and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly.
Parallel translations
- KJV And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
- BSB But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.
- NKJV And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing.
- NASB and did not allow me to kiss my grandchildren and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.
- NLT Why didn’t you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye? You have acted very foolishly!
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 laments that he could not kiss his grandchildren and daughters goodbye, calling Jacob's act foolish. He continues to portray himself as wronged.
Overview
Laban's grievance over missing a farewell appeals to family affection, yet rings somewhat insincere given his prior conduct. His charge of foolishness presses Jacob to feel guilty for fleeing. The drawn-out accusation sets up Jacob's eventual reply defending his fearful but understandable departure.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Gen 31:55Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.
- Acts 20:37They all wept a lot, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
- 1 Kgs 19:20Elisha left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?”
- Ruth 1:14They lifted up their voices, and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with her.
- 1 Cor 2:14Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- Gen 31:13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”
- 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.
- Gen 31:3Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
- 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.
- Gen 31:24God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.”
- 1 Sam 13:13Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you; for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.
- Ruth 1:9May Yahweh grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices, and wept.
- 2 Chr 16:9For Yahweh’s eyes run back and forth throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. You have done foolishly in this; for from now on you will have wars.”
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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 31:28 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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