I will review this chapter not as it was written but in more of chronological order, thus the change of verse order.

Jacob’s Vision (10-13)

Yahweh had given Jacob his first dream at Bethel; verses 10-13 describe the second. The birth of Joseph tripped the eternal clock for Jacob. When Joseph was born and during the breeding season, God gave Jacob a dream to show him how to mate the sheep and goats to reproduce speckled sheep:

• Jacob saw a vision of striped, spotted, and mottled goats (10). 

• He heard the Angel of God call his name. 

• Jacob responded to the Angel, “Here I am” (11). 

• The Angel called Jacob to look at the flock and make note that Yahweh had seen Laban’s deviousness (12).

• The Angel of God revealed Himself: “I am the God of Bethel where you anointed the pillar and made the vow.”

• God then announced He was about to fulfill His promise and return Jacob to the land, but he needed to arise and go (13). 

Laban's Disfavor (1-3)

Now we return to the beginning of chapter 31. It would seem some six years had passed since Jacob’s dream of reproducing spotted sheep and goats.

While Jacob had prospered, Laban had not. Laban’s sons, watching their fortunes evaporate, persuaded Laban to turn sour toward Jacob. They convinced Laban that Jacob had gotten his wealth by essentially stealing (1). Jacob watched as his favor in Laban’s eyes diminished (2), and then, after six years of amassing his own wages, Yahweh spoke again to Jacob and told him the time to actually depart had arrived (3).

Jacob's Announcement (4-13)

Jacob gathered his family and announced, especially to Laban’s daughters, that he had lost the favor of their father but not the favor of Yahweh (4-5). Jacob reminded them of his faithful service (6) and their father’s cheating and wage-changing deviance. Ten times Laban had flipped the wage patterns on Jacob. Ten times Yahweh had never permitted harm to come to Jacob (7-8). Jacob then announced the Lord had shifted the size and strength of Laban’s flocks and essentially given them to Jacob (9). 

Jacob then recounted to his wives his dream about the spotted sheep and goats and how God had told him to arise and go out of the land; the day to leave was now upon them (10-13). 

Jacob’s Wives’ Response (14-16) 

Jacob’s wives were themselves disenchanted with their father. He had squandered the wealth gained through Jacob in payment for them. Laban had further begun to treat them like foreigners who had never served. To Leah and Rachel, it seemed God had given them their father’s inheritance through their husband, so they were ready to follow Jacob anywhere he was led by Yahweh (14-16). 

Jacob Departs (17-21) 

While Laban was busy shearing his sheep, Jacob fled without notice. He took all he had and crossed the Euphrates, setting his face for home (20-21). While Jacob was managing the servants’ packing of the camels and his family, Rachel was stealing a teraphim, or household god. When a child was given one of these statues, it generally was a guarantee of their father’s inheritance (17-19). One might wonder why the inclusion of this idol episode is in the Jacob story. The answer might be simple—a subtle contrast of two women and two choices. 

When Leah was chosen by Laban and placed in Jacob’s tent on their wedding night, unbeknownst to Laban, he seemed to be making the God-choice. Jacob was marrying Rachel for beauty. Rachel’s heart is shown in this passage as split between the Yahweh covenant world of Jacob and the world of Laban’s gods and riches. Most likely, God wished to produce all 12 sons through Leah.

In Genesis 24, Abraham’s servant was sent to select the God-choice for Isaac. The son of Isaac, Jacob, seemed to be seeking his human, eye-desired choice. 

Yet in all this meandering, God’s choice prevailed.