it may be observed, what is affirmed by some writers u, that sheep will change their colours according to the different waters they drink of at the time of their being covered; and that some rivers drank of will make white sheep black, and black white, and others red and yellow. But as Jacob was directed of God to take this method, this is sufficient to justify him, and upon his blessing and providence the success depended, whatever there may be in nature to bring about such an effect; and as it was to do himself justice, who had been greatly injured by Laban, it was equally as just and righteous a thing to take this course, as it was for the Israelites by a divine direction to borrow jewels, &c. of the Egyptians, whereby they were repaid for their hard service.
(This was written over one hundred years before the laws of genetics were discovered. We know that the result was from God not of Jacob’s schemes. Ed.)
r Heliodor. Ethiopic. l. 4. c. 8. s Quaest. Heb. in Gen. fol. 70. L. M. t De Civit. Dei, l. 18. c. 5. u Aelian. de Animal. l. 8. c. 21. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 103.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gen 30:39. And the flocks conceived, &c. Dr. Shuckford observes further, (see note on Gen 30:32.) that as it cannot be proved that the method which Jacob used is a natural and effectual way to produce variegated cattle, the ancient naturalists have carried their thoughts upon these subjects much farther than they would bear. The effect of impressions upon the imagination must be very accidental; because the objects that should cause them may or may not be taken notice of, as any one would find that should try Jacob’s pilled rods to variegate his cattle with. But granting they might naturally produce the effect here mentioned, yet if, as has been said above, Jacob used them in obedience to a special Divine direction, without knowing any thing of their natural virtue, the effect must still be ascribed to God himself, just as in the case of Hezekiah: though the figs which were applied for his recovery might be a natural remedy for his distemper; yet, since the application of them was not made by any rules of physic then known, but by a Divine direction, the cure is justly ascribed to the immediate hand of God. We will only observe further, that whether this effect was owing to natural, or to to those which we call preternatural and miraculous causes, it is equally agreeable to the Scripture-style, and to the truth of philosophy, to ascribe it to God as Jacob does, ch. Gen 31:9.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 30:39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
Ver. 39. Ring-straked. ] With a round streak, or ring, about their legs, as if they were gartered.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
brought forth: Gen 31:9-12, Gen 31:38, Gen 31:40, Gen 31:42, Exo 12:35, Exo 12:36
Reciprocal: Gen 31:10 – ringstreaked