And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before you; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
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Caesarius of Arles
AD 542
As Jacob was returning to his own country, Laban and his companions pursued them. Upon examination of Jacob’s possessions Laban found nothing of his, and therefore he could not hold him. Laban here is not unfittingly said to represent a type of the devil, because he served idols and was opposed to blessed Jacob, who prefigured the Lord. For this reason he pursued Jacob but was unable to find anything of his own with him. Listen to the true Jacob declaring this fact in the Gospel: “Behold, the prince of the world is coming, and in me he will find nothing.” May the divine mercy grant that our adversary may find nothing of his works in us, for if he finds nothing of his own he will not be able to keep us or recall us from eternal life. Therefore, dearly beloved, let us look at the treasury of our conscience, let us examine the secret places of our heart, and if we find nothing there which belongs to the devil let us rejoice and thank God. With his help let us strive as well as we can that...
Vain. For who would imagine, that a woman should treat in this manner the objects of her father's adoration? (Calmet)
It would hence appear, that she did not herself adore them, unless fear overcame her religion. (Haydock)
Wonderful is the shrewdness of Rachel, by which she succeeded in outwitting Laban. Let those heed it who are victims of deceit and give great importance to the worship of idols. “She put them under the camel saddles,” the text says, “and sat on them.” What could be more ridiculous than these people? Although endowed with reason and accorded such wonderful preeminence in God’s loving kindness, they bring themselves to worship lifeless stone, and, far from being ashamed or having any sense of such absurdity, they even make a habit of it like dumb animals. Hence Paul also wrote in these words, “You know that when you were pagans, it was to mute idols you went off in your frenzy.” Rightly did he say “mute”; people with the faculty of speech, enjoying reason and hearing, betake themselves to things of no such faculties like irrational animals. What excuse would such people in fact deserve? Homilies on Genesis
