There is a problem in the order of the events in these two verses. Accordingly the Handbook suggests combining them. The details will be presented below.

Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban: this sentence interrupts the action to introduce an important character in the story. Some languages require a marker to signal this pause to fill in background information. Note that Good News Translation and others say “Now Rebekah had a brother.” In languages that distinguish between younger and older brother, Laban should be referred to as “older brother.”

In going out to offer hospitality, as well as in taking the lead in the marriage negotiations that follow, Laban is acting as the head of the household. Rebekah’s father Bethuel is mentioned only in verse 50 (where he is named after Laban), and he is not named as receiving any of the presents that the servant gives. So perhaps it may be assumed that he is very old, too old to do any more than be roused to give his consent to the proposed marriage.

And Laban ran out to the man, to the spring: in verse 29 Laban is said to run out to meet the servant. Then in verse 30 the account backs up to tell why he ran out (including a quotation from Rebekah). Then again Laban goes to the well (spring) to meet the servant. In order to avoid an awkward series of movements, some adjustments are required. Good News Translation does not change the order of events but modifies the verb tense in verse 30a from a time clause, “when he saw the ring,” to a flashback, “Laban had seen the nose ring.” This may be satisfactory in some languages.

Another possibility is to combine verses 29-30 and to shift Laban ran out to the man, to the spring to just before the final clause of verse 30. Revised English Bible have taken this option, which may serve as a translation model for some languages:

• Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and, when he saw the nose-ring, and also the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and heard his sister Rebecca’s account of what the man had said to her, he hurried out to the spring. When he got there he found the man still standing by the camels.

In languages that require the distinction between older and younger, Rebekah will be called “younger sister.”

Arms: Hebrew does not distinguish between “arms,” “hands,” and “wrists.” The bracelets would be worn on the wrists, or arms, or both.

Note that what Revised Standard Version places in quotes, “Thus the man spoke to me,” is treated by most modern translations as indirect speech (Good News Translation “had heard her say what the man had told her”).

In these two verses spring replaces “well.” Translators are advised to use one term throughout.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .