Laban

Overview

• Laban is the brother of Rebekah and the uncle and father-in-law of Jacob, remembered chiefly for deceiving Jacob over his daughters and his wages.
• In the tradition he stands as a figure of grasping self-interest set against Jacob's long patience under wrong.

His Story

Laban, a herdsman of Haran in Mesopotamia and the brother of Rebekah, first appears when Abraham's servant comes seeking a bride for Isaac: seeing the gold on his sister and hearing his errand, Laban runs out to welcome him and lodges him, and joins in giving Rebekah to Isaac (Genesis 24.29-60).

A generation later his nephew Jacob, fleeing Esau, arrives at his house, and Laban greets him as "my bone and my flesh" (Genesis 29.13-14). Jacob agrees to serve seven years for the younger daughter Rachel; but on the wedding night Laban gives him the elder daughter Leah instead, excusing himself by the custom of the country, and requires another seven years' service for Rachel (Genesis 29.15-30). Over the following years Laban repeatedly changed Jacob's wages, yet God prospered Jacob's flocks despite him (Genesis 30.25-43).

At last Jacob fled with his wives, children, and flocks. Laban pursued him for seven days and overtook him, angry that Rachel had also taken his household gods — which he searched for but could not find (Genesis 31.22-35). After Jacob reproached him for twenty years of hard and unjust service, the two made a covenant, heaping up stones as a witness at the place called Galeed and Mizpah: "The Lord watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another" (Genesis 31.36-55). At dawn Laban kissed his daughters and grandchildren, blessed them, and returned home — and passes from the story.

Sources

[^1]: Genesis 24.29-60; Genesis 29–Genesis 31 — Laban and the servant of Abraham, his deception of Jacob over Leah and Rachel, the changing of wages, and their covenant at Mizpah. Cf. OrthodoxWiki, Genesis (Outline).