Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.
Parallel translations
- WEB Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.
- KJV And 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.
- NKJV And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.
- NASB Then early in the morning Laban got up, and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.
- NLT Laban got up early the next morning, and he kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.
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 rises early, blesses and kisses his daughters and grandchildren, and returns home. The long, tangled relationship between Jacob and Laban ends in peace.
Overview
With the covenant complete, Laban departs after a final affectionate farewell, and he disappears from the narrative. His exit closes the chapter of Jacob's exile in Paddan-Aram. God has brought Jacob safely through twenty years of conflict, fulfilling His promise to be with him and bring him back.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Gen 31:28But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.
- Gen 30:25Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.
- Deut 23:5Yet the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, and the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.
- Gen 18:33When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.
- Gen 33:4Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
- Prov 16:7When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
- Gen 31:43But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?
- Acts 28:4–5When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”
- Ruth 1:14Again they wept aloud, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.
- Ps 76:10Even the wrath of man shall praise You; with the survivors of wrath You will clothe Yourself.
- Num 23:8How can I curse what God has not cursed? How can I denounce what the LORD has not denounced?
- Num 24:25Then Balaam arose and returned to his homeland, and Balak also went on his way.
- Gen 28:1So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded.
- Num 23:11Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”
- Deut 32:36For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.
- Num 23:5Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”
- Gen 24:60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”
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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 31:55 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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