Jacob’s second seven-year period of servitude to Laban had expired and now they were about to negotiate a new agreement. Jacob still had not accumulated any wealth for which to independently support four women and eleven sons and some daughters. One more son would be born to him through Rachel. That would be Benjamin bringing the total of his sons to twelve. Jacob had paid the agreed upon price for both wives. He simply asked Laban to let him go back to his own country in Canaan. Jacob said to Laban, “, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. 26Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served thee, and let me go:” There was no doubt in Laban’s mind that Jacob had paid him in full. Actually, Laban realized that because of Jacob he had been blessed. What he said to Jacob was, “If now I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry: for I have divined that Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake.” Laban was a pagan and did not know Jehovah. He practiced divination and the Hebrew word for this is nachasti נִחַשְׁתִּי which, has the same root as snake or serpent נָחַשׁ. It quite literally means to divine through a serpent. This is an occultic practice. Therefore, through a pagan occultic practice Laban was able to understand that Jacob’s God, whom ever He might be, was blessing him. What Laban did not realize what the blessing was a component of God’s Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12: 2-3). Certainly Laban realizing the benefits of Jacob’s time with him did not want him to leave. He was concerned that this God who was unknown to him would stop blessing him after Jacob left. He counters with a negotiation.
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