Laban

LABAN, the Son of Bathuel, and Grandson of Nahor, Brother to Rebekah, and Father to Rachel and Leah. When Jacob came into Mesopotamia¹, he was very well received by his Uncle Laban. A Month after his Arrival, Genesis xxviii. xxix.Laban said to him, must you, because you are my Nephew, serve me without any Gratuity? Consider what Reward will be agreeable to you. Jacob proposed therefore to serve him seven Years, for his youngest Daughter Rachel, Laban consented, and Jacob engaged to serve him for seven Years². Then said Jacob to Laban, give me my Wife, for my Time is accomplished. Laban therefore made a Wedding Feast, and at Night conveyed Leah into Jacob’s Chamber, so that Jacob perceived nothing of the Fraud, till the next Morning; then he complained sharply of it. But Laban replied, that it was not the Custom to marry the younger Daughters before the Elder, and if he was willing to serve him seven Years more, he would give him Rachel: Jacob consented, and married Rachel, after he had lived seven Years with Leah.

When Jacob had spent these fourteen Years in the Service of Laban³, he was desirous to return into the Land of Canaan: But Gen. xxx. 26, 27.Laban detained him, and importuned him to continue in his Service. He said to him, Ask what Recompence of me you please; Jacob demanded all the young ones which his Flocks should produce, of a brown Colour, spotted and speckled: That is to say, all that seemed least desirable for the Advantage of good Wool, and for their Fleece. Laban consented, and separated all that were spotted and of divers Colours in his Flocks, and committed them to the Keeping of his own Sons; and left none for Jacob but such as were of one Colour only, fearing, in all Probability, lest he should use some Art to produce Cattle of divers Colours, by the Mixture of spotted Sheep and Goats, with those which were not so. But Jacob had a Vision, wherein he discovered a very simple and natural Means of producing Lambs and Kids of different Colours, which was by placing several Branches of different Colours before the Females, while they were warm and eager for the Males. This Method succeeding, he became so powerful and rich, that Laban and his Sons could not look upon him without Envy.

Gen. xxxi. 1, 2, 3, &c.Jacob perceiving that they did not regard him with the same Kindness as formerly, resolved to go away⁴, without Laban’s Knowledge, and he executed his Resolution in so private a Manner, that Laban knew nothing of his Departure till the third Day after. Then he set out upon the Pursuit of him, and overtook him at Mount-Gilead. God appear’d by Night to Laban, and forbad him to say any Thing disobliging to Jacob; so that when he went to Jacob, he only complained, that before he left him, he had not given him the Comfort of embracing his Daughters and Grand-Children, and of conducting them on their Journey with instruments of Musick. He was not so moderate on the Subject of their See hereafter the Article TERAPHIM.stealing from him his Gods or Teraphims. Of this he made great Complaints; and Jacob replied with some Vehemence, that he consented with all his Heart, that he who had committed this Theft should be put to Death, not knowing that Rachel was the Person who had carried them off. Laban therefore searched all the Tents belonging to Jacob, without finding any Thing that appertained to him; for Rachel with great Precaution had concealed these Images under the Furniture of her Camel. See the Article RACHEL.

After this Jacob in his Turn made great Complaints to Laban of his Conduct towards him, and reproached him with having changed the Reward which was due to him. He added, if the God of my Father had not assisted me, you had sent me perhaps naked to my Father’s House. Laban answered, behold my Daughters and my Grand-Children, what can I do against them? All that is yours is as dear to me as what belongs any Way to my self. Come, let us make a Covenant together, and set up here a Monument to preserve the Memory of it. They swore therefore reciprocally to each other Friendship and Alliance; they eat and drank together upon a great Heap of Stones, which Laban called⁵ Jegar-Sahadutha, the Heap of Testimony; and Jacob Galeed, the Heap of Witness, each according to the Difference of his Language. Laban spoke Chaldee, and Jacob Hebrew or Phœnician. And Laban said, Let the Lord be Judge between me and thee, if thou treat my Daughters ill, and take other Wives with them: May these Heaps serve as Witnesses between me and thee, against either of us who shall pass beyond them, to go with any evil Intentions into the other’s Countrey. The God of Abraham, the God of Nabor, and the God of our Fathers judge betwixt us. And having offered Sacrifice, they eat and drank together; and the next Morning Laban took his Leave of his Daughters and Grand-Sons, and returned to Haran. This is all we know of him.

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