Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”
- KJV And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
- BSB Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”
- ESV Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.”
- NKJV And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.”
- NLT “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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
Laban agrees, saying it is better to give Rachel to Jacob than to a stranger.
Overview
Laban's reply sounds agreeable and keeps the marriage within the family, yet it is carefully noncommittal about which daughter. His words leave room for the deception he is already planning. The arrangement is struck, binding Jacob to seven years of service with Rachel in view.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Isa 6:11Then I said, “Lord, how long?” He answered, “Until cities are waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land becomes utterly waste,
- Isa 6:5Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!”
- Ps 12:2Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.
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 29:19 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.