King James Version

Genesis 29:15

And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לָבָן֙lavanLabanלָבָןnoun, proper name — “Laban”H3837Laban, a Mesopotamian; also a place in the DesertLaban.לְיַעֲקֹ֔בleyaaqovto Jacobיַעֲקֹבpreposition, noun, proper name — “to Jacob”H3290Jaakob, the Israelitish patriarchJacob.הֲכִיhakhiassuredכִּיparticle, interrogative, conjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אָחִ֣יachibrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.אַ֔תָּהatahtheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.וַעֲבַדְתַּ֖נִיvaavadtaniand keep in bondageעָבַדconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and keep in bondage”, a completed action in a sequenceH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…חִנָּ֑םchinamwithout a causeחִנָּםadverb — “without a cause”H2600gratis, i.e. devoid of cost, reason or advantagewithout a cause (cost, wages), causeless, to cost nothing, free(-ly), innocent, for nothing (nought, in vain.הַגִּ֥ידָהhagidahbewrayנָגַדverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular, paragogic he — “bewray”, a commandH5046properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praisebewray, [idiom] certainly, certify, declare(-ing), denounce, expound, [idiom] fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, [idiom] surely, tell, utter.לִּ֖יlitoלִּ֖יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toמַהmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.מַּשְׂכֻּרְתֶּֽךָmaskurtekharewardמַשְׂכֹּרֶתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “reward”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4909wages or a rewardreward, wages.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Laban said unto Jacob: 'Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

Young’s Literal Translation

And Laban saith to Jacob, 'Is it because thou [art] my brother that thou hast served me for nought? declare to me what [is] thy hire.'

World English Bible

Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?”

Darby Translation

And Laban said to Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou serve me for nothing? tell me, what shall be thy wages?

Douay-Rheims

He said to him: Because thou art my brother, shalt thou serve me without wages? Tell me what wages thou wilt have.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And Laban said unto Jacob: 'Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Laban said to Jacob, Surely thou shalt not serve me for nothing, because thou art my brother; tell me what thy reward is to be.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Εἶπε δὲ Λάβαν τῷ Ἰακὼβ, ὅτι γὰρ ἀδελφός μου εἶ, οὐ δουλεύσεις μοι δωρεάν· ἀπάγγειλόν μοι τίς ὁ μισθός σου ἐστί;