Laban (Genesis 24:29–33; Genesis 24:50–60; Genesis 25:20; Genesis 27:43–45; Genesis 28:1–5; Genesis 29:1–14; Genesis 29:15–20; Genesis 29:21–30; Genesis 30:25–36; Genesis 31:1–21; Genesis 31:22–55; Genesis 46:18; Genesis 46:25)

Brother of Rebekah, Father of Leah and Rachel

Rebekah's brother, who ran out to Abraham's servant at the well, received his sister's son Jacob into his house, gave him Leah in place of Rachel, kept him twenty years, pursued him to Gilead, and made a covenant with him at a heap of stones.

Genesis introduces him through his sister: “And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the fountain” (Genesis 24:29). He bade Abraham's servant, “Come in, thou blessed of Jehovah” (Genesis 24:31), and with Bethuel answered, “The thing proceedeth from Jehovah” (Genesis 24:50). The text calls him “Laban the Syrian” (Genesis 25:20) and “Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian” (Genesis 28:5); Jacob asks the shepherds at Haran, “Know ye Laban the son of Nahor?” (Genesis 29:5).

When Jacob fled from Esau, Rebekah said, “flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran” (Genesis 27:43). Laban “ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house” (Genesis 29:13). Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but in the morning “behold, it was Leah” (Genesis 29:25); Laban said, “It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the first-born” (Genesis 29:26), and Jacob served seven other years for Rachel. Laban gave Zilpah to Leah and Bilhah to Rachel. When Jacob asked to go, Laban said, “I have divined that Jehovah hath blessed me for thy sake” (Genesis 30:27), and the two agreed terms over the flocks.

Laban's sons said that Jacob had taken what was their father's, and Jacob stole away while Laban was gone to shear his sheep. Laban pursued seven days' journey; “God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night” (Genesis 31:24) and told him to speak to Jacob neither good nor bad (Genesis 31:24). He searched the tents for his gods and did not find them. He and Jacob then made a covenant at a heap of stones, and “early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed and returned unto his place” (Genesis 31:55). Scripture does not record his death. Later genealogies name him as the giver of Zilpah and of Bilhah (Genesis 46:18, 25).

Strengths

• Hospitality
• Running to meet kin
• Blessing at parting

Weaknesses

• Beguiling Jacob with Leah
• Changing Jacob's wages, by Jacob's account
• Claiming all as his own

Themes

• Kinship
• Hospitality
• Wages and flocks
• Deception
• The covenant at the heap
• God's warning in a dream

Meets Abraham's servant at the well (Genesis 24:29–33)

Laban sees the ring and bracelets on his sister's hands, hears her words, runs out to the man at the fountain, and brings him in.

Consent to Rebekah's going (Genesis 24:50–60)

Laban and Bethuel say the thing proceeds from the LORD; her brother and her mother ask for ten days; they call Rebekah and ask her, send her away, and bless her.

Consent to Rebekah's going

When Abraham's servant had told his errand, “Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from Jehovah: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go” (Genesis 24:50-51). The servant gave jewels and raiment to Rebekah, and “to her brother and to her mother precious things” (Genesis 24:53).

In the morning “her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go” (Genesis 24:55). The servant answered, “Hinder me not” (Genesis 24:56). Then “they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go” (Genesis 24:57-58).

“And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those that hate them” (Genesis 24:59-60).

Jacob comes to Laban's house (Genesis 27:43–45; Genesis 28:1–5; Genesis 29:1–14)

Rebekah and Isaac send Jacob to Laban; at the well in Haran Jacob meets Rachel, and Laban runs to meet him, embraces him, and brings him to his house.

Jacob comes to Laban's house

Rebekah said to Jacob, “arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran” (Genesis 27:43). Isaac charged him, “take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother” (Genesis 28:2), and Jacob “went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother” (Genesis 28:5).

At the well Jacob asked the shepherds, “Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him” (Genesis 29:5). Jacob told Rachel “that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father” (Genesis 29:12).

“And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house” (Genesis 29:13). “And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month” (Genesis 29:14).

Wages, and seven years for Rachel (Genesis 29:15–20)

Laban asks what Jacob's wages shall be; Jacob offers seven years for Rachel the younger, Laban says it is better to give her to him than to another man, and Jacob serves.

In the morning, Leah (Genesis 29:21–30)

Laban makes a feast and brings Leah to Jacob in the evening; Jacob asks why he has been beguiled, Laban answers with the custom of the place, and Jacob serves seven other years for Rachel.

In the morning, Leah

Jacob said, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled … ” (Genesis 29:21). “And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her” (Genesis 29:22-23). Laban also “gave Zilpah his handmaid unto his daughter Leah for a handmaid” (Genesis 29:24).

“And it came to pass in the morning that, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?” (Genesis 29:25). Laban said, “It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the first-born. Fulfil the week of this one, and we will give thee the other also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years” (Genesis 29:26-27).

Jacob “fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her handmaid” (Genesis 29:28-29). The text states no reason for the substitution beyond Laban's saying.

Jacob asks to go; the flocks (Genesis 30:25–36)

After Rachel bears Joseph, Jacob asks to be sent away; Laban asks him to tarry, says the LORD has blessed him for Jacob's sake, agrees to Jacob's terms over the speckled and spotted, and sets three days' journey between himself and Jacob.

Laban's sons; Jacob flees (Genesis 31:1–21)

Laban's sons say Jacob has taken all that was their father's; the LORD tells Jacob to return; Jacob steals away while Laban shears his sheep, and Rachel steals her father's teraphim.

Pursuit, search, and the covenant at the heap (Genesis 31:22–55)

Laban pursues seven days, is warned by God in a dream, confronts Jacob, searches the tents for his gods, and makes a covenant with Jacob at a heap of stones before returning to his place.

Pursuit, search, and the covenant at the heap

Laban “took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and he overtook him in the mountain of Gilead. And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said unto him, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad” (Genesis 31:23-24). He said to Jacob, “What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives of the sword?” (Genesis 31:26) and “It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight” (Genesis 31:29). He asked, “wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?” (Genesis 31:30). He searched, “but found not the teraphim” (Genesis 31:35).

Jacob answered, “These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock: and thou hast changed my wages ten times” (Genesis 31:41). Laban replied, “The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that thou seest is mine” (Genesis 31:43).

“And now come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee” (Genesis 31:44). Laban said of the heap, “Jehovah watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another” (Genesis 31:49), and “The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us” (Genesis 31:53). Jacob sacrificed in the mountain, and they ate bread and tarried all night.

“And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed and returned unto his place” (Genesis 31:55).

Jacob (Genesis 29:13–14; Genesis 31:41; Genesis 31:44–55)

His sister's son and later his son-in-law, who served him twenty years and made a covenant with him at the heap of stones.

Rebekah (Genesis 24:29; Genesis 24:59–60)

His sister, whom he and her family sent away with a blessing to be Isaac's wife.

Rachel (Genesis 29:16–18; Genesis 29:29; Genesis 31:19)

His younger daughter, for whom Jacob served; he gave her Bilhah, and she stole his teraphim.

Leah (Genesis 29:16; Genesis 29:23–24)

His elder daughter, whom he brought to Jacob in the evening and to whom he gave Zilpah.

Bethuel (Genesis 24:50; Genesis 28:5)

Named with Laban in the answer to the servant, and given as Laban's father in Genesis 28:5.

Abraham's servant (Genesis 24:29–33; Genesis 24:50–54)

The man to whom Laban ran at the fountain, calling him blessed of the LORD and saying he had prepared the house and room for the camels.

The LORD (Genesis 31:24; Genesis 31:29; Genesis 31:49)

God came to Laban in a dream and told him to speak to Jacob neither good nor bad; Laban said the LORD should watch between them.

Major sections

• Genesis 24
• Genesis 27:43–31:55
• Genesis 46:18–25

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