Genesis 30:32, commentary and pictures

Jacob proposed to go through the whole flock that day and remove from it every speckled and spotted animal among the cattle and goats and every brown animal among the sheep, so that those removed animals with such markings would be set apart as his hire and only animals bearing those markings would belong to him. The agreement was that the marked animals — the speckled and spotted goats and the brown sheep — would be taken out of Laban's flock to constitute Jacob's wages. It belongs to the account of how God prospered Jacob's labor for Laban in flocks and herds despite Laban's efforts to deprive him of his right. That prospering meant Jacob left Laban's service with a prosperous family and abundant flocks and herds, and his material prosperity was one part of the blessing God gave him.

The arrangement belongs to Jacob's selfish dealings, in which his conduct was marked by plotting and overreaching others. His experience was checkered and unsatisfactory, for under God's providence he in turn experienced overreaching and suffering as retribution for overreaching others. That providential retribution comes surely even though it may seem slow. The verse also belongs to the account of Jacob's polygamous household, which proves that polygamy was never anything but evil and wrong. It was the cause of very great unhappiness in every family where it entered.

The context shows Jacob as a herdsman in charge of flocks whose work included caring for his animals. That care teaches that chores truly necessary for the life and welfare of people and stock must be performed on the Sabbath the same as on any day. Such chores include feeding, milking, and watering, reduced always to a practical, merciful minimum.