Laban

Laban is a man living at the time of the Patriarchs. He is named in 46 verses of the Bible, first in Genesis 24:29.

Family

Verses

Genesis

• Genesis 24:29
  And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he rushed out to the man at the spring.
• Genesis 24:50
  Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.
• Genesis 25:20
  And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan–aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
• Genesis 27:43
  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;So now, my son, obey my voice and flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran.
• Genesis 28:2
  Arise, go to Padan–aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother.“Go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel, and take a wife from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
• Genesis 28:5
  And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padan–aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.So Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
• Genesis 29:5
  And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.
• Genesis 29:10
  And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.
• Genesis 29:13
  And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.
• Genesis 29:14
  And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
• Genesis 29:15
  And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
• Genesis 29:16
  And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.
• Genesis 29:19
  And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”
• Genesis 29:21
  And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.”
• Genesis 29:22
  And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast.
• Genesis 29:24
  And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant.
• Genesis 29:25
  And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”
• Genesis 29:26
  And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older.
• Genesis 29:29
  And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.
• Genesis 30:25
  And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.
• Genesis 30:27
  And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.”
• Genesis 30:34
  And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.“Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.”
• Genesis 30:36
  And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was shepherding the rest of Laban’s flocks.
• Genesis 30:40
  And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.
• Genesis 30:42
  But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.
• Genesis 31:1
  And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”
• Genesis 31:2
  And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.
• Genesis 31:12
  And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
• Genesis 31:19
  And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
• Genesis 31:20
  And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.
• Genesis 31:22
  And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.
• Genesis 31:24
  And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
• Genesis 31:25
  Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well.
• Genesis 31:26
  And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war!
• Genesis 31:31
  And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.
• Genesis 31:33
  And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.
• Genesis 31:34
  Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.
• Genesis 31:36
  And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?
• Genesis 31:43
  And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?But 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?
• Genesis 31:47
  And Laban called it Jegar–sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.
• Genesis 31:48
  And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.
• Genesis 31:51
  And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.
• 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.Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.
• Genesis 32:4
  And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:He instructed them, “You are to say to my master Esau, ‘Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now.
• Genesis 46:18
  These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bare unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.
• Genesis 46:25
  These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.These are the sons of Jacob born to Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel—seven in all.

Notes

1. Names, family links and verses from STEPBible's Translators Individualised Proper Names (TIPNR), STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0.
2. Where several people share a name, which verses belong to which person, and the family links, follow STEPBible's identifications; some are uncertain and are marked so.