Genesis 31:48-49 - The Watchtower

And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed; And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

Mizpah (which means “watchtower”) is the place where God routed the Philistines with a load thunder while Samuel and the Israelites fasted, cried out and made sacrifices to God (1 Samuel 7:2-11 NIV).

Genesis 31:43 - Laban's Contrition With Jacob

Laban answered Jacob, "The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne?

Laban response to Jacob's expression of indignation is one of contrition by conceding the right of Jacob's prosperity; for Jacob is now a rich man, and everything he owns comes from Laban (Genesis 31:1 CEV).

Genesis 31:41 - Jacob's Indignation With Laban

Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters - Jacob had agreed to serve seven years for Rachel but Laban deceived him into having to serve fourteen years; for after serving the seven years, Laban asserted that Jacob must first marry Leah because it was their custom that the older daughter marry fist (Genesis 29:26-27 NIV).

Genesis 31:32 - Like Father, Like Son

With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

Joseph brothers, the sons of Jacob, gave the same response regarding the silver cup placed in Benjamin's sack (Genesis 44:9):

If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves."

Genesis 31:29 - The God of Jacob's father

It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

God made himself known to Jacob as the God of your father in the dream he had at Bethel (Genesis 28:13 NIV).

Genesis 31:2 - A word to the wise:

And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

When a man is suffering a loss, pay special attention to his attitude; in times of great distress, even the most tenderhearted man will have no compassion, not even for his own family (Deuteronomy 28:54 ).

Genesis 31:1 - Green with Envy

And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.

From the words of Labans' sons, Jacob realised that they were envious of his prosperity and was intimidated from all this glory he had gotten from their father (Psalm 49:16). As a result, Jacob knew he had to take action (Genesis 31:31) because he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion (Job 5:2 BBE).

Genesis 30:36 - God giveth, God taketh.

And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

Laban made the three days journey betwixt himself and Jacob so the flocks that Jacob cared for would not mix with the ringstraked, speckled and spotted cattle of Laban's sons. However, God brought forth from Laban's flocks offspring that was ringstraked, speckled and spotted. And it came to pass that Laban's cattle became Jacob's cattle (Genesis 31:9).