Rhetorical: Jacob emphasizes the severity of their sin by invoking the power of God. Jacob knows that God will not literally pierce his people, but Jacob understands that a knowledge of the goodness of God can pierce a soul that has turned from God. Jacob desires that this iniquity be removed from his people because he understands how devastating it can be. This is not simply an individual sin of the person with pride, but a sin against an entire community, for the separation into classes creates divisions and schisms that work against the fabric of society itself.