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Genesis 29

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Jacob Arrives in Haran and Meets Rachel 1–14

1
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. ​
2
And he looked, and, behold, a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and the stone upon the well’s mouth was great.
3
And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in its place.
4
And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
5
And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6
And he said unto them, Is it well with him? And they said, It is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7
And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them. ​
8
And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep. ​
9
While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep; for she kept them.
10
And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. ​
11
And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. ​
12
And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father. ​
13
And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14
And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. ​

Jacob Contracts for Rachel 15–30

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? ​
16
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17
And Leah’s eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored. ​
18
And Jacob loved Rachel; and he said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. ​
19
And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
20
And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. ​
21
And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
22
And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. ​
24
And Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid unto his daughter Leah for a handmaid.
25
And it came to pass in the morning that, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
26
And Laban said, It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the first-born. ​
27
Fulfil the week of this one, and we will give thee the other also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. ​
28
And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife.
29
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her handmaid.
30
And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. ​

The Lord Blesses Leah with Sons 31–35

31
And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. ​
32
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Because Jehovah hath looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me. ​
33
And she conceived again, and bare a son: and said, Because Jehovah hath heard that I am hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. ​
34
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. ​
35
And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, This time will I praise Jehovah: therefore she called his name Judah; and she left off bearing. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Genesis 29

Verse 1

went on his journey — Literally he 'lifted up his feet' (nasa', to lift; regel, foot), going on after the promise 'I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest' (28:15). 'The people of the east' is bene qedem, 'sons of the east'; Abraham had sent his concubines' sons 'unto the east country' (25:6).

Verse 7

yet high day — 'High' is gadol, 'great': much of the day remains, so it is not yet the hour for gathering the flocks. Jacob bids them 'water ye the sheep, and go and feed them' (ra'ah, to tend a flock). The shepherds' reply in v.8 says they must wait until the flocks are 'gathered together' ('asaph), the verb of v.3.

Verse 8

until all the flocks be gathered — The shepherds state the order at this well: the flocks are gathered (v.3), the stone is rolled from the well's mouth, and then the sheep are watered. The stone is 'great' (gadol, v.2), the same word as the 'high' day in v.7. Jacob rolls it himself in v.10.

Verse 10

rolled the stone — The stone the gathered shepherds roll together (vv.3, 8) Jacob rolls himself, and he waters 'the flock of Laban his mother's brother'. That title stands three times in the verse. The scene recalls Abraham's servant at a well: 'the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren' (24:27).

Verse 11

lifted up his voice, and wept — 'Lifted up' is nasa', the verb of v.1, 'lifted up his feet'. Esau's weeping at his father's blessing is told in the same words (27:38). The kiss (nashaq) is the greeting of kin: Laban kisses Jacob in v.13, and Esau does in 33:4.

Verse 12

her father's brother — 'Brother' ('ach) covers a nephew: Laban is Rebekah's brother (24:29), and Jacob is her son. So Abram says to his brother's son Lot, 'we be brethren' (13:8). Rachel 'ran and told her father', as Rebekah had run to tell her mother's house (24:28).

Verse 14

my bone and my flesh — These are the words of Adam over Eve (2:23, 'bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh'), used here of kinship, as Abimelech to Shechem (Judg 9:2) and the tribes to David (2 Sam 5:1). 'The space of a month' is literally 'a month of days' (chodesh yamim); the question of wages follows in v.15.

Verse 15

for nought — Chinnam, without payment or cost; Satan asks, 'Doth Job fear God for nought?' (Job 1:9). 'Wages' is maskoreth, in Genesis only here and in 31:7, 41, where Jacob says Laban 'changed my wages ten times'. 'Serve' ('abad) becomes the chapter's verb: vv.15, 18, 20, 25, 27, 30.

Verse 17

tender eyed — Rak is soft or tender: the calf 'tender and good' (18:7), Jacob's 'tender' children (33:13). What it says of Leah's eyes the verse leaves open. Rachel is 'beautiful and well favoured', to'ar (form) and mar'eh (appearance), the pair also used of her son Joseph, 'a goodly person, and well favoured' (39:6).

Verse 18

seven years for Rachel — Jacob names the girl and her rank, 'Rachel thy younger daughter', and offers service for the bride-price (the 'dowry', mohar, of 34:12; 'endow' in Ex 22:16). Hosea recalls it: 'Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep' (Hos 12:12).

Verse 20

a few days — Yamim achadim, the words Rebekah used when she sent him: 'tarry with him a few days' (27:44). Those few days run to 'twenty years' (31:41). Here seven years seemed so 'for the love he had to her' ('ahabah, from the same root as 'loved' in v.18).

Verse 23

he took Leah — Laban 'took' her and 'brought' her (bo', caused to come), and Jacob 'went in' (bo'): the act began with Laban. Jacob had presented himself to his father as 'Esau thy firstborn' (27:19); now the elder daughter is given in the younger's place at evening, and the discovery comes 'in the morning' (v.25).

Verse 26

the younger before the firstborn — 'Firstborn' is bekirah, the eldest daughter, as with Lot's (19:31, 33, 34, 37). 'Country' is maqom, 'place'. The rule Laban states, given only after the morning, is the one Jacob set aside when he took Esau's birthright (25:33) and blessing (27:36).

Verse 27

Fulfil her week — 'Fulfil' (male') is the verb of v.21, 'my days are fulfilled', and of v.28. The 'week' (shabua') is the seven days of the wedding feast, as at Samson's, 'the seven days of the feast' (Judg 14:12). Laban's terms are that Jacob finish this week, receive Rachel also, and then serve 'yet seven other years'.

Verse 30

served with him yet seven other years — Rachel was given after 'her week' (v.28), and the further service followed; Jacob later counts 'fourteen years for thy two daughters' (31:41). Two sisters as wives are later forbidden: 'Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her' (Lev 18:18).

Verse 31

Leah was hated — Sane', here the sense of v.30, 'loved… more than Leah'. Deut 21:15–17 sets 'beloved' against 'hated' for two wives and protects the hated wife's firstborn. The LORD 'saw' (ra'ah) and 'opened her womb'; 'barren' ('aqarah) is said also of Sarai (11:30) and Rebekah (25:21).

Verse 32

Reuben — The name is Re'u-ben, 'see ye a son', and Leah's reason repeats the verb: the LORD 'hath looked upon my affliction' ('oni), the word of Hagar's (16:11) and of Israel's in Egypt (Ex 3:7). Reuben is later 'my firstborn' (49:3), and the one who lay with Bilhah (35:22).

Verse 33

Simeon — Shim'on comes from shama', 'to hear', the verb in her reason: the LORD 'hath heard that I was hated' (sane', as in v.31). The same hearing of an affliction lies behind Ishmael's name: 'the LORD hath heard thy affliction' (16:11). The son is again credited to the LORD: 'he hath therefore given me this son also'.

Verse 34

joined unto me — Levi's name rests on lavah, 'to be joined', also the verb of Num 18:2, 4, where the Levites 'be joined unto' Aaron to keep the charge of the tabernacle. 'Now this time' (pa'am) is the opening of v.35 also; Leah reckons on 'three sons'.

Verse 35

Now will I praise the LORD — Yadah, to give praise or thanks, gives the name Yehudah. Jacob takes it up in blessing: 'Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise' (49:8). Of this tribe 'our Lord sprang' (Heb 7:14), 'the Lion of the tribe of Juda' (Rev 5:5). 'Left bearing' is 'amad, 'stood', as in 30:9.