He's up against someone filled with animosity, someone ready to do him harm. We don't know exactly who, but the text paints a vivid picture of unwavering hostility.
And what does this enemy say? It's wild. “And if the lion becometh the friend of the ox and maketh peace with him, and if he is bound under one yoke with him and plougheth with him, then shall I make peace with thee.” for a second. A lion, the king of the jungle, buddying up with an ox, a creature it would normally see as… dinner? Unthinkable! The image of them plowing side-by-side under a yoke is almost comical in its absurdity.
But it gets even stranger. “And when the raven becometh white as the râzâ, then know that I have loved thee and shall make peace with thee.” A raven, a bird synonymous with darkness, turning as white as a râzâ? The term râzâ (רָזָא) could be a type of white cloth or even refer to snow, depending on who you ask. Either way, the message is clear: peace will come only when the impossible happens.
So, what's the deal here? Why these bizarre conditions for peace? It’s a powerful way of saying, “Never. Absolutely never.” The speaker is making it abundantly clear that reconciliation is not on the table. It's a complete rejection, a severing of any possibility of a positive relationship. In fact, the passage ends with an ominous declaration: “Thou shalt be rooted out, and thy sons shall be rooted out, and there shall be no peace for thee.”
Harsh. And how does Jacob react to this intense hatred? The text tells us: “And when Jacob saw that he was (so) evilly disposed towards him with his heart, and with all his soul as to slay him, and that he had come springing like the wild boar which cometh upon the spear that pierceth and killeth it, and recoileth not from it…” He recognizes the sheer, unyielding force of the animosity directed his way. The image of the wild boar charging headfirst into a spear, even to its death, highlights the enemy's reckless determination to destroy him.
This passage from Jubilees is more than just a historical anecdote. It's a stark reminder of the depths of human conflict. It shows us how deep-seated hatred can become, and how some people are simply unwilling to find common ground. It's a sobering thought, isn't it? It makes you wonder about the conflicts in our own lives, the walls we build, and whether we're willing to consider even the slightest possibility of reconciliation... or if we're waiting for ravens to turn white.