Genesis 29

Then Jacob went on with his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.

1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

Note"The people of the east" (Hebrew *bene qedem*) was a general term for the peoples living east and northeast of Canaan, across the desert. Here it points to the region around Haran in upper Mesopotamia, several hundred miles from where Jacob started.

2He looked, and there was a well out in the field, and three flocks of sheep were lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. A large stone lay over the mouth of the well.

2And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.

NoteWells in this region were often covered with a heavy stone slab. This kept them from being fouled or filling with blown sand, and it controlled who could draw water: no single herdsman could use the well on his own, so the shepherds who shared it had to gather and open it together, as verses 3 and 8 describe.

3All the flocks would be gathered there, and the shepherds would roll the stone away from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the mouth of the well.

3And 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 his place.

4Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran."

4And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

NoteHaran was a town in upper Mesopotamia, in what is now southern Turkey. Abraham's family had settled there, and Jacob's mother Rebekah came from it, so Jacob is arriving among his own relatives. "My brothers" here is simply a friendly way of addressing strangers, not a claim of kinship.

5He said to them, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him."

5And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.

NoteHebrew uses "son" for a descendant generally, not only a direct child. Laban was Nahor's grandson, the son of Bethuel. Nahor was Abraham's brother, which is why Laban's household is Jacob's extended family.

6He said to them, "Is he well?" They said, "He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep."

6And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.

7He said, "Look, the sun is still high, and it is not yet time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep, and go and let them feed."

7And 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.

8They said, "We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we water the sheep."

8And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.

9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she took care of them.

9And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.

10When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

10And 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.

11Jacob kissed Rachel, and he lifted up his voice and wept.

11And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.

NoteKissing a relative on meeting was an ordinary greeting in this culture, and weeping openly was a normal way to show strong feeling at a reunion. The gesture marks Jacob's recognition of kin, not courtship.

12Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.

12And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.

NoteHebrew uses "brother" broadly for a male relative of any degree. Jacob was Laban's nephew, his sister Rebekah's son.

13When Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him. He hugged him and kissed him and brought him to his house. And Jacob told Laban all these things.

13And 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.

14Laban said to him, "You truly are my own bone and flesh." And Jacob stayed with him for a month.

14And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

Note"My own bone and flesh" was a standard idiom for a blood relative, the equivalent of saying "you really are family."

15Laban said to Jacob, "Just because you are my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?"

15And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

16Now Laban had two daughters. The older one was named Leah, and the younger one was named Rachel.

16And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and good to look at.

17Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

NoteThe Hebrew word describing Leah's eyes (*rakkot*) is genuinely uncertain. It can mean "weak" or "dull," but it can also mean "soft" or "tender," in which case it would be a compliment. Translators have gone both ways; the contrast drawn with Rachel in the same sentence is what leads most to read it as a defect.

18Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, "I will work for you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter."

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

NoteA man was normally expected to pay a bride-price (Hebrew *mohar*) to the bride's father when arranging a marriage. Jacob had arrived with nothing, so he offers seven years of labor instead. This is a business proposal in the ordinary terms of the day, not an unusual romantic gesture.

19Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I give her to another man. Stay here with me."

19And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

20So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days, because of the love he had for her.

20And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is finished, so that I may sleep with her."

21And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

22So Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.

22And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

NoteA wedding was a public celebration held over several days, with the men of the town as guests. The feast, with wine, is part of what makes the substitution in the next verse possible.

23In the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob slept with her.

23And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

NoteThe bride was brought to the groom veiled and after dark, and the marriage chamber would have had no light. A bride's face was often not seen by the groom until the following morning, which is how Jacob could take Leah for Rachel.

24And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.

24And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

NoteA maidservant given to a bride at her marriage stayed her personal property rather than her husband's. This detail matters later: such a servant could be handed to the husband so that her children counted as the mistress's own.

25In the morning, there she was, and it was Leah! Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not work for you for Rachel? Why then have you tricked me?"

25And it came to pass, that in the morning, 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?

26Laban said, "It is not done that way in our country, to give the younger daughter before the firstborn."

26And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

27"Finish this one's bridal week, and we will give you the other one also, in return for the work you will do for me for another seven years."

27Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

NoteThe "week" is the seven-day wedding feast for Leah, not another seven years. Laban's terms are that Jacob finish that week, receive Rachel immediately after it, and then work the second seven years, so the two marriages are a week apart, not seven years apart.

28Jacob did so, and finished her week, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife too.

28And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.

29And Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid.

29And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

30Jacob slept with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he worked for Laban another seven years.

30And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb so that she could have children; but Rachel could not have children.

31And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

NoteThe Hebrew word behind "hated" in older translations (*sane'*) covers a wide range, from active hatred down to simply "loved less" or "not the preferred one." In marriage contexts it was close to a legal term for the wife who was not the favorite, and that is its sense here and in verse 33.

32Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, "Surely the LORD has seen my suffering. Now my husband will love me."

32And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

NoteEach of these names is a pun in Hebrew that the English cannot carry. Reuben (*Re'uben*) sounds like "see, a son" and also echoes Leah's words "the LORD has seen" (*ra'ah*) my affliction.

33She became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, and she said, "Because the LORD heard that I was unloved, he has given me this son as well." So she named him Simeon.

33And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

NoteSimeon (*Shim'on*) sounds like the Hebrew verb "to hear" (*shama'*), matching Leah's statement that the LORD heard she was unloved.

34She became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, and she said, "Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.

34And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

NoteLevi sounds like the Hebrew verb *lavah*, "to join" or "attach," matching Leah's hope that her husband will now be joined to her.

35She became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, and she said, "Now I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

35And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

NoteJudah (*Yehudah*) is formed from the Hebrew verb *yadah*, "to praise" or "give thanks."