Genesis 24:30

Gen 24:30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

Ver. 30. When he saw the earring and bracelets.] These were the boons that Laban looked after; these drew the churl forth, and made him so courteous. Worldlings in serving God, serve themselves of God; they follow him for loaves more than for love. Vix diligitur Iesus propter Iesum. Hypocrites would use Christ as a bridge to get to heaven by; which if they could compass, let Christ sink or swim for them, they would not much care. Their love is meretricious, their obedience mercenary; they work only for wages. {a} Fac me pontificem, et ero Christianus, said one Pammachius, a heathen, to the Pope. Those degenerate priests would fain have had priests’ places, when something was to be got, but might not. {Ezr 2:61-62}

{a} These make earth their throne, heaven their footstool. - August.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For he waited on God’s hand, who had now heard his prayer.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

30. when he saw the ring] With a slight touch of ironical humour, the first hint is thus given of Laban’s avaricious character. The sight of the gold seems to stimulate his courtesy to the servant.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it came to pass, when he saw the earring, and bracelets upon his sister's hands,.... From whence he concluded that he was a rich and generous man she had met with, and might hope to receive a gift also upon giving him an invitation to his house; or however might judge he should be no loser by receiving him kindly and entertaining him generously; therefore it was that he made haste, and ran to him to bring him in; for that Laban was of a covetous disposition, appears from the whole story of him:

and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, thus spake the man unto me; inquiring whose daughter she was, and whether there was any room in her father's house for him and those that were with him to lodge in:

that he came unto the man; made haste and ran till he came to him:

and, behold, he stood by the camels at the wall; he did not follow Rebekah, but kept still at the well, expecting somebody would come out of the house and give him an invitation into it, upon Rebekah's representation of him.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

30. When he saw… and when he heard — What he saw and heard, no doubt, had special influence on his action, and made the blessings and welcome (of Gen_24:31) doubly emphatic.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it cams to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister"s hands (vide ver. 22), and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man (this explains the cause of the action mentioned in the previous verse); and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

HOMILIES BY F. HASTINGS Ver. 30.

Laban"s eye of greed.

when he saw the bracelets," &c. One thing moved Laban to offer hospitality to a stranger the vision of gold on his sister"s form. ;

I COVETOUSNESS MAKES A MAN CALCULATING WHEN APPEARING TO BE GENEROUS. Laban had not been so pressingly urgent in his invitation if he had not cherished a hope of further advantages. He was a churlish man. He said, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord," &c., because he saw that which was to him the greatest sign of blessing wealth. Laban helped the more readily to ungird Eliezer"s camels because he hoped thereby to loosen the girdle-purse of his visitor. ;

He had the eye of greed. He could not see anything valuable belonging to another without wishing to possess it.

II COVETOUSNESS MAKES A MAN, GENERALLY, SHORTSIGHTED WITH RESPECT TO HIS OWN BEST INTERESTS. Laban gave Eliezer a bad impression of himself. The latter would soon see through such a man as Laban. He showed this when he gave presents not only to the sister and mother, but to the brother (ver. 53). He knew that it would not he advisable to overlook Laban. Eliezer knew he could be bought. Laban, when treating with Jacob, was just as short-sighted. He gave Leah and Rachel to Jacob as wives only after years of service for which he stipulated. He changed Jacob"s wages ten times. Through his greed he at last lost Jacob. He confessed how great a helper Jacob had been. "The Lord hath blessed me for thy sake". (Gen_30:27) Jacob would not tarry with him, and even the daughters were glad enough to get away from such a father. Covetousness is opposed to our temporal and eternal interests. We lose by it the respect of others here and of God hereafter.

III COVETOUSNESS IS EVER INDIFFERENT TO THE RIGHTFUL CLAIMS OF OTHERS. It will ignore those claims altogether, if possible.

1. We find Laban thus ignored the influence of his father throughout the whole transaction. Perhaps Bethuel was infirm or aged, but he is, consistently with the character of Laban, thrust into the back-ground. Laban also takes all presents, and there is no mention of any being given to his father.

2. We find also he was in great measure indifferent to the happiness of his sister. He was subtle in tongue, and spoke of the Lord arranging things, but he believed in the arrangement because his family was the gainer. A good chance is offered by the Damascene stranger, and Rebekah soon saw that it was a foregone conclusion that she should go with him. Covetousness will make parents careless as to the physical, mental, and moral well-being of their children, and employers care- less of the state of their servants. It is covetousness also that leads many to spread temptations, too strong to be resisted, before others, and one nation to get rich out of that which is sapping the life-blood of another.

IV COVETOUSNESS NEVER SATISFIES, AND OFT MAKES MEN MOST MISERABLE. "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his house." "Envy is rottenness to the bones." Misers perish in the midst of plenty.

Riches possessed, the desire for more is generally intensified. The desire is no more checked than a lamp is extinguished by added oil.

V COVETOUSNESS IS SURE, SOONER OR LATER, TO BE REBUKED. The greed in Laban"s eye which glistened at the sight of the golden ornaments on his sister"s form deepened with the passage of years. At last, in his pursuit of Jacob, he was rebuked by God in a vision, and afterwards by the man he had wronged. Learn, therefore, that medium prosperity is better than great riches gained by greed. Despise not the comforts of life, but live for something higher. What is gained in the world is speedily gone. If we gain much and ruin our souls, we shall not only be rejected by God, but shall bitterly condemn ourselves. H.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

על הגמלים [HE WAS STANDING] BY THE CAMELS — to look after them. The phrase is the same as (18:8) “And he (Abraham) stood by them עומד עליהם"— to wait on them.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

When he had seen. He felt obliged to show gratitude for the gifts.

And heard the words. That Eliezer had asked for lodgings.

He came to the man. To bring him to his home. Standing beside the camels.

He did not show any expectation of being granted lodgings until Lavan offered

Sforno on the Tanakh — English translation: “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ויהי כראות, this is reported in order to inform us that Lavan was envious of anyone getting something he did not have, even including his sister. He was the opposite of his sister who had displayed such generous traits. Lavan ran in order to bring these precious items into his own house.

וכשמעו, when he heard that the stranger had spoken to his sister concerning selecting a wife for the son of his master. This is what is meant by

כה דבר אלי האיש. עמד על הגמלים. The words על הגמלים mean the same as עם הגמלים, next to the camels. We have a parallel construction in Exodus 35,22 ויבאו האנשים על הנשים, “the men came in addition to the women.” The meaning here is that Eliezer was seen by Lavan as standing as if waiting for Rivkah to return accompanied by a senior member of the family to invite him and escort him to their home.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.