Genesis 31:28

Gen 31:28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in [so] doing.

Ver. 28. Thou hast now done foolishly.] And yet he had done no more than God bade him do. Wretched men dare reprehend that which they do not comprehend. But if a wise man speak evil of thee, or to thee, endure him; if a fool, pardon him. Shake off reproaches and hard censures, as Paul did the viper; yea, in a holy scorn, laugh at them, as the wild ass doth at the horse and his rider. "Diotrephes prates against us," saith St John. {3Jn 1:10} In the Greek (φλυαξει) it is, "trifles against us with malicious words." Although his words were malicious, and he a great man, yet all was but trifles to a clear conscience.

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.

(28) My sons.—That is, my grandsons.

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

28. sons … daughters] Laban’s grandchildren; cf. Gen_31:43; Gen_31:55.

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 now, though thou wouldest needs be gone,.... Or, "in going wouldest go" (i), was determined upon it, and in haste to do it:

because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, or "desiring didst desire it" (k); had a vehement desire for it, which Laban signifies he should not have opposed, if he had let him know his mind: but be it so that he had ever so great desire to leave him and return to his father's house, says he:

yet, wherefore, hast thou stolen my gods? what reason had he for that? if he took away himself, his wives, his children, his goods, what business had he with his gods? he could not claim these as his, meaning the images or teraphim before mentioned, Gen 31:19; by which it appears that Laban was some way or other guilty of idolatry in the use of these images; looking upon them as types, or representations of God, as Josephus (l) calls them, and worshipped God in them, or along with them and by them; for he could never think they were truly and really gods, that could not preserve themselves from being stolen away, and that must be a poor god that a man may be robbed of.

(i) "eundo ivisti", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius. (k) "desiderando desiderabis", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Piscator. (l) Antiqu. l. 1. c. 19. sect. 9.

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

To kiss my sons and my daughters, as was usual at the parting of friends. See Poole on "Gen 29:11". But indeed Jacob took the wisest course for the security of his person and estate, especially having the direction and protection of God in it.

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

ולא נטשתני לנשק לבני, children and grandchildren are usually referred to as בנים.

עשו. Spelled here with the letter ו, but meaning the same as if it had been written with the letter ה. The word is in the infinitive mode. The word עתה (at this juncture) means that “although, generally speaking you are very clever, now you acted foolishly.”

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.