30:31–34 In the ancient Near East, most lambs were white and most goats black or dark brown. Thinking the agreement posed little risk to himself, Laban eagerly granted Jacob’s request for the unusually colored animals (v. 34). Jacob’s proposal depended upon the faulty notion that vivid visual impressions during the act of reproduction determined the traits of the offspring. He thought that placing alternating colors in front of mating animals would result in unusually colored offspring (vv. 37, 38, 41, 42). Even though Jacob’s scheming would deny God His rightful praise, God’s intention to bless Jacob was not thwarted (31:11, 12).