Genesis 29:12

12 Ya`akov told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rivka's son. She ran and told her father.

Genesis 29:12 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 29:12

And Jacob told Rachel
Or "had told" ^F9 her; before he kissed her, and lift up his voice and wept, as Aben Ezra observes:

that he [was] her father's brother;
his nephew by his sister, for such were sometimes called brethren, as Lot, Abraham's brother's son, is called his brother, ( Genesis 14:12 Genesis 14:14 Genesis 14:16 ) :

and that he [was] Rebekah's son;
sister to her father, and aunt to her, and whose name and relation she doubtless knew full well:

and she ran and told her father;
leaving the care of her flock with Jacob; Rebekah, in a like case, ran and told her mother, ( Genesis 24:28 ) , which is most usual for daughters to do; but here Rachel runs and tells her father, her mother very probably being dead, as say the Jewish writers ^F11.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (dgyw) "et puntiaverat", Pagninus, Montanus; "renuntiaverat", Vatablus.
F11 Bereshit Rabba, sect. 70. fol. 62. 4. Jarchi in loc.

Genesis 29:12 In-Context

10 It happened, when Ya`akov saw Rachel the daughter of Lavan, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Lavan, his mother's brother, that Ya`akov went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Lavan his mother's brother.

11 Ya`akov kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

12 Ya`akov told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rivka's son. She ran and told her father.

13 It happened, when Lavan heard the news of Ya`akov, his sister's son, that he ran to meet Ya`akov, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Ya`akov told Lavan all these things.

14 Lavan said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. He lived with him for a month.