Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks.
Parallel translations
- WEB He set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
- KJV And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
- NKJV Then he put three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
- NASB And he put a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
- NLT who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.
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 sets a three-day distance between himself and Jacob, who tends the remaining flocks. The separation is meant to disadvantage Jacob.
Overview
By creating distance, Laban tries to ensure the marked animals he removed cannot mingle with the flock Jacob keeps. Jacob is left with the seemingly plain flock, the harder situation. The narrative builds tension before showing how God overrules Laban's cunning to fulfill his promise to bless Jacob.
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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 30:36 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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