Gen 29:4-6 | Clarke | STEP | Verse 4 My brethren, whence be ye? - The language of Laban and his family was Chaldee and not Hebrew; (see ); but from the names which Leah gave to her children we see that the two languages had many words in common, and therefore Jacob and the shepherds might understand each other with little difficulty. It is possible also that Jacob might have learned the Chaldee or Aramitish language from his mother, as this was his mother's tongue.

Genesis 29:4-6

Verse 4

My brethren, whence be ye? - The language of Laban and his family was Chaldee and not Hebrew; (see Gen 31:47); but from the names which Leah gave to her children we see that the two languages had many words in common, and therefore Jacob and the shepherds might understand each other with little difficulty. It is possible also that Jacob might have learned the Chaldee or Aramitish language from his mother, as this was his mother's tongue. Verse 5

Laban the son of Nahor - Son is here put for grandson, for Laban was the son of Bethuel the son of Nahor. Verse 6

Is he well? - השלום לו hashalom lo? Is there peace to him? Peace among the Hebrews signified all kinds of prosperity. Is he a prosperous man in his family and in his property? And they said, He is well, שלום shalom, he prospers.

Rachel - cometh with the sheep - רחל rachel (the ch sounded strongly guttural) signifies a sheep or ewe; and she probably had her name from her fondness for these animals.