It was told Laban: this may be expressed in a number of ways; for example, “Laban was told,” “people told Laban,” “Laban heard the news,” or “Laban found out.”

When … on the third day: in terms of the story line, verse 22 is a shift in time, place, and character. Revised Standard Version translates close to the Hebrew form and makes verse 22 a time clause with a passive verb. Some translators may keep the time clause as in Revised Standard Version; in other cases it will be more natural to make verse 22 a complete sentence expressing the time aspect of the story. For example, we may say “Three days after Jacob had left, Laban found out,” “Jacob had only been gone three days when his uncle learned about it,” or “After Jacob had been gone for three days, people told Laban what had happened.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

In verses 38-40 Jacob defends the sacrificial way in which he has cared for Laban’s flocks. According to Exo 22.9-14, a shepherd had certain legal protection in regard to the flocks under his care. For example, under certain conditions he was not required to replace an animal killed by wild beasts.

These twenty years I have been with you: the twenty years mentioned by Jacob have already passed at the time of this conversation with Laban, and so it may be clearer to say “I worked for you for twenty years” or “During the twenty years I worked for you….”

Your ewes and your she-goats have not miscarried: for ewes see 21.28. Miscarried translates a verb used in the Hebrew for both humans and animals. It means to abort or fail to carry the young until they are ready to be born. See Good News Translation. In 30.27 Laban admits that Jacob’s presence has increased his flocks.

And I have not eaten the rams of your flocks: according to von Rad a shepherd had the right to eat rams of the flock under his care. The rams were male animals not needed for future breeding requirements, and which the owner would normally remove from the flock.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Verse 23 tells what Laban does as a result of learning about Jacob’s escape. In some cases it may be necessary to mark this as a consequence: “So Laban…,” “Therefore Laban…,” “Because of that, Laban….”

He took his kinsmen with him: he refers to Laban. Kinsmen translates the Hebrew word for “brothers” as in 29.12, 15. These are probably trusted relatives on whom Laban could depend in case of conflict with Jacob.

Pursued him … and followed close after him: pursued him means “went after Jacob” with the intention of catching him. In some languages this action is expressed as “followed him.” In others descriptive expressions are used such as “followed in his footsteps” or “walked in his traces.” Followed close after translates a form of the Hebrew verb that means “to overtake” or “to catch up with.” See Good News Translation. The sense is not that Laban continued to follow Jacob into Gilead, as Revised Standard Version suggests, but that he caught up with him there. Some translations say “… got close to him in the hill country.”

For seven days: the text appears to mean that, after following Jacob for seven days, Laban caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. An example of the way this may be expressed is “They traveled for a week before they came up to Jacob in the hill country….”

According to Driver the distance from Haran to Gilead is about 560 kilometers (350 miles). Such a distance would require Laban’s party to travel 80 kilometers (50 miles) a day. It would be even more difficult for Jacob’s flocks to cover that distance in ten days. There are three ways we may view this problem:
1) The area called Gilead may have extended further east in the times of our story, and so the distance would have been shorter.
2) Seven days may refer to a general time to go a great distance. According to Speiser the expression is used this way in 2 Kgs 3.9.
3) The narrator may have underestimated the time such a journey would require.

In any event translators should keep seven days.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night: But translates the common connective. It serves here to introduce an unexpected development. Languages have many ways of expressing this kind of contrast. Came to Laban may need to be rendered, for example, “God appeared” or “God spoke to Laban.” For Aramean see 25.20.

In verse 23 the text says that Laban caught up with Jacob in Gilead. However, the warning dream mentioned in this verse probably occurred before Laban actually met Jacob. Therefore it may be necessary to make the time connection between these two events clear by saying, for example, “But before Laban spoke to Jacob, God appeared to him in a dream.” Good News Translation does something similar by saying in verse 24 “In a dream that night,” in which “that night” refers to the night Laban caught up with Jacob but had not yet spoken to him.

In some languages a better way of making the time connection clear is to reverse the order of verses 24 and 25 so that the events are described as they happened. A translation that follows this approach says “Jacob had made his camp on a hill … and Laban came with his men and they set up camp in that hilly place too. That night God came to Laban in a dream and said….”

Take heed that you say not a word to Jacob: Take heed translates an expression meaning “watch out,” “be on guard,” “be careful.” If taken literally say not a word would prevent Laban from speaking to Jacob. However, this caution is qualified by either good or bad. This expression is idiomatic. It was used by Laban and his father in 24.50. The strict sense is “Don’t say anything at all.” But what is to be understood is that Laban should not say anything harmful. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates “Don’t speak brusquely to Jacob,” Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Be careful not to threaten Jacob.” Many translations use expressions like “strong talk” or “cross talk” in this context.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

And Laban overtook Jacob: this information has been given in the summary statement in verse 23. To translate as Revised Standard Version does is to repeat what was said there. If this verse is not placed before verse 24, it is better to treat the Hebrew connective as introducing a time clause, by saying “When Laban overtook Jacob….” This requires handling the next connective as introducing the main clause. In this case we may translate “When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob had pitched his tents in….” Note that Good News Translation prefers to omit Laban overtook Jacob as redundant, since it has already been said in verse 23.

For pitched his tent see 12.8. In the Hebrew tent is singular but the sense is collective; the sense may be better expressed as “set up his camp.”

In the hill country is literally “in the hill [mountain].” The text does not name this hill or high ground. Some interpreters assume that the name has been dropped. Some think it is Mount Mizpah and others that it is Gilead. Speiser, who translates “the Height,” says “ ‘The mountain’ was used as a place name of one of the high elevations in the Gilead range.” If this is so, “the mountain” parallels the use of “the river” meaning the Euphrates river. Since there is no way of knowing for certain the name that was associated with this mountain, it is best to translate “on a mountain [or, hill],” as in Good News Translation.

And Laban with his kinsmen encamped in the hill country of Gilead: the Hebrew says literally “and Laban had pitched with his brothers….” A variant form of the text has “his tent” in place of “his brothers.” However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project regards the Hebrew as an {A} reading and assumes “his tent” is to be understood. We may, accordingly, follow either Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation.

A translation that can be recommended for the whole verse is Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, which says “Laban overtook Jacob in the hills of Gilead, where Jacob had camped. Laban also camped there with his kinsmen.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

And Laban said to Jacob: in verse 25 we were told that the two groups camped in the same mountains; and now in verse 26 they suddenly begin speaking to each other. In some languages a transition will be required to bring these two men together. Accordingly Laban said to Jacob may need to be adjusted to say, for example, “When they met each other Laban asked Jacob,” or “[The next day] Laban went to Jacob and said.”

What have you done, that you have cheated me…? Revised Standard Version follows the literal form of the Hebrew question. In many languages this will need to be restructured to say, for example, “Why have you cheated me?” The tone of Laban’s voice is angry and accusing, and the form of the question should reflect that.

Laban’s question refers to Jacob’s departure with his daughters, and so the full question is “Why have you cheated me and taken away my daughters?” In some languages it will be more natural to express this as a rhetorical question; for example, “Am I someone to deceive so you can steal my daughters?”

Cheated me is literally “stole my heart,” as discussed in verse 20. Carried away translates a form of the verb meaning to “take” or “lead away.”

Like captives of the sword: sword here represents a battle or war. The full expression refers to enemies who are captured and carried off as captives by the victor in a battle. Laban condemns Jacob for sneaking away secretly from Haran. In normal practice the departure of Leah and Rachel would be the occasion for a farewell feast with blessings in songs and poetry. Note the case of Abraham’s servant departing with Rebekah in 24.54-61.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

To emphasize his point Laban repeats his question in slightly different form.

Why did you flee secretly…?: for flee see verses 20, 21, and 22. Secretly means “without telling anyone.”

Cheat me translates the verb “stole” as in verse 26, but it is not used in the idiomatic expression as there. The sense is, however, to “deceive,” “dupe,” or “trick.”

So that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs: Laban claims he would have given a farewell party if Jacob had not gone off without telling him. We may restructure this statement to say, for example, “If you had not gone like that, I would have sent you off with…,” or “If you…, I would have given a farewell feast with….” To avoid the contrary-to-fact condition, we may say something like “I wanted to send you off with…, but I could not because you….” In many languages the celebration feast given at the departure of the bride for her husband’s village has a special name. In societies in which husbands move to the bride’s family, a special note may be required. If the note is given only once, it may be better to place it at 24.58.

In some languages the construction sent you away with … is not natural and must be replaced with something like “I would have called in the people who play … and made a feast to send you off in the proper way.”

With mirth and songs: mirth translates a word meaning “gladness,” “rejoicing,” “gaiety.” The word expresses the sort of rejoicing experienced and expressed in a happy celebration. Songs in this context refers to songs or singing accompanied by the tambourine and lyre. Tambourine translates the Hebrew word tof, which is a type of small hand-held drum. Sound is produced by holding the instrument in one hand and striking the skin head with the palm or fingers of the other hand. The lyre is a stringed instrument similar to a harp. For further information and illustrations, see 4.21.

In translation it is often possible to use local equivalent instruments such as bells and guitar. Translators should note that Laban is not calling attention to the nature of these instruments. If no equivalent instruments are known, it may be best to say, for example, “I would have given a farewell feast with lots of fun, and singing with musical instruments.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Laban pursues his line of questions.

And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell?: translators may find that it is more natural to shift to an emphatic statement for reasons of style. See Good News Translation. We may also translate “I did not even have a chance to kiss … good-bye.”

For kiss see 27.26. To kiss … farewell may need to be restructured to say, for example, “to kiss … and say good-bye” or “to kiss … when they left.”

My sons represents the Hebrew text, but that word refers here to Leah and Rachel’s children. A more suitable translation is perhaps “grandchildren.”

Now you have done foolishly is literally “Now you have been foolish to do [this].” The thought expressed is that Jacob acted foolishly by fleeing secretly and depriving Laban of his rights as father and grandfather. Good News Translation offers a good translation model.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .