Gen. 29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
Gen. 29:2 And 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.
Gen. 29:3 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 his place.
Gen. 29:4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
Gen. 29:5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
Gen. 29:6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
Gen. 29:7 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.
Gen. 29:8 And 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.
Jacob arrives in the land of the “people of the east.” The first thing he sees is a well with three flocks of sheep nearby. So Jacob talks with the shepherds and finds out that they know Laban and that he is well. Then Rachel, Laban’s daughter, shows up with their sheep. Evidently they had been waiting for her. Their routine was to gather all the flocks, roll the stone from the well, water all the flocks and replace the stone.
Gen. 29:9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them.
Gen. 29:10 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.
Gen. 29:11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
Gen. 29:12 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.
Jacob immediately took care of watering the sheep in Rachel’s care. He kissed her and began to cry. He told her that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran to tell her father. I’m sure his tears were tears of relief and joy. He had reached the end of a long, lonely journey.
Gen. 29:13 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.
Gen. 29:14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.
When Laban heard that his nephew had come, he ran to meet him with hugs and kisses and to bring him home with him. Then Jacob told Laban “all these things.” I wonder if this means that he told his uncle the whole story of why he was sent from home or just that he had come to seek a wife from among his own people. Whatever he said must have hit a chord of connection since Laban said, “Surely thou art my bone and my flesh.” Then we are told that Jacob stayed with Laban a month— as part of the family both in work and play.
Gen. 29:15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?
Gen. 29:16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Gen. 29:17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
Gen. 29:18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
Gen. 29:19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
Gen. 29:20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
After that month, Laban began to feel a little uncomfortable that Jacob was working so hard for no pay. So he approached Jacob regarding what he could pay him for his services. Then we are told that Laban had two daughters—Leah was the oldest and Rachel the youngest. I’m not sure what tender eyed means, but obviously Rachel was the most beautiful and the family favorite. Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel and offered to work for 7 years in return for her as his wife. Laban agreed. So Jacob worked for 7 years, “and they seemed unto him but a few days.” He was besotted!
Smith: “Now Jacob didn’t—he came from home with nothing. All he had was his walking stick. So he had no dowry. But he was so in love with Rachel, he was willing to become a slave for seven years in order that his seven years of service might become a dowry.”
Gen. 29:21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
Gen. 29:22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
Gen. 29:23 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.
Gen. 29:24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
Gen. 29:25 And 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?
Then Jacob asked Laban to fulfill his part of the bargain and give him Rachel as his wife and they could come to know each other intimately. Now the deceiver will learn how it feels to be at the receiving end of a trick. It’s just a shame that poor Leah becomes the victim. Laban throws a big feast to celebrate. But, when evening came, he took Leah and gave her to Jacob as wife. Jacob was intimate with her, but he didn’t know it was Leah until the next morning. It’s a bit hard to believe that he was duped so easily. Suffice it to say that Jacob was angry when he found out it wasn’t Rachel, and he confronted Laban. His bargain had been to serve for Rachel, and he wanted to know why he had been deceived. We are also told that Leah was given Zilpah as a handmaid.
According to Chuck Missler, it was the custom at that time for the woman not to remove her veil until the marriage was consummated.
Gen. 29:26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
Gen. 29:27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
Gen. 29:28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
Gen. 29:29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
Gen. 29:30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
Laban explained that it was the custom of his people for the older girl to be married first. So, if he would finish the bridal week with Leah, he would then give him Rachel—for another 7 years of work. “And Jacob did so.” (He finished the bridal week.) So Laban then gave him Rachel as his wife and gave Rachel a handmaid named Bilhah. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Then Jacob began his next 7 years of service for Rachel.
vs 27, “fulfil” = accomplish, confirm, satisfy
In going through my study of Daniel again recently, I came back to check my notes in this chapter of Genesis. I gained clearer insight as I read through this section again and realized that I needed to clarify the thoughts presented. When Laban asked Jacob to fulfil Leah’s week, he was asking Jacob to accept her as satisfaction for the seven years of servitude he had completed—albeit thinking it was for Rachel. That is why the direct reference is made in the last part of verse 27 that Jacob would be required to serve “yet seven other years” to “fulfil” the bridal price for Rachel. This is direct reference to the word “week” (shabuwa) which is a Hebrew term often used to indicate a seven-year period. This same word is used when referencing the “70 weeks” determined against the Jewish people in Daniel 9.
This probably explains why Laban conveniently forgot to inform Jacob of their customs when they made their agreement. He was thinking he would get 14 years of free labor from Jacob.
It also stands out that Laban had no regard for the feelings of either his daughters or Jacob. He was focused on his own selfish purposes.
Constable: “The Hebrew name "Rachel" means "ewe," and "Leah" means "cow." Ironically, Laban treated them as cattle and used them for bargaining and trading.”
Gen. 29:31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
Gen. 29:32 And 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.
Gen. 29:33 And 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.
Gen. 29:34 And 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.
Gen. 29:35 And 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.
I just realized this time through that this passage helps define the meaning of “Jacob have I loved; Esau have I hated.” (Romans 9:13) Verse 30 states that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Verse 31 states that God saw Leah was hated—loved less. That’s always been my understanding, but I missed the biblical definition staring me in the face.
Leah’s first child was a son, and she named him Reuben, “He has seen my misery.” She recognized this child as a gift from God and hoped it would make Jacob love her. Then she had a second son and named him Simeon, “one who hears.” She said this was because the Lord heard that she was not loved, so He sent her another child. Leah had a third son and named him Levi, “attached.” She hoped that the blessing of three sons would make Jacob attached to her. Her fourth son she named Judah, “praise.” By then she was just praising the Lord for the comfort of her sons. Then Leah stopped having children. Leah was privileged to give birth to the fathers of the priestly line of Levi and the royal line of Judah from whom would come the Messiah.Gene
Gen. 30:1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
Gen. 30:2 And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
Rachel was jealous of Leah for being able to give Jacob sons. So she complained to Jacob and told him to “give me children, or else I die.” This seems to imply that she was blaming him. That would explain Jacob’s anger. He reminded her that God was the one who controlled her ability to have children—not him.
Gen. 30:3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
Gen. 30:4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
Gen. 30:5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
Gen. 30:6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
Gen. 30:7 And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
Gen. 30:8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
So, Rachel decided to take matters into her own hands. (Remember Sarah—Here we go again. Our lack of dependence on God always results in trouble.) She asked Jacob to sleep with her maid Bilhah to provide her with children (according to the custom of the day). Jacob did as she asked; He was probably willing to do whatever he could to make Rachel happy. Bilhah became pregnant and bore a son, and Rachel named him Dan, “he has vindicated.” She thought that God had vindicated or OK’d her plan since He had given her a son in response to her plea. Then Bilhah bore Jacob another son, and Rachel named him Naphtali, “struggle,” because of the struggle with her sister in providing heirs for Jacob.
As I was reading through this section again, I thought about the fact that Jacob, the father, was the common factor in the birth of his 12 sons that would become the founding fathers of the nation of Israel. It’s interesting that Jewish identity in Israel today is established through the mother.
Gen. 30:9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.
Gen. 30:10 And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a son.
Gen. 30:11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
Gen. 30:12 And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son.
Gen. 30:13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.
Then Leah decided to give Jacob her maidservant, Zilpah. She too bore a son, and Leah named him Gad, “good fortune.” Zilpah bore a second son, and Leah named him Asher, “happy,” to express her joy.
Gen. 30:14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.
Gen. 30:15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.
Gen. 30:16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
Mandrake, also known as the love apple (The Magic of the Mandrake at www.thewisemag.com): “In several cultures, eating the fruits is seen as a guarantee of becoming pregnant. The roots, however, were carried as an amulet to symbolize fertility. It is maybe because of this belief that the Goddess of beauty and lust, Aphrodite, is also called Mandragonitis….In Israel, the yellowish-colored, plum-like fruits that ripen during the wheat harvest are very sweet. Overeating these fruits causes dizziness and even madness. Because of the general belief that it facilitates fertilization, it has been used in love potions. Recently, a potion made from ripe mandrake fruits was marketed to newlywed couples. The Jews also used the mandrake root as a talisman against evil spirits. Even today, the mandrake root is carried as a love and good luck charm in eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries.”
It was time for the wheat harvest, and Reuben, the oldest son, brought his mother, Leah, some mandrakes. When Rachel saw them, she asked for some; but Leah decided to take another jab while she had the upper hand. She chided Rachel for being selfish. She was already Jacob’s favorite, now she wanted to take something else from Leah. So, Rachel traded Leah a night to sleep with Jacob for some mandrakes.
This is really pretty unbelievable. Supposedly, the man was put in authority over the woman—but the women pretty much seem to be running the show in this family. I can’t imagine sharing a husband, let alone bartering sleeping privileges—or feeling like you are in a war with another wife who just happens to be your sister to see who can provide the most children—or even thinking that your servant’s children were the same as your own. Yet, God allowed this and blessed the sons of Jacob by making them the fathers of the tribes of Israel, these children of four different women and one father.
Back to the story. When Jacob came in from the fields, Leah met him and told him that he must sleep with her that night because she had “hired thee with my son’s mandrakes.” So Jacob complied.
Gen. 30:17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
Gen. 30:18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
Gen. 30:19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
Gen. 30:20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
Gen. 30:21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
Leah became pregnant and bore a fifth son. She named him Issachar, “reward,” since she thought God was rewarding her for giving her servant to Jacob. Then Leah conceived again. (I wonder how she got to sleep with him again!) She gave birth to a sixth son and named him Zebulun, “honor.” She was sure Jacob would treat her with honor after giving him six sons. A little later on she gave birth to a daughter, Dinah. We know from other scriptures that there were other daughters in Jacob’s family, but this is the only one named.
Gen. 30:22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
Gen. 30:23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
Gen. 30:24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.
Verse 22 tells us that God “remembered” Rachel. He never forgot her in the sense that we think of forgetting; He just decided it was time to answer her prayer and open her womb. It’s a staggering thought that God is so in the know with us that He controls the opening and closing of our womb. It’s just another affirmation that each person that is conceived is special in His sight. He is the only authority for beginning and terminating a pregnancy. The fact that God “hearkened” to Rachel meant that she must have continued praying to Him for a child. She had learned who was in control. When she gave birth to a son, she named him Joseph, “may he add,” in the hope that God would give her another son. (It really makes me sorry that Jim and I ever used any kind of birth control. I wish we had had the faith to trust God to provide. In fact, I wish I had learned a whole lot more about walking in faith a whole lot sooner.)
Gen. 30:25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
Gen. 30:26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.
After Joseph was born, Jacob began to want to go “to mine own place, and to my country.” So he went to Laban and told him that he felt he had earned the right to take his wives and children and leave to go home. (It seems strange to me that he was seeking Laban’s permission. He had been given his wives in payment for services performed. It was his family. I guess he just wanted there to be no hard feelings.)
Gen. 30:27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.
Gen. 30:28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.
Laban begs him to stay. He tells Jacob that he realizes that the Lord has blessed him because of Jacob. He basically asked Jacob to name his price.
Gen. 30:29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
Gen. 30:30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
Gen. 30:31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:
Gen. 30:32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
Gen. 30:33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
Jacob basically agreed with Laban’s assessment, but he still wanted to be independent; so he offered Laban a deal. He would stay a while longer and tend the flocks for Laban if Laban would agree to give Jacob all the speckled and spotted sheep, dark colored lambs, and spotted or speckled goats as his wages. In the future, as a testimony of Jacob’s honesty, Laban could consider as stolen any goat that wasn’t speckled or spotted or any lamb that wasn’t dark colored.
Gen. 30:34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.
Gen. 30:35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
Gen. 30:36 And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
Laban agreed to the deal, but he tried to stack the deck or guarantee the odds in his favor. He removed all the “off color” sheep and goats from the flock and put them in the care of his sons. He thought this would guarantee pure color offspring and Jacob would gain very little. He also separated the off color flock from the flock that Jacob was tending by a journey of three days to make sure they didn’t mix.
It seems obvious that Laban didn’t fully trust Jacob. Morris makes this observation: “It is hard for men who are themselves dishonest to trust anyone else.”
Gen. 30:37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
Gen. 30:38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
Gen. 30:39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
Gen. 30:40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.
Gen. 30:41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
Gen. 30:42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
Gen. 30:43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
This wasn’t making any sense, so I did a little research. Jacob was no dummy. He devised a plan to outwit his uncle. Remember, he is the primary caretaker of both groups—his own and Laban’s. The coloring of the sheep’s offspring is influenced by its mother’s surroundings. So Jacob put streaked rods in front of the ewes at the watering trough where they mated. He also separated the spotted and striped lambs and kids from the herd, but kept them in front of the ewes. Then he made sure that only the stronger ewes mated near the streaked rods/branches at the trough. This resulted in strong animals for Jacob and weaker animals for Laban. Jacob grew very prosperous and came to own large flocks, many servants, and camels and donkeys.
Dr. Morris, a creation scientist, in his book, The Genesis Record, states that Jacob must have become familiar with selective breeding over his many years of observing and taking care of the animals. He posits that he may even have had knowledge of which we are not yet aware. I believe, however, that the primary reason for Jacob’s success was God’s blessing upon him.