“And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.”
This verse is part of the account of Jacob’s time working for his father-in-law, Laban. Jacob had made an agreement with Laban to tend to his flocks in exchange for specific wages. However, Laban was consistently changing the terms of the agreement to Jacob’s disadvantage.
In this particular verse, Jacob devised a plan to increase his own flock and ensure that he would have a fair share of the offspring. He used rods made of poplar, almond, and plane trees, which he peeled white stripes on, revealing the underlying color. He then placed these striped rods in front of the flocks when they came to drink water. The belief at the time was that the appearance of the rods would affect the offspring that the flocks would produce.
As a result of Jacob’s action, the flocks conceived and gave birth to young animals that were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted, rather than the usual solid-colored offspring. This outcome enabled Jacob to build up his own flock and increase his wealth.
The significance of this verse lies in the demonstration of Jacob’s ingenuity and resourcefulness. Despite facing ongoing challenges and Laban’s attempts to deceive him, Jacob used his knowledge of animal breeding to his advantage. However, it is important to note that the success of Jacob’s plan was also attributed to God’s intervention in subsequent verses (Genesis 30:40-43).
This passage serves as a reminder that God can work through various means, including the everyday circumstances of our lives, to fulfill His purposes. It also highlights the principle of reaping what one sows, as Jacob’s careful breeding efforts ultimately led to his prosperity.
Overall, Genesis 30:39 presents an intriguing account of Jacob’s methods to increase his flock and demonstrates how God can use human actions to accomplish His plans.
