Discovery BoxGenesis 30:25-27
Context30:25 After Rachel had given birth 1 to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send 2 me on my way so that I can go 3 home to my own country. 4 30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. 5 Then I’ll depart, 6 because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” 7
30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, 8 for I have learned by divination 9 that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.”
[30:25] 1 tn The perfect verbal form is translated as a past perfect because Rachel’s giving birth to Joseph preceded Jacob’s conversation with Laban.
[30:25] 2 tn The imperatival form here expresses a request.
[30:25] 3 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[30:25] 4 tn Heb “to my place and to my land.”
[30:26] 5 tn Heb “give my wives and my children, for whom I have served you.” In one sense Laban had already “given” Jacob his two daughters as wives (Gen 29:21, 28). Here Jacob was asking for permission to take his own family along with him on the journey back to Canaan.
[30:26] 6 tn Following the imperative, the cohortative with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose or result.
[30:26] 7 tn Heb “for you, you know my service [with] which I have served you.”
[30:27] 9 tn The words “please stay here” have been supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
[30:27] 10 tn Or perhaps “I have grown rich and the
