Bible Strands
Genesis 31:55
Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Laban acts alone early the next morning after Jacob’s mountain sacrifice and the overnight meal. He kisses his grandchildren and daughters, blesses them, and departs to return home.
The words — וַיִּשְׁכֵּם (va.yishkem) literally means "and he rose early," fixing the timing of the departure. וַיְבָרֶךְ (va.yevarekh) translates "and he blessed," marking his final directed action toward his family.
The thread — The departure mirrors the structural closure in Genesis 18:33 when a divine encounter ends and a patriarch returns home. It directly contrasts with Genesis 31:28, where Laban previously complains about being denied a formal farewell kiss.
Why it lands — The text reports a physical departure and a blessing without recording the recipients’ response or assigning moral value. It asks the reader to track the narrative shift from prolonged conflict to abrupt separation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Genesis 31:28 But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.
- Genesis 18:33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.
- Genesis 30:25 Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can return to my homeland.
- Deuteronomy 23:5 Yet 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.
- Genesis 24:60 And 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.”
- Genesis 28:1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Do not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” he commanded.
- Genesis 31:43 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 33:4 Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
- Numbers 23:5 Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and give him this message.”
- Numbers 23:8 How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?