Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 31:55 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 55. 55And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Early the next morning Laban kisses and blesses his descendants, then returns home. The farewell closes his pursuit and leaves Jacob free to continue toward Canaan and the unresolved meeting with Esau.
Read It With
- Genesis 31:43–55
Read verses 54–55 and 32:1–3. The overnight meal precedes the affectionate goodbye; Jacob's next encounter begins immediately afterward. KJV 'sons' includes Laban's grandsons or male descendants, not only direct sons.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Laban's kiss, blessing, and return close the twenty-year family conflict and release the narrative toward Esau.
Read Genesis 31:54–55 together
Why these verses belong together: Sacrifice, shared meal, overnight stay, kiss, blessing, and departure enact and close the guarded settlement.
Verse 54. 54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
Verse 55. 55 And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.
What Remains True
A respectful farewell can close a guarded agreement without pretending that every past wrong has been resolved.
How It Can Shape Life
- When separation is necessary, allow safe expressions of care while honoring the boundaries that made peaceful departure possible.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 31:43–55 — Jacob and Laban Make a Boundary CovenantSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
Where care is needed
The narrative reports affection and blessing but does not reveal the full motives or emotional state of every person in the farewell.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, thought-unit boundary, covenant sequence, Bethel continuity, Jacob's onward journey, ancestral religion context, and name reception.
Exact location: Genesis 31:43–55 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 28:10–22; 29:15–31:42; 32:1–21; Joshua 24:2; and later biblical Mizpah references
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Hebrew and Aramaic terms, idioms, boundary qualification, divine-name grammar, oath language, and kinship wording.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 31:43–55; morphology and wording for covenant, witness, pillar, heap, Jegar-sahadutha, Galeed, Mizpah, watch, afflict, other wives, for harm, the plural judge verb, Fear of Isaac, sacrifice, bread, and sons
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Covenant, witness, bilingual names, Mizpah, family stipulations, non-aggression boundary, plural judge verb, textual traditions, Fear of Isaac, meal, and kinship translation details.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 31:43–55 and translator notes, especially notes on 31:43–50 and 31:53–55
Open NET Genesis 31 ↗