Tag Archives: Rebekah and Laban

Rebekah and Laban are introduced as brother and sister by Moses in Genesis 24:29. While Moses does mention a meal at this family’s home, over the course of 5 chapters in Genesis family quirks of these siblings are revealed. Not much is known about Bethuel son of Milcah, but it appears that Bethuel passed on the generation sin of deception to his children.

But Rebekah heard what Isaac said to Esau his son; and when Esau had gone to the open country to hunt for game that he might bring it, ⁶ Rebekah said to Jacob her younger son, See here, I heard your father say to Esau your brother, ⁷ Bring me game and make me appetizing meat, so that I may eat and declare my blessing upon you before the Lord before my death. ⁸ So now, my son, do exactly as I command you. ⁹ Go now to the flock, and from it bring me two good and suitable kids; and I will make them into appetizing meat for your father, such as he loves. ¹⁰ And you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat and declare his blessing upon you before his death. ¹¹ But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Listen, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. ¹² Suppose my father feels me; I will seem to him to be a cheat and an imposter, and I will bring [his] curse on me and not [his] blessing. ¹³ But his mother said to him, On me be your curse, my son; only obey my word and go, fetch them to me, Genesis 27:5-13.

The first mention of generational sins is found in the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:5-6. This briefly interrupts Moses’ list, pointing out that God is jealous and vows to visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children as long as 3 or 4 generations.” In this politically sensitive and woke culture, sins may be referred to as family quirks, subtle imperfections that make a family unique.

Then Jacob kissed Rachel and he wept aloud. ¹² Jacob told Rachel he was her father’s relative, Rebekah’s son; and she ran and told her father. ¹³ When Laban heard of the arrival of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him, and embraced and kissed him and brought him to his house. And [Jacob] told Laban all these things. ¹⁴ Then Laban said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And [Jacob] stayed with him a month. ¹⁵ Then Laban said to Jacob, Just because you are my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be? ¹⁶ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel. ¹⁷ Leah’s eyes were weak and dull looking, but Rachel was beautiful and attractive. ¹⁸ And Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, I will work for you for seven years for Rachel your younger daughter, Genesis 29:11-18.

At some point, Laban and Rebekah were introduced to pranks and practical jokes as Moses highlights acts of deception pulled off by the children of Bethuel. Rachel deceived her own husband Isaac so that Jacob, her favorite son, would receive the blessing of the firstborn. Meanwhile, Laban is successful in getting Jacob to work for free for 14 years due to his love for Rachel. Since no family is perfect, quirks define who we currently are and who we will become.

by Jay Mankus