Genesis 29:13

Gen 29:13 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. And he told Laban all these things.

Ver. 13. He ran to meet him, and embraced him.] All in hypocrisy, as the Hebrews hold. There be many Labans: hot at first, cold at last; friendly in the beginning, froward in the end. A free friend at first, a kind friend to the last, is rara avis in terris ." Trust not in a friend, put not confidence in a brother," &c. {Mic 7:5} Look rather unto the Lord, as the Church doth there: he is the only one dependable, as they say, and will never fail us; when the world, as Laban, will show itself at parting, if not before.

He told Laban all these things.] Why and how he came so poorly to him, whereas Abram’s servant, coming upon a like errand, came far better attended and appointed; which was the thing that Laban likely looked after when he ran out to meet Jacob.

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.

Gen 29:13. He told Laban all these things — About his journey, and the cause of it, and what he saw in the way.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That is, the cause why he departed from his father’s house, and what he saw in the way.

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

13. And he told Laban all these things. Since Laban had previously seen one of Abraham’s servants replenished with great wealth, an unfavourable opinion of his nephew might instantly enter into his mind: it was therefore necessary for holy Jacob to explain the causes of his own departure, and the reason why he had been sent away so contemptibly clothed. It is also probable that he had been instructed by his mother respecting the signs and marks by which he might convince them of his relationship: therefore Laban exclaims, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh; intimating that he was fully satisfied, and that he was induced by indubitable tokens to acknowledge Jacob as his nephew. This knowledge inclines him to humanity; for the sense of nature dictates that they who are united by ties of blood should endeavor to assist each other; but though the bond between relatives is closer, yet our kindness ought to extend more widely, so that it may diffuse itself through the whole human race. If, however, all the sons of Adam are thus joined together, that spiritual relationship which God produces between the faithful, and than which there is no holier bond of mutual benevolence, ought to be much more effectual.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(13) Laban . . . ran to meet him, and embraced him.—Rachel told her father, because it was a matter simply of the hospitable reception of a relative, and not such news as Rebekah had run to tell those of her mother’s house. And to Laban the tidings must have been most welcome, as he called to mind now, seventy-seven years ago, he had seen his dear sister depart to marry the son of the distant sheik. It seems strange, however, that the daughters of this old man should be so young. Either they must have been the children of a wife of his old age, or his granddaughters, but regarded as his own because their father was dead. As Laban’s sons are not mentioned till Gen_31:1, probably on account of their youth, the former is the more probable explanation.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. Laban] According to the P narrative, Gen_26:34, it was over forty years since Laban had said farewell to his sister Rebekah. He now effusively greets and welcomes her son. Perhaps he recollects the gifts of Rebekah’s dowry (Gen_24:30), and also perceives in Jacob a strong and capable worker.

the tidings] LXX τὸ ὄνομα = “the name,” with the omission of one letter in the original (shêm for shêma‘).

kissed] The Hebrew verb expresses the warmth of the salutation.

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 Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son,.... That there was such a man at the well, thus related to him, and what he had done there, had rolled away the stone, and watered his flock. The Jewish writers (l) make this report chiefly to respect his great strength showed in the above instance, with other things:

that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house; Jarchi and other interpreters represent this as done with avaricious views, and that he expected Jacob had brought presents with him, as pieces of gold, pearls and jewels, and such like precious things Abraham's servant brought and gave him when he came for Rebekah, Gen 24:53; but I see not why we may not take all this to be hearty, sincere, and affectionate, arising from nearness of relation, and a sense of it:

and he told Laban all these things; how he was sent hither by his parents on account of the hatred of his brother Esau, because he had got the birthright and blessing from him; how God had appeared to him at Luz, and the promises he had made him; how providentially he had met with Rachel at the well, and perhaps might him at, if he did not openly declare, the end of his coming thither for a wife.

(l) Targ. Jon. in loc. Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 36.)

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

The tidings of Jacob; the report of his father’s family, of the cause of his coming in so mean circumstances, of the occurrences in his journey, and of his providential meeting with Rachel at the well.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. Told Laban all — All about his journey and its object, the commands of Isaac and Rebekah, and the desire of his own heart.

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 came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings (literally, heard the hearing, or thing heard, i.e. the report of the arrival) of Jacob his sister"s son, he acted very much as he did ninety-seven years before, when Abraham"s servant came to woo his sister (Gen_14:20) that (literally, and) he ran to meet him, and embraced him, so afterwards Esau did Jacob, (Gen_33:4) and Jacob the two sons of Joseph (Gen_48:10) and kissed him, and brought him to his house thus evincing the same kindness and hospitality that had characterized him on the previous occasion. And he (Jacob) told Laban all these things what his mother bad instructed him to say to attest his kinship (Calvin); the things related in the immediate context (Keil); more likely the entire story of his life, and in particular of his exile from home, with its cause and object (Rosenm Kalisch, Lange).

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

his sister's son

"his nephew"

embraced him

"hugged him"

kissed him

In ancient Near East, it is common to greet a relative with a kiss. However, it is normally done between men. If your language has an affectionate greeting for a relative, use that. If not, use what is appropriate.

Jacob told Laban all these things

"then Jacob told Laban everything he told Rachel"

my bone and my flesh

This phrase means they are directly related. AT: "my relative" or "a member of my family" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

Laban

kiss

month

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

וירץ לקראתו HE RAN TOWARDS HIM — thinking that he was laden with money, for the servant of that household (Eliezer) had come there with ten camels fully laden (Bereishit Rabbah 70:13).

ויחבק AND EMBRACED HIM — When he saw that he had nothing with him, he thought, “Perhaps he has brought gold coins and they are hidden away in his bosom!”

וינשק לו HE KISSED HIM — he thought, “Perhaps he has brought pearls (or precious stones, in general) and they are in his mouth!” (Genesis Rabbah 70:13)

ויספר ללבן HE TOLD LABAN that he had come only because he was forced to do so by his brother, and that all his money had been taken from him.

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.

ויהי כשמוע...ויספר ללבן את כל הדברים האלה, he revealed the reason why he had left his father’s home and that he had done so at the command of both his father and his mother.

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.