As Antonio is approaching them, Shylock informs Bassanio that he does not currently have the full 3000 ducats available but that another Jewish money-lender named Tubal will help to supply the full amount.
Having arrived, Antonio informs Shylock that he does not borrow or lend money at interest. However, because Bassanio is in great need at the present moment, Antonio is willing to break his customary habit this one time (lines 58-59).
Shylock questions Antonio in regards to his views on money lending and makes a Biblical allusion or reference to the story ofJacob and the sheep. The story of Jacob appears in the first book of the Bible,Genesis(chapter 30). The complete book of Genesis also appears in theTorah, a holy book sacred to the Jews. So, Shylock’s reference to it is not unusual.Inthe story, Jacob makes a deal or contract with a man named Laban regarding the lambs who were about to be born that season. In the deal Jacob would get all of the lambs that were mixed colored (parti-colored), and Laban would get all of the solid colored lambs (lambs of one color). Laban thought he was getting the better part of the deal because usually lambs are just one color. However, Jacob tricked Laban. Jacob took a number of poles or sticks (referred to as “wands” in line 80) and painted them with stripes. He set these poles before the ewes (the female sheep), andlater