And Laban said unto Jacob, because thou [art] my
brother
Or nephew, his sister's son, (See Gill on Genesis
29:12):
shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought?
nearness of kin was no reason why he should serve him freely, or
for nothing, but rather why he should be more kind to him than to
a stranger, and give him better wages:
tell me, what [shall] thy wages [be]?
by the day, or month, or year; signifying he was willing to give
him anything that was just and reasonable, which was very well
spoken; and this gave Jacob a fair opportunity of opening his
mind more freely to him, and for answering a principal end for
which he came, as follows:
