Genesis 31:55

And early in the morning Laban rose up,.... In order to prepare for, and set forward on his journey home: and kissed his sons and his daughters; Jacob and his sons, who were his grandsons, and his

Genesis 31:55 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.Ver. 55. Laban rose up.] Laban leaves him, Esau meets him, and both with a kiss. "When a man’ s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him".

Verse 55. Kissed his sons and his daughters] That is, his grandchildren, Jacob's eleven sons with Dinah their sister, and their mothers Leah and Rachel. All these he calls his children, Genesis 31:43. And blessed them - prayed heartily for their prosperity, though we find from Genesis 31:29 that he came having bound himself by a vow to God to do them some injury. Thus God turned his intended curse into a blessing. THE most important topics in this chapter have already been considered in the notes, and to those the reader is referred. Jacob's character we have already seen, and hitherto have met in it little to admire; but we shall soon find a blessed change both in his mind and in his conduct. Laban's character appears in almost every instance to disadvantage; he does not seem to be what we commonly term a wicked man, but he was certainly both weak and covetous; and covetousness extinguished in him, as it does in all its votaries, the principles of righteousness and benevolence, and the very charities of human life. Provided he could get an increase of property, he regarded not who was wronged or who suffered. In this case he hid himself even from his own bowels, and cared not that his own children should lack even the necessaries of life, provided he could increase his own store! How watchful should we be against this destructive, unnatural, and degrading vice! It is impossible for a man who loves money to love either God or man; and consequently he must be in the broad way that leads to destruction. For the difficulties in the chronology of Jacob's sojourning in Padan-aram, I beg leave to refer to the following remarks. Remarks upon Genesis 31:38, c., relative to the time spent by Jacob in the service of his father-in-law Laban, in Mesopotamia from Dr. Kennicott. "If every reading which introduces but a single difficulty demands our attention, much greater must that demand be when several difficulties are caused by any one mistake, or any one mistranslation. Of this nature is the passage before us, which therefore shall be here considered more fully, especially as I have not already submitted to the learned any remarks upon this subject. Jacob's age at the time of his going to Laban, has (till very lately) been fixed, perhaps universally, at seventy-seven years. But I think it has been shown by the learned Mr. Skinner, in an excellent dissertation, (4to. 1765,) that the number seventy-seven cannot here be right. "Jacob was one hundred and thirty when he went down (with sixty-six persons) into Egypt. Joseph had then been governor ten years; and when made governor was thirty; therefore Jacob could not be more than ninety at the birth of Joseph. Now, upon supposition that Jacob was seventy-seven at going to Laban, and that he had no son till he was eighty-five, and that he, with eleven sons, left Laban at ninety-seven, there will follow these amongst other strange consequences which are enumerated by Mr.

55. sons and … daughters] Cf. Genesis 31:28; Genesis 31:43. His grandchildren as well as his two daughters. unto his place] i.e. his home in Haran; cf. Genesis 18:33; Numbers 24:25.

55. Rose… kissed… blessed… departed… returned — There is something most touching and impressive in this affectionate farewell.