Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.
Parallel translations
- WEB Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
- KJV And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
- BSB Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
- NKJV Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.
- NASB Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and raised his voice and wept.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jacob kisses Rachel and weeps aloud, overcome with emotion at meeting his kindred.
Overview
Jacob's tears express the relief and joy of a lonely exile finding family at his journey's end. The customary greeting-kiss between relatives is heightened by the depth of his feeling. His emotion reflects gratitude for God's faithfulness in bringing him safely to his mother's house.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Gen 33:4Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.
- Gen 43:30Joseph hurried, for his heart yearned over his brother; and he sought a place to weep. He entered into his room, and wept there.
- Gen 45:2He wept aloud. The Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.
- Gen 45:14–15He fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck.
- Exod 4:27Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.
- Rom 16:16Greet one another with a holy kiss. The assemblies of Christ greet you.
- Exod 18:7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed and kissed him. They asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.
- Gen 27:26His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”
- Gen 29:13When Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 29:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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