Or HaChaim on Genesis 29:19/אור החיים על בראשית כ״ט:י״ט

1 ויאמר לבן טוב תתי אותה לך, Laban said: "better that I give her to you, etc." We need to understand what Laban meant by this comparison. Why would he be justified in making such a comparison between Jacob and someone else when no one else had been willing to serve for Rachel? Perhaps Laban simply told a lie making Jacob believe that he had a competitive offer for Rachel by another suitor willing to serve for her. Besides, how could Laban have the nerve to describe letting Jacob marry Rachel as a gift, i.e. תתי? Did not Jacob contract to work for seven years thus paying for her worth? We also need to understand Laban's last words שבה עמדי, "stay with me."

2It is clear from Laban's very words that he intended to trick Jacob by giving him Leah, as he indeed did later on. This is why he engaged in this kind of statement. He meant that it is better that he would give Rachel to him as in such a case Jacob would not be able to argue that he had not received his purchase. After all, we observe Jacob argue later: "Did I not serve for Rachel?" We will explain all of this later. Laban wanted Jacob to understand that he would receive Rachel as an absolute gift. As to the seven years of service Jacob would perform, this was only the justification for giving Rachel to him rather than to another suitor. Laban could have given Rachel to another man who did not perform labour for him, i.e. מתתי אותה לאיש אחר. Laban did not agree that Rachel's worth could be purchased by seven years of labour.

3When he added: שבה עמדי, he made the eventual marriage to Rachel conditional on Jacob remaining with him all the seven years. Laban was not content to allow Jacob to perform this service for him away from his presence. He also phrased it so cunningly that it could mean that Jacob was to remain with Laban all his life. Acording to Shemot Rabbah 1,33 Yitro made a similar condition when he gave his daughter Tzipporah to Moses. Laban had no need to make Jacob take an oath since the matters he and Laban had discussed could be acquired legally by an exchange of words. Yitro, on the other hand, may have made Moses swear in order to forestall Moses moving away if Tzipporah would be willing to move away with him. The above mentioned thoughts all crossed Laban's mind to be used in the event that he would later on have a disagreement with Jacob. This is why G'd warned him in Genesis 31,24 not to speak to Jacob. Jacob did not pay heed to Laban's intention at this time because Laban spoke to him in terms of endearment. Jacob interpreted Laban's words to mean: "there is certainly no one around who is better suited than you that I would prefer to give my daughter to! All you have to do is to stay around!"