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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Genesis 29:15–30.
Here is, I. The fair contract made between Laban and Jacob, during the month that Jacob spent there as a guest, Gen 29:14. It seems he was not idle, nor did he spend his time in sport and pastime; but like a man of business, though he had no stock of his own, he applied himself to serve his uncle, as he had begun (Gen 29:10) when he watered his flock. Note, Wherever we are, it is good to be employing ourselves in some useful business, which will turn to a good account to ourselves or others. Laban, it seems, was so taken with Jacob's ingenuity and industry about his flocks that he was desirous he should continue with him, and very fairly reasons thus: "Because thou art my brother, shouldst thou therefore serve me for nought? Gen 29:15. No, what reason for that?" If Jacob be so respectful to his uncle as to give him his service without demanding any consideration for it, yet Laban will not be so unjust to his nephew as to take advantage either of his necessity or of his good-nature. Note, Inferior relations must not be imposed upon; if it be their duty to serve us, it is our duty to reward them. Now Jacob had a fair opportunity to make known to Laban the affection he had for his daughter Rachel; and, having no worldly goods in his hand with which to endow her, he promises him seven years' service, upon condition that, at the end of the seven years, he would bestow her upon him for his wife. It appears by computation that Jacob was now seventy-seven years old when he bound himself apprentice for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep, Hos 12:12. His posterity are there reminded of it long afterwards, as an instance of the meanness of their origin: probably Rachel was young, and scarcely marriageable, when Jacob first came, which made him the more willing to stay for her till his seven years' service had expired.
II.Jacob's honest performance of his part of the bargain, Gen 29:20.
He served seven years for Rachel. If Rachel still continued to keep her father's sheep (as she did, Gen 29:9), his innocent and religious conversation with her, while they kept the flocks, could not but increase their mutual acquaintance and affection (Solomon's song of love is a pastoral); if she now left it off, his easing her of that care was very obliging. Jacob honestly served out his seven years, and did not forfeit his indentures, though he was old; nay, he served them cheerfully: They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had to her, as if it were more his desire to earn her than to have her. Note, Love makes long and hard services short and easy; hence we read of the labour of love, Heb 6:10. If we know how to value the happiness of heaven, the sufferings of this present time will be as nothing to us in comparison of it. An age of work will be but as a few days to those that love God and long for Christ's appearing.
III.The base cheat which Laban put upon him when he was out of his time:
he put Leah into his arms instead of Rachel, Gen 29:23. This was Laban's sin; he wronged both Jacob and Rachel, whose affections, doubtless, were engaged to each other, and, if (as some say) Leah was herein no better than an adulteress, it was no small wrong to her too. But it was Jacob's affliction, a damp to the mirth of the marriage-feast, when in the morning behold it was Leah, Gen 29:25. It is easy to observe here how Jacob was paid in his own coin. He had cheated his own father when he pretended to be Esau, and now his father-in-law cheated him. Herein, how unrighteous soever Laban was, the Lord was righteous; as Jdg 1:7. Even the righteous, if they take a false step, are sometimes thus recompensed on the earth. Many that are not, like Jacob, disappointed in the person, soon find themselves, as much to their grief, disappointed in the character. The choice of that relation therefore, on both sides, ought to be made with good advice and consideration, that, if there should be a disappointment, it may not be aggravated by a consciousness of mismanagement.
IV.The excuse and atonement Laban made for the cheat.
1. The excuse was frivolous: It must not be so done in our country, Gen 29:26. We have reason to think there was no such custom of his country as he pretends; only he banters Jacob with it, and laughs at his mistake. Note, Those that can do wickedly and then think to turn it off with a jest, though they may deceive themselves and others, will find at last that God is not mocked. But if there had been such a custom, and he had resolved to observe it, he should have told Jacob so when he undertook to serve him for his younger daughter. Note, As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked, Sa1 24:13. Those that deal with treacherous men must expect to be dealt treacherously with 2. His compounding the matter did but make bad worse: We will give thee this also, Gen 29:27. Hereby he drew Jacob into the sin, and snare, and disquiet, of multiplying wives, which remains a blot in his escutcheon, and will be so to the end of the world. Honest Jacob did not design it, but to have kept as true to Rachel as his father had done to Rebekah. He that had lived without a wife to the eighty-fourth year of his age could then have been very well content with one; but Laban, to dispose of his two daughters without portions, and to get seven years' service more out of Jacob, thus imposes upon him, and draws him into such a strait by his fraud, that (the matter not being yet settled, as it was afterwards by the divine law, Lev 18:18, and more fully since by our Saviour, Mat 19:5) he had some colourable reasons for marrying them both. He could not refuse Rachel, for he had espoused her; still less could he refuse Leah, for he had married her; and therefore Jacob must be content, and take two talents, Kg2 5:23. Note, One sin is commonly the inlet of another. Those that go in by one door of wickedness seldom find their way out but by another. The polygamy of the patriarchs was, in some measure, excusable in them, because, though there was a reason against it as ancient as Adam's marriage (Mal 2:15), yet there was no express command against it; it was in them a sin of ignorance. It was not he product of any sinful lust, but for the building up of the church, which was the good that Providence brought out of it; but it will by no means justify the like practice now, when God's will is plainly made known, that one man and one woman only must be joined together, Co1 7:2. The having of many wives suits well enough with the carnal sensual spirit of the Mahomedan imposture, which allows it; but we have not so learned Christ. Dr. Lightfoot makes Leah and Rachel to be figures of the two churches, the Jews under the law and the Gentiles under the gospel: the younger the more beautiful, and more in the thoughts of Christ when he came in the form of a servant; but he other, like Leah, first embraced: yet in this the allegory does not hold, that the Gentiles, the younger, were more fruitful, Gal 4:27.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
In that journey Jacob took two wives, and those two wives prefigured the two people of the Jews and the Gentiles. For at Christ’s coming not a small number even of the Jewish people are read to have believed in him, and again in the Acts of the Apostles there is recorded the fact that on one day three thousand people believed, on another day five thousand and afterward many thousands more. The Lord himself in the Gospel confirms the fact that Jews and Gentiles believed in Christ when he said, “And other sheep I have that are not of this fold. I must also bring them, so that there may be one fold and one shepherd.” Therefore those two women who were married to blessed Jacob, that is, Leah and Rachel, prefigured those two people: Leah the Jews and Rachel the Gentiles. Like a cornerstone Christ is joined to those two people, like two walls coming from different directions. In him they have kissed, and in him they have merited to find eternal peace, as the apostle says, “For he himself is our peace, he it is who has made both one.” How did he make both one? By uniting the two flocks and connecting the two walls to himself.
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Summary
Genesis 29:30 marks the consummation of Jacob's marriage to Rachel, immediately following his week-long marriage to Leah, and profoundly highlights Jacob's explicit and greater love for Rachel. This declaration of favoritism immediately solidified a household dynamic of unequal affection and burgeoning rivalry that would deeply shape the future of Jacob's family, impacting the relationships among his children and laying foundational elements for the nascent nation of Israel.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is a pivotal moment in the unfolding narrative of Jacob's family, directly following Laban's cunning deception where he substituted Leah for Rachel on Jacob's wedding night (Genesis 29:21-25). Jacob had already served seven years for Rachel (Genesis 29:18), only to be tricked into marrying Leah first. After fulfilling the "week" of Leah's wedding celebration, Jacob was then given Rachel as a second wife under the condition of serving yet another seven years (Genesis 29:27-28). Genesis 29:30 thus confirms the establishment of this polygamous household and immediately introduces the central tension—Jacob's preferential love for Rachel—which sets the stage for the subsequent chapters detailing the rivalry between the sisters and the births of Jacob's children.
Historical & Cultural Context
Polygamy, while not God's original design (Genesis 2:24), was a common practice in the ancient Near East, often driven by economic factors, the desire for male heirs, or, as in this case, complex social arrangements and familial obligations. The practice, however, frequently led to significant domestic strife, as seen here. The concept of "bride price" or "service" in exchange for a wife was also customary, with Jacob's fourteen years of labor for Laban being an extreme, though not entirely unprecedented, example. The cultural emphasis on progeny, particularly male offspring, as a sign of blessing and continuation of the family line, further intensified the rivalry between Leah and Rachel, as each sought to gain Jacob's affection and status through bearing children.
Key Themes
Genesis 29:30 contributes to several overarching themes in the book of Genesis. It highlights the theme of deception and its consequences, as Laban's trickery directly leads to Jacob's two marriages and the subsequent household strife. It powerfully introduces the theme of favoritism, a recurring motif in Genesis (e.g., Isaac's favoritism for Esau, Rebekah's for Jacob, and later Jacob's for Joseph), demonstrating its destructive impact on familial relationships. Furthermore, the verse, in conjunction with subsequent passages, underscores God's sovereignty; despite the human imperfections, rivalries, and brokenness within Jacob's family, God continues to work out His divine plan to form His covenant people, Israel, through this very lineage (Genesis 35:10-12). It also subtly introduces the theme of God's compassion for the unloved, as seen in Genesis 29:31, where the Lord sees Leah's distress and opens her womb.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H935) is a primitive root meaning "to go or come" in a wide variety of applications. In the context of marriage, "going in unto" a woman is a common biblical idiom for sexual intercourse, signifying the consummation of the marriage. Here, it explicitly states Jacob's physical union with Rachel, completing the marital bond.
This verb (H157) is a primitive root indicating affection for someone, whether sexually or otherwise. It denotes a deep, emotional attachment. The repetition of "loved also Rachel" emphasizes the intensity and intentionality of Jacob's affection for her, setting it apart from his feelings for Leah.
This verb (H5647) is a primitive root meaning "to work" in any sense, by implication, to serve or to till. In this context, it refers to Jacob's labor for Laban, fulfilling the contractual obligation for Rachel's hand. It underscores Jacob's commitment and perseverance, even in the face of deception and a difficult situation.
Verse Breakdown
"And he went in also unto Rachel"
This phrase signifies the marital consummation between Jacob and Rachel. The addition of "also" (gam) indicates that this act followed his union with Leah, establishing Rachel's position as a second wife. It marks the formal beginning of their marital relationship.
"and he loved also Rachel more than Leah"
This is the emotional core of the verse, a stark declaration of Jacob's preferential love. The Hebrew construction explicitly states a comparative love, indicating that his affection for Rachel was qualitatively and quantitatively superior to his feelings for Leah. This favoritism immediately establishes the central conflict and emotional pain within Jacob's household.
"and served with him yet seven other years"
This clause details Jacob's fulfillment of the agreement made with Laban for Rachel's hand. It highlights Jacob's commitment to his word and his deep desire for Rachel, for whom he was willing to endure another seven years of arduous labor, bringing his total service for his two wives to fourteen years.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices. Contrast is immediately evident in the juxtaposition of Jacob's love for Rachel versus Leah, setting up the central emotional tension of the household. This explicit statement of favoritism functions as Foreshadowing, signaling the deep-seated rivalry and conflict that will plague Jacob's family for generations, most notably between Rachel's son Joseph and Leah's sons (Genesis 37:3-4). There is also a subtle Irony in Jacob, who himself was the recipient of favoritism and deception (Genesis 27:1-45), now perpetuating the very dynamic that caused him trouble within his own family. The repetition of "also" (gam) emphasizes the dual nature of Jacob's marital state and his divided affections.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Genesis 29:30 is a powerful illustration of the consequences of human sin and the complexities of familial relationships, even within the lineage chosen by God. Jacob's explicit favoritism for Rachel, while understandable given his initial desire for her, introduces a profound imbalance and pain into his household, leading to the intense rivalry between Leah and Rachel and, subsequently, among their children. This narrative demonstrates how human choices, even those rooted in affection, can have far-reaching and often destructive ripple effects, highlighting the inherent challenges and emotional distress often associated with polygamous arrangements, which stand in stark contrast to God's original design for marriage. Yet, amidst this human brokenness, God's sovereign plan for the formation of Israel continues to unfold.
Reflection and Application
Genesis 29:30 offers profound insights into the complexities of human relationships and the lasting impact of choices, particularly within the family unit. It serves as a powerful reminder of the destructive nature of favoritism, whether between spouses, among children, or even in other relational dynamics. Jacob's preferential love for Rachel, while a personal truth, created an environment of jealousy, bitterness, and strife that permeated his household for decades, impacting the very foundations of the nascent nation of Israel. This passage challenges us to examine our own relationships, encouraging us to cultivate equitable love, respect, and honesty. It underscores the importance of acknowledging and addressing the emotional pain caused by relational imbalances, trusting in God's overarching sovereignty to work through even our deepest imperfections and trials, while also striving to live in ways that promote harmony and healing.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is polygamy endorsed by this biblical account?
While the Bible describes instances of polygamy, such as Jacob's marriages, it does not present it as God's ideal or original design for marriage. From Genesis 2:24 onward, the pattern established is one man and one woman in a lifelong covenant. The narratives involving polygamy, including Jacob's household, consistently highlight the significant strife, jealousy, and dysfunction that arose from such arrangements, rather than endorsing the practice. The emotional pain of Leah and Rachel, and the subsequent rivalries among their children, serve as a powerful testament to the challenges inherent in such marital structures, implicitly affirming the wisdom of monogamy.
How could God work through such a dysfunctional family to establish His covenant people?
This narrative powerfully demonstrates God's grace and sovereignty. Despite the profound human flaws, deceptions, and favoritism within Jacob's family, God remained faithful to His covenant promises made to Abraham and Isaac. He chose to work through imperfect individuals and challenging circumstances, illustrating that His divine plan is not contingent upon human perfection but on His steadfast faithfulness. God's ability to bring about His purposes through broken vessels is a recurring theme throughout biblical history, assuring us that His redemptive work can triumph even over the deepest human sin and relational brokenness. The lineage of Christ itself passes through this very family, highlighting God's remarkable capacity to redeem and use the imperfect.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The narrative of Jacob's deeply flawed family, marked by favoritism and rivalry, paradoxically highlights God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, which ultimately find their supreme fulfillment in Christ. Despite the human sin and dysfunction—Jacob's favoritism for Rachel and the resulting pain for Leah—God preserved a lineage through which the promised Seed would come. Just as God showed compassion to Leah, the "unloved" wife, by opening her womb and granting her children (Genesis 29:31-35), Christ extends His boundless grace and love to the spiritually "unloved," the marginalized, and those who feel overlooked by the world. He embraces the outcast and brings them into His family, the Church, where there is no favoritism (James 2:1-4). The brokenness of Jacob's household foreshadows the profound need for a perfect Redeemer who would establish a new covenant, marked not by human preference or rivalry, but by perfect, self-sacrificial love and unity, reconciling humanity to God and to one another (Ephesians 2:14-16). In Christ, the divisions and favoritism that plagued the old covenant family are transcended, and all who believe become one in Him (Galatians 3:28).