Genesis 29

CHAPTER 29

1Therefore Jacob passed forth, and came into the east land;

2and he saw a pit or well in the field, and three flocks of sheep resting beside it, for why sheep were watered thereof, and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone.

3And the custom was that when all the sheep were gathered together, they should turn away the stone, and when the flocks were watered, they should put it again on the mouth of the pit.

4And Jacob said to the shepherds, Brethren, of whence be ye? Which answered, Of Haran.

5And he asked them and said, Whether ye know Laban, the son of Nahor? They said, We know him.

6Jacob said, Is he whole? They said, He is in good state; and lo! Rachel, his daughter, cometh with his flock.

7And Jacob said, Yet much of the day is to come, and it is not time that the flocks be led again to the folds; soothly give ye drink to the sheep, and so lead ye them again to meat or feeding.

8Which answered, We may not till all the sheep be gathered together, and till we remove the stone from the mouth of the pit, to water the flocks.

9Yet they spake, and lo! Rachel came with the sheep of her father.

10And when Jacob saw her, and knew her to be the daughter of his mother’s brother, and the sheep to be of Laban his uncle, he removed the stone with which the pit was closed; and when the flock was watered,

11he kissed her, and he wept with voice raised.

12And Jacob showed to her that he was the brother of her father, and the son of Rebecca; and she hasted, and told to her father.

13And when he had heard, that Jacob, the son of his sister, came, he ran to meet him, and he embraced Jacob, and kissed him, and led him into his house. Forsooth when the causes of the journey were heard,

14Laban answered, Thou art my bone and my flesh. And after that the days of a month were filled,

15Laban said to Jacob, Whether for thou art my brother, thou shalt serve me freely? say thou what meed thou shalt take.

16Forsooth Laban had two daughters, the name of the elder was Leah, soothly the younger was called Rachel;

17but Leah was bleary-eyed, and Rachel was of fair face, and lovely in sight.

18And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, I shall serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.

19Laban answered, It is better that I give her to thee than to another man; dwell thou with me.

20Therefore Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and the days seemed few to him for the greatness of his love.

21And at last he said to Laban, Give thou my wife to me, for the time is fulfilled that I enter [in] to her.

22And when many companies of friends were called to the feast, he made [the] weddings,

23and in the eventide Laban brought in to him Leah his daughter,

24and gave an handmaid, Zilpah by name, to his daughter.

25And when Jacob had entered [in] to her by custom, when the morrow-tide was made, he saw Leah, and he said to his wife’s father, What is it that thou wouldest do? whether I served not thee for Rachel? why hast thou deceived me?

26Laban answered, It is not custom in our place that we give first the younger daughter to weddings;

27fulfill thou the week of days of this wedding, and I shall give to thee also this Rachel, for the work in which thou shalt serve me by other seven years.

28Jacob assented to the covenant, and when the week was passed, he wedded Rachel,

29to whom her father had given Bilhah an handmaid.

30And at the last Jacob used the weddings desired, and set the love of the latter wife before the first; and Jacob served Laban seven other years.

31Forsooth the Lord saw that Jacob despised Leah, that is, loved her less than Rachel, and he opened Leah’s womb, while her sister dwelled barren.

32And Leah childed a son conceived, and she called his name Reuben, and said, The Lord hath seen my meek-ness; now mine husband shall love me.

33And again she conceived, and childed a son, and said, For the Lord saw that I was despised, he gave also this son to me; and she called his name Simeon.

34And she conceived the third time, and childed another son, and she said also, Now mine husband shall be coupled to me, for I have childed three sons to him; and therefore she called his name Levi.

35The fourth time she conceived, and childed a son, and said, Now I shall acknowledge to the Lord; and therefore she called his name Judah; and ceased to child.

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Genesis 29

Jacob Meets Rachel

1 # Judg 6.3, 33 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2As he looked, he saw a well in the field and three flocks of sheep lying there beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, 3and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.

4 # Gen 28.10 Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” 5#Gen 24.24, 29He said to them, “Do you know Laban son of Nahor?” They said, “We do.” 6#Gen 43.27He said to them, “Is it well with him?” “Yes,” they replied, “and here is his daughter Rachel, coming with the sheep.” 7He said, “Look, it is still broad daylight; it is not time for the animals to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” 8But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

9 # Ex 2.16 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them. 10#Ex 2.17Now when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of his mother’s brother Laban. 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12#Gen 13.8; 14.14, 16; 24.28And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.

13 # Gen 24.29, 31; 33.4 When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him; he embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob#29.13 Heb He told Laban all these things, 14#Judg 9.2and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.

Jacob Marries Laban’s Daughters

15Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah’s eyes were weak,#29.17 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain but Rachel was graceful and beautiful. 18#Hos 12.12Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.

21 # Judg 15.1 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22#Judg 14.10; Jn 2.1, 2So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. 23But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24(Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) 25When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26Laban said, “This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. 27#Judg 14.12Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28Jacob did so and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife. 29(Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid.) 30#vv 17, 18So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He served Laban#29.30 Heb him for another seven years.

31 # Gen 30.1; Ps 127.3 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32#Gen 16.11; 31.42Leah conceived and bore a son, and she named him Reuben,#29.32 That is, see, a son for she said, “Because the Lord has looked on my affliction, surely now my husband will love me.” 33She conceived again and bore a son and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also,” and she named him Simeon.#29.33 In Heb Simeon resembles the verb for has heard 34#Gen 49.5Again she conceived and bore a son and said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons”; therefore he was named Levi.#29.34 In Heb Levi resembles the verb for will be joined 35#Gen 49.8; Mt 1.2She conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the Lord,” therefore she named him Judah;#29.35 In Heb Judah resembles the verb for I will praise then she ceased bearing.

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