Who was Laban in relation to Jacob and Esau?
Laban was the son of Bethuel the Syrian and the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau. That makes Laban the maternal uncle of Jacob and Esau. The context identifies him as Rebekah's brother, and Jacob later goes to Paddan Aram to Laban.
Les explains that Laban is the son of Bethuel the Syrian and the brother of Rebekah. Since Rebekah is Jacob and Esau's mother, Laban is their uncle. Isaac sent Jacob away to Paddan Aram, up to Laban. Esau, seeing that Jacob obeyed his father and that Canaanite wives did not please Isaac, went to Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, sister of Nebajoth, as his wife. So Laban stands as Rebekah's brother, the maternal uncle of both Jacob and Esau.