Genesis 31:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly.

NIV: You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing.

NASB: and did not allow me to kiss my grandchildren and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.

CSB: but you didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You have acted foolishly.

NLT: Why didn’t you let me kiss my daughters and grandchildren and tell them good-bye? You have acted very foolishly!

KJV: And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

NKJV: And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing.

Laban is confronting Jacob about secretly running away, with his wives and children, and all of Jacob's possessions, without saying a word. He has suggested that if Jacob would have only told him, they could have celebrated with a festive goodbye party. Jacob would have known better than to expect that. As repeatedly demonstrated, it was much more likely that Laban would have responded with some form of manipulation to keep Jacob from leaving or to take from Jacob some of the wealth he had accumulated. Even Laban's own daughters had admitted that their father didn't really care about them—he was only interested in wealth (Genesis 31:14–16).

The objection from Laban in this verse, however, is at least somewhat more believable. Jacob had left without giving Laban the chance to kiss his daughters and sons—a term including grandsons—farewell, something that would break any father's heart. Laban's daughters did not seem to mind leaving without saying goodbye to their father, but Laban's appeal here is not entirely amiss.

Laban concludes by saying that Jacob has done foolishly. One thing that helps Genesis to resonate so deeply is stories like these, in which readers can see the validity of both points of view. Was Jacob wise to run without warning and give Laban no chance to try to manipulate him in some new way? Is Laban right that such action is dishonorable, no matter how dishonorable Laban himself had been? Human conversations very similar to this one continue to happen in families in every generation.

Genesis 31:22–42 recounts Laban's pursuit of Jacob and his large company, after learning his son-in-law has left for Canaan without telling him. It takes a week, but Laban catches up. Warned by God in a dream not to say anything to Jacob ''either good or bad,'' Laban instead expresses his hurt to Jacob and accuses him of stealing Laban's house idols. When a search for the idols—cleverly hidden by Rachel without Jacob's knowledge—turns up nothing, Jacob finally expresses all of his complaints about Laban's unfair treatment of him in spite of twenty years of faithful service.

Genesis 31 describes Jacob's difficult separation from Laban, his father-in-law, as well as his boss for twenty years. During that time, Jacob was routinely mistreated and cheated by his master. Commanded by God to return to the land of Canaan, Jacob packs up his wives, children, and all of his possessions and leaves without telling Laban. Laban soon catches up with the large company. Laban and Jacob confront each other bitterly. Eventually, though, they make a covenant of separation and peace.

Genesis 30 described the dramatic expansion of Jacob's family and property. Now, after twenty years of working for Laban, the time comes for Jacob to return to his own people. He attempts to sneak away without telling Laban, but Laban soon catches up with him. After bitter confrontations, father and son-in-law make a covenant of separation and peace. Jacob is finally free to begin the next chapter of his life in the Promised Land. First, though, he will need to deal with his brother Esau, whose rage was the main reason Jacob fled in the first place. That encounter is described over the following two chapters.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.