Laban in the Bible

Meaning: white; shining; gentle; brittle

Exact Match

These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

Verse ConceptsBeyond Jordan

Thematic Bible



And they gave Rebekah their blessing, saying, O sister, may you be the mother of thousands and ten thousands; and may your seed overcome all those who make war against them.


But your father has not kept faith with me, and ten times he has made changes in my payment; but God has kept him from doing me damage.

Are we not as people from a strange country to him? for he took a price for us and now it is all used up.

These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back.


These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed.


Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he came out quickly to the man at the water-spring. And when he saw the nose-ring and the ornaments on his sister's hands, and when she gave him word of what the man had said to her, then he went out to the man who was waiting with the camels by the water-spring. And he said to him, Come in, you on whom is the blessing of the Lord; why are you waiting outside? for I have made the house ready for you, and a place for the camels. read more.
Then the man came into the house, and Laban took their cords off the camels and gave them dry grass and food, and he gave to him and the men who were with him water for washing their feet. And meat was put before him, but he said, I will not take food till I have made my business clear to you. And they said, Do so. And he said, I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has given my master every blessing, and he has become great: he has given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and men-servants and women-servants and camels and asses. And when Sarah, my master's wife, was old, she gave birth to a son, to whom he has given all he has. And my master made me take an oath, saying, Do not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living; But go to my father's house and to my relations for a wife for my son. And I said to my master, What if the woman will not come with me? And he said, The Lord, whom I have ever kept before me, will send his angel with you, who will make it possible for you to get a wife for my son from my relations and my father's house; And you will be free from your oath to me when you come to my people; and if they will not give her to you, you will be free from your oath. And I came today to the water-spring, and I said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if it is your purpose to give a good outcome to my journey, Let it come about that, while I am waiting here by the water-spring, if a girl comes to get water and I say to her, Give me a little water from your vessel, and she says, Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels; let her be the woman marked out by the Lord for my master's son. And even while I was saying this to myself, Rebekah came out with her vessel on her arm; and she went down to the spring to get water; and I said to her, Give me a drink. And straight away she took down her vessel from her arm, and said, Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels. And questioning her, I said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, and Milcah his wife. Then I put the ring on her nose and the ornaments on her hands. And with bent head I gave worship and praise to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, by whom I had been guided in the right way, to get the daughter of my master's brother for his son. And now, say if you will do what is good and right for my master or not, in order that it may be clear to me what I have to do. Then Laban and Bethuel said in answer, This is the Lord's doing: it is not for us to say Yes or No to you. See, here is Rebekah: take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has said.


Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother are you to be my servant for nothing? say now, what is your payment to be? Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form. read more.
And Jacob was in love with Rachel; and he said, I will be your servant seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better for you to have her than another man: go on living here with me. And Jacob did seven years' work for Rachel; and because of his love for her it seemed to him only a very little time. Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife so that I may have her, for the days are ended. And Laban got together all the men of the place and gave a feast. And in the evening he took Leah, his daughter, and gave her to him, and he went in to her. And Laban gave Zilpah, his servant-girl, to Leah, to be her waiting-woman. And in the morning Jacob saw that it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What have you done to me? was I not working for you so that I might have Rachel? why have you been false to me? And Laban said, In our country we do not let the younger daughter be married before the older. Let the week of the bride-feast come to its end and then we will give you the other in addition, if you will be my servant for another seven years. And Jacob did so; and when the week was ended, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel for his wife. And Laban gave Rachel his servant-girl Bilhah to be her waiting-woman. Then Jacob took Rachel as his wife, and his love for her was greater than his love for Leah; and he went on working for Laban for another seven years.


But your father has not kept faith with me, and ten times he has made changes in my payment; but God has kept him from doing me damage.


Then God came to Laban in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.


You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.


You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.


You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.


And you have seen how I have done all in my power for your father, But your father has not kept faith with me, and ten times he has made changes in my payment; but God has kept him from doing me damage.


Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother are you to be my servant for nothing? say now, what is your payment to be? Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form. read more.
And Jacob was in love with Rachel; and he said, I will be your servant seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better for you to have her than another man: go on living here with me. And Jacob did seven years' work for Rachel; and because of his love for her it seemed to him only a very little time.

Let the week of the bride-feast come to its end and then we will give you the other in addition, if you will be my servant for another seven years.

And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you. Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it. Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care. read more.
For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family? And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me: Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment. And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief. And Laban said, Let it be as you say. So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons; And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock. Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands. And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water. And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour. These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock. And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks. But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's. So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.


Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands. And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water. And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour. read more.
These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock. And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks. But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's. So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.

Now it came to the ears of Jacob that Laban's sons were saying, Jacob has taken away all our father's property, and in this way he has got all this wealth. And Jacob saw that Laban's feeling for him was no longer what it had been before. Then the Lord said to Jacob, Go back to the land of your fathers, and to your relations, and I will be with you. read more.
And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him in the field among his flock. And he said to them, It is clear to me that your father's feeling is no longer what it was to me; but the God of my father has been with me And you have seen how I have done all in my power for your father, But your father has not kept faith with me, and ten times he has made changes in my payment; but God has kept him from doing me damage. If he said, All those in the flock which have marks are to be yours, then all the flock gave birth to marked young; and if he said, All the banded ones are to be yours, then all the flock had banded young. So God has taken away your father's cattle and has given them to me. And at the time when the flock were with young, I saw in a dream that all the he-goats which were joined with the she-goats were banded and marked and coloured. And in my dream the angel of the Lord said to me, Jacob: and I said, Here am I. And he said, See how all the he-goats are banded and marked and coloured: for I have seen what Laban has done to you. I am the God of Beth-el, where you put oil on the pillar and took an oath to me: now then, come out of this land and go back to the country of your birth. Then Rachel and Leah said to him in answer, What part or heritage is there for us in our father's house? Are we not as people from a strange country to him? for he took a price for us and now it is all used up. For the wealth which God has taken from him is ours and our children's; so now, whatever God has said to you, do. Then Jacob put his wives and his sons on camels; And sending on before him all his cattle and his property which he had got together in Paddan-aram, he made ready to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to see to the cutting of the wool of his sheep; so Rachel secretly took the images of the gods of her father's house. And Jacob went away secretly, without giving news of his flight to Laban the Aramaean. So he went away with all he had, and went across the River in the direction of the hill-country of Gilead.


And even before his words were ended, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water-vessel on her arm.

Bethuel was the father of Rebekah: these eight were the children of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham's brother.

Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he came out quickly to the man at the water-spring.


And on the third day Laban had news of Jacob's flight. And taking the men of his family with him, he went after him for seven days and overtook him in the hill-country of Gilead. Then God came to Laban in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob. read more.
Now when Laban overtook him, Jacob had put up his tent in the hill-country; and Laban and his brothers put up their tents in the hill-country of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners of war? Why did you make a secret of your flight, not giving me word of it, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with melody and music? You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do. It is in my power to do you damage: but the God of your father came to me this night, saying, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob. And now, it seems, you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house; but why have you taken my gods? And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might take your daughters from me by force. As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death: make search before us all for what is yours, and take it. For Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken them. So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's. Now Rachel had taken the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them. And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images. Then Jacob was angry with Laban, and said, What crime or sin have I done that you have come after me with such passion? Now that you have made search through all my goods, what have you seen which is yours? Make it clear now before my people and your people, so that they may be judges between us. These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your goats have had young without loss, not one of your he-goats have I taken for food. Anything which was wounded by beasts I did not take to you, but myself made up for the loss of it; you made me responsible for whatever was taken by thieves, by day or by night. This was my condition, wasted by heat in the day and by the bitter cold at night; and sleep went from my eyes. These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back. Then Laban, answering, said, These women are my daughters and these children my children, the flocks and all you see are mine: what now may I do for my daughters and for their children? Come, let us make an agreement, you and I; and let it be for a witness between us. Then Jacob took a stone and put it up as a pillar. And Jacob said to his people, Get stones together; and they did so; and they had a meal there by the stones. And the name Laban gave it was Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob gave it the name of Galeed. And Laban said, These stones are a witness between you and me today. For this reason its name was Galeed, And Mizpah, for he said, May the Lord keep watch on us when we are unable to see one another's doings. If you are cruel to my daughters, or if you take other wives in addition to my daughters, then though no man is there to see, God will be the witness between us. And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put between you and me; They will be witness that I will not go over these stones to you, and you will not go over these stones or this pillar to me, for any evil purpose. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath by the Fear of his father Isaac. And Jacob made an offering on the mountain, and gave orders to his people to take food: so they had a meal and took their rest that night on the mountain. And early in the morning Laban, after kissing and blessing his daughters, went on his way back to his country.


And Rachel, hearing from Jacob that he was her father's relation and that he was the son of Rebekah, went running to give her father news of it. And Laban, hearing news of Jacob, his sister's son, came running, and took Jacob in his arms, and kissing him, made him come into his house. And Jacob gave him news of everything. And Laban said to him, Truly, you are my bone and my flesh. And he kept Jacob with him for the space of a month. read more.
Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother are you to be my servant for nothing? say now, what is your payment to be? Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form. And Jacob was in love with Rachel; and he said, I will be your servant seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better for you to have her than another man: go on living here with me. And Jacob did seven years' work for Rachel; and because of his love for her it seemed to him only a very little time. Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife so that I may have her, for the days are ended. And Laban got together all the men of the place and gave a feast. And in the evening he took Leah, his daughter, and gave her to him, and he went in to her. And Laban gave Zilpah, his servant-girl, to Leah, to be her waiting-woman. And in the morning Jacob saw that it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What have you done to me? was I not working for you so that I might have Rachel? why have you been false to me? And Laban said, In our country we do not let the younger daughter be married before the older. Let the week of the bride-feast come to its end and then we will give you the other in addition, if you will be my servant for another seven years. And Jacob did so; and when the week was ended, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel for his wife. And Laban gave Rachel his servant-girl Bilhah to be her waiting-woman. Then Jacob took Rachel as his wife, and his love for her was greater than his love for Leah; and he went on working for Laban for another seven years.


Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he came out quickly to the man at the water-spring. And when he saw the nose-ring and the ornaments on his sister's hands, and when she gave him word of what the man had said to her, then he went out to the man who was waiting with the camels by the water-spring. And he said to him, Come in, you on whom is the blessing of the Lord; why are you waiting outside? for I have made the house ready for you, and a place for the camels. read more.
Then the man came into the house, and Laban took their cords off the camels and gave them dry grass and food, and he gave to him and the men who were with him water for washing their feet. And meat was put before him, but he said, I will not take food till I have made my business clear to you. And they said, Do so.


So Isaac sent Jacob away: and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramaean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.


You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.


You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.


You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.


You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.


And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners of war? Why did you make a secret of your flight, not giving me word of it, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with melody and music? You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.


You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.


For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family?


And early in the morning Laban, after kissing and blessing his daughters, went on his way back to his country.


References

Hastings

Easton

American

Morish

Smith

Watsons

Fausets

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain