Albert Barnes Commentary Genesis 29:1-35

"Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. 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. 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. And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him. 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. 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. 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. While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father`s sheep. For she kept them. 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. And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. 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. 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. And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be? And Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah`s eyes were tender. But Rachel was beautiful and well favored. And Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man. Abide with me. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel. And they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 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. And Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid unto his daughter Leah for a handmaid. 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? And Laban said, It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the first-born. 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. And jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. And he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her handmaid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. 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. 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. 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. 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." — Genesis 29:1-35 (ASV)

Genesis 29:6: רחל rāchēl — Rachel, “a ewe.”

Genesis 29:16: לאה lê'âh — Leah, “wearied.”

Genesis 29:24: זלפה zı̂lpâh — Zilpah, “drop?”

Genesis 29:29: בלהה bı̂lhâh — Bilhah, “timidity.”

Genesis 29:32: ראוּבן re'uvbēn — Reuben, “behold a son.” This is a paronomasia in allusion to the phrase בעניי ראה be‛ānyı̂y rā'âh. Derivatives and compounds, being formed by the common speaker, are sometimes founded upon resemblance in sound, and not always on precise forms of the original sentence which prompted them.

Genesis 29:33: שׁמעין shı̂m‛ôn — Shim‘on, “hearing, answer.”

Genesis 29:34: לוי lêvı̂y — Levi, “junction, union.”

Genesis 29:35: יחוּדה yehûdâh — Jehudah, “praised.”

In this chapter and the following, Jacob grows from a solitary fugitive with a staff in his hand (Genesis 32:10) to be the father of a large family and the owner of great wealth. He proves himself to be a man of patience and perseverance, and the Lord, according to promise, is with him.

(Genesis 29:1–8)

Jacob arrives at the well of Haran. The land of the sons of the east. The points of the heavens were defined by the usage of practical life, and not by the standard of a science yet unknown. Hence, the east means any quarter toward the sunrise.

Haran was about four degrees east of Beer-sheba, and five and a half degrees north. The distance was about four hundred and fifty miles, and therefore it would take Jacob fifteen days to perform the journey at thirty miles a day. If he reached Bethel the first night, he must have travelled about fifty miles the first day.

After this, he continued his journey without any memorable incident. In the neighborhood of Haran, he came upon a well, beside which lay three flocks. This is not the well near Haran where Abraham’s servant met Rebekah.

It is in the pasture lands at some distance from the town. On its mouth was a large stone, indicating that water was precious, and that the well was the common property of the local inhabitants. The custom was to gather the flocks, roll away the stone (which was too great to be moved by a boy or a female), water the flocks, and replace the stone. Jacob, on making inquiry, learns that Haran is near, that Laban is well, and that Rachel is approaching with her father’s flocks.

Laban is called by Jacob the son of Nahor (that is, his grandson), with the usual latitude of relative names in Scripture (Genesis 28:13). Jacob said to the shepherds, The day is great. A great part of it still remains. It is not yet the time to gather the cattle for the night; water the sheep and go feed them. Jacob may have wished to meet Rachel without the shepherds being present.

The shepherds replied, We cannot. There was a rule or custom that the flocks must all be assembled before the stone was rolled away to water the cattle. This may have been required to ensure a fair distribution of the water to all parties, and especially to those who were too weak to roll away the stone.

(Genesis 29:9–14)

Jacob’s interview with Rachel, and hospitable reception by Laban. Rachel’s approach awakens all Jacob’s warmth of feeling. He rolls away the stone, waters the sheep, kisses Rachel, and bursts into tears. The remembrance of home and of his mother’s relationship to Rachel overpowers him. He informs Rachel who he is, and she runs to inform her father. Laban hastens to welcome his relative to his house. Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. This is a description of kinsmanship probably derived from the formation of the woman out of the man (Genesis 2:23). A month here means the period from new moon to new moon, and consists of twenty-nine or thirty days.

(Genesis 29:15–20)

Jacob serves seven years for Rachel. Laban asked, What shall thy wages be? An active, industrious man like Jacob was of great value to Laban. “Two daughters.” Daughters in those countries and times were also objects of value, for which their parents were accustomed to receive considerable presents (Genesis 24:53). Jacob at present, however, is worth only his labor. He has apparently nothing else to offer. As he loves Rachel, he offers to serve seven years for her, and is accepted. Isaac loved Rebekah after she was sought and won as a bride for him. Jacob loves Rachel before he makes a proposal of marriage. His attachment is pure and constant, and hence the years of his service seem but days to him. The pleasure of her society, both in the business and leisure of life, makes the hours pass unnoticed.

It is obvious that in those early days, the contact between the sexes before marriage was more unrestrained than it afterward became.

(Genesis 29:21–30)

Jacob is betrayed into marrying Leah, and on consenting to serve another seven years, obtains Rachel also. He claims his expected reward when due. Laban made a feast. The feast in the house of the bride’s father seems to have lasted seven days, at the close of which the marriage was completed. But the custom seems to have varied according to the circumstances of the bridegroom. Jacob had no house of his own to which to conduct the bride. In the evening, when it was dark, the bride was also closely veiled, so that it was easy for Laban to practise this piece of deceit. Laban gave Leah a handmaid. It was customary to give the bride a handmaid, who became her confidential servant (Genesis 24:59, Genesis 24:61). In the morning, Jacob discovers that Laban had overreached him.

This is the first retribution Jacob experiences for the deceitful practices of his former days. He expostulates with Laban, who pleads the custom of the country.

It is still the custom not to give the younger in marriage before the older, unless the latter is deformed or in some way defective. It is also not unusual to practise the very same trick that Laban now employed, if the suitor is so simple as to be off his guard. Jacob, however, did not expect this from his relative, though he had himself taken part in proceedings equally questionable. Laban said, Fulfill the week of this. If this was the second day of the feast celebrating the nuptials of Leah, Laban requests him to complete the week, and then he will give him Rachel also.

If, however, Leah was fraudulently imposed upon him at the close of the week of feasting, then Laban in these words proposes to give Rachel to Jacob on fulfilling another week of nuptial rejoicing. The latter is more likely in this instance. In either case, the marriage of Rachel is only a week after that of Leah. Rather than lose Rachel altogether, Jacob consents to comply with Laban’s terms.

Rachel was the wife of Jacob’s affections and intentions. The taking of a second wife in the lifetime of the first was contrary to the law of nature, which designed one man for one woman (Genesis 2:21–25). But the marrying of a sister-in-law was not yet incestuous, because no law had yet been made on the subject. Laban gives a handmaid to each of his daughters. To Rebekah his sister, more than one had been given (Genesis 24:61). Bondslaves had been in existence long before Laban’s time (Genesis 16:1). Jacob loved also Rachel more than Leah. This proves that even Leah was not unloved. At the time of his marriage, Jacob was eighty-four years of age, which corresponds to half that age according to the present average of human life.

(Genesis 29:31–35)

Leah bears four sons to Jacob. The Lord saw. The eye of the Lord is upon the sufferer. It is remarkable that both the narrator and Leah employ the proper name of God, which makes the performance of promise a prominent feature of His character. This is appropriate in the mouth of Leah, who is the mother of the promised seed.

That Leah was hated—meaning, less loved than Rachel. The Lord therefore recompenses her for the lack of her husband’s affection by giving her children, while Rachel was barren.

“Reuben”—behold a son. Leah said, The Lord hath looked on my affliction. Leah had qualities of heart, if not of outward appearance, which commanded esteem. She had learned to acknowledge the Lord in all her ways.

“Simon”—answer. She had prayed to the Lord, and this was her answer. “Levi”—union, the reconciler.

Her husband could not, according to the prevailing sentiments of those days, fail to be attached to the mother of three sons. “Judah”—praised. Well may she praise the Lord, for this is the ancestor of the promised seed. It is remarkable that the wife of priority, but not of preference, is the mother of the seed in whom all nations are to be blessed. Levi the reconciler is the father of the priestly tribe. Simon is attached to Judah. Reuben retires into the background.

Reuben may have been born when Jacob was still only eighty-four, and consequently Judah was born when Jacob was eighty-seven.