Genesis 29:14
in Genesis 29Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
KJV
And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
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This verse in Genesis 29
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd Laban said to him, surely thou art my bone and my flesh,.... Nearly allied in blood, being his sister's son: and he abode with him the space of a month; or "a month of days" (m), a full month to a day; all this while feeding his flocks, and doing whatsoever service he had for him to do. (m) חדש ימים "mensem dierum", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Schmidt.
This site's exposition
she ran and told her father
on Genesis 29:12-14
Jacob tells Rachel that he is Rebekah's son, a relative of her father. She runs and tells him. Laban runs out to meet him, embraces him, and brings him home. In chapter 24 Laban ran out to a servant who had ten camels and gold, and Jacob comes with nothing.
This site's exposition
You are indeed my own flesh and blood
The claim of shared flesh echoes Adam's words over Eve at 2:23. John Gill takes the month as a full month to the day and holds that Jacob spent it tending Laban's flocks and doing his work. The unpaid month sets up the wage question of verse 15.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. 21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
It seems he was not idle, nor did he spend his time in sport and pastime; but like a man of business, though he had no stock of his own, he applied himself to serve his uncle, as he had begun (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he abode a month--Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
My bone and my flesh - One of my nearest relatives.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
I have already explained the meaning of chodesh yamin (the space of a month). 16 According to I.E. it means a full month. Cf.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| לָבָ֔ן | lavan | Laban | H3837 → | 55 times |
| אַ֛ךְ | ʾakh | surely | H389 → | 161 times |
| עַצְמִ֥י | ʾatzmi | [are] bone my | H6106 → | 126 times |
| וּבְשָׂרִ֖י | uvesari | and flesh my | H1320 → | 270 times |
| אָ֑תָּה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב | vaiyeshev | and he remained | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| עִמּ֖וֹ | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| חֹ֥דֶשׁ | chodesh | a month of | H2320 → | 284 times |
| יָמִֽים׃ | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לוֹ֙to <the> him
lo
לָבָ֔ןLaban
lavanH3837 →55 times
אַ֛ךְsurely
ʾakhH389 →161 times
עַצְמִ֥י[are] bone my
ʾatzmiH6106 →126 times
וּבְשָׂרִ֖יand flesh my
uvesariH1320 →270 times
אָ֑תָּהyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁבand he remained
vaiyeshevH3427 →1079 times
עִמּ֖וֹwith him
imoH5973 →1050 times
חֹ֥דֶשׁa month of
chodeshH2320 →284 times
יָמִֽים׃days
yamimH3117 →2304 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 2:23And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.”
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:28–30
In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
- 2 Samuel 19:13
And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 Corinthians 11:8–9
For man did not come from woman, but woman from man.
- 2 Samuel 5:1
Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
- Judges 9:2
“Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh…
- Ephesians 5:28–30
Through
2 Samuel 5:1Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 11:1–3
Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
- 1 Chronicles 11:1–3
Through
Genesis 13:8So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 6:6–7
Instead, one brother goes to law against another, and this in front of unbelievers!
- 1 Corinthians 6:6–7
Through
Judges 9:2“Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh…
it leads to
- Hebrews 2:14
Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 2:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
