And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
Parallel translations
- WEB When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
- BSB Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.
- NKJV And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country.
- NASB Now it came about, when Rachel had given birth to Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, so that I may go to my own place and to my own country.
- NLT Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country.
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
After Joseph's birth, Jacob asks Laban to release him so he can return to his homeland. He desires to go back to Canaan, the land of promise.
Overview
Joseph's birth seems to mark a turning point that stirs Jacob to seek his own future. His longing for his 'own place' reflects an awareness of the covenant land promised to Abraham and Isaac. This request sets in motion the negotiations and eventual departure that will fulfill God's earlier call for Jacob to return home.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Gen 24:54And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.
- Gen 24:56And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
- Gen 28:13And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
- Gen 18:33And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
- Gen 28:15And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
- Gen 26:3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
- Acts 7:4–5Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
- Gen 24:6–7And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
- Gen 31:13I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
- Gen 31:55And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.
- Gen 27:44–45And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
- Heb 11:9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
- Heb 11:15–16And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
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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 30:25 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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