Genesis 29:12

12 He told Rachel that he was related to her father, that he was Rebekah'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.


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 The moment Jacob spotted Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother's brother, saw her arriving with his uncle Laban's sheep, he went and single-handedly rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban.
11 Then he kissed Rachel and broke into tears.
12 He told Rachel that he was related to her father, that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.
13 When Laban heard the news - Jacob, his sister's son! - he ran out to meet him, embraced and kissed him and brought him home. Jacob told Laban the story of everything that had happened.
14 Laban said, "You're family! My flesh and blood!"
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.