Genesis 31:43

43 Laban answered to Jacob, The daughters, and the sons, and the flocks, and all things which thou seest, be mine; what may I do to my sons, and to the sons of my sons? (but now, what can I do about my daughters, or the children to whom they have given birth?)

Genesis 31:43 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 31:43

And Laban answered and said unto Jacob
Not denying the truth of what he had said, nor acknowledging any fault he had been guilty of, or asking forgiveness for it, though he seemed to be convicted in his own conscience of it: [these] daughters [are] my daughters:
though thy wives, they are my own flesh and blood, and must be dear to me; so pretending strong natural affections for them: and [these] children [are] my children;
his grandchildren, for whom also he professed great love and affection: and [these] cattle [are] my cattle;
or of my cattle, as the Targum of Jonathan, sprung from them, as indeed they did: and all that thou seest [is] mine;
all this he observed in a bragging way, that it might be thought that he was generous in not insisting upon having it, but giving all back to Jacob again: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their
children which they have born?
I cannot find in my heart to do them any hurt, or wrong them of anything, and am therefore willing all should be theirs.

Genesis 31:43 In-Context

41 so I served thee by twenty years in thine house (but I served thee for twenty years in thy household), fourteen years for thy daughters, and six years for thy flocks; and thou changedest my meed ten times.

42 But if [the] God of my father Abraham, and the dread of Isaac had not helped me, peradventure now thou haddest left me naked; the Lord hath beheld my tormenting and the travail of mine hands, and reproved thee yesterday (and yesterday rebuked thee).

43 Laban answered to Jacob, The daughters, and the sons, and the flocks, and all things which thou seest, be mine; what may I do to my sons, and to the sons of my sons? (but now, what can I do about my daughters, or the children to whom they have given birth?)

44 Therefore come thou, and make we bond of peace, that it be a witnessing betwixt me and thee. (And so come thou, and let us make a covenant, and let it be a witness between me and thee.)

45 And so Jacob took a stone, and raised it (up) into a title, either a sign, (And so Jacob took a stone, and set it up as a sacred pillar,)