וַיֹּ֘אמֶר֮ הָֽאָדָם֒ זֹ֣את הַפַּ֗עַם עֶ֚צֶם מֵֽעֲצָמַ֔י וּבָשָׂ֖ר מִבְּשָׂרִ֑י לְזֹאת֙ יִקָּרֵ֣א אִשָּׁ֔ה כִּ֥י מֵאִ֖ישׁ לֻֽקְחָה־זֹּֽאת׃
Then the Human said,
“This one at last
Is bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh.
This one shall be called Woman,
For from a Human was she taken.”
Genesis 2:29 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)
When Laban uses similar words to identify his relationship to Jacob in Genesis 29, we notice a striking difference.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ לָבָ֔ן אַ֛ךְ עַצְמִ֥י וּבְשָׂרִ֖י אָ֑תָּה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב עִמּ֖וֹ חֹ֥דֶשׁ יָמִֽים׃
and Laban said to him, “You are truly my bone and flesh.” When he had stayed with him a month’s time,
Genesis 29:14 (The Contemporary Torah, JPS 2006)
Laban is not indicating oneness or equality with Jacob. The language he uses shows a hierarchy. He sees Jacob as inferior. Jacob is someone to possess and use.