01 Gen-29 Yada Yada

#TorahLawofMoses #YadaYadaPauses #G

Setting

Who:

Author: Moses
Audience: Israelites
Characters and People Groups:
- Jacob
- Laban
- Rachel
- Leah
- Bilhah
- Zilpah
- Reuben
- Simeon
- Levi
- Judah
- Haran people
  - tend flock
  - relatives
Symbolic Roles:
- Deceiver: Laban
- Deceived: Jacob
- Savior: None explicitly in this chapter

What:

Main Storyline: Jacob arrives in Haran, meets Rachel, works for Laban to marry her, is deceived into marrying Leah, marries Rachel too, and begins his family.

When:

Date Authored: ~1446-1406 BC
Date Takes Place: ~1900-1800 BC

Where:

Paddan-aram: Haran, modern-day southeastern Turkey
Field: Near Haran
Well: Near Haran

Genesis 29

← Genesis 28 | Genesis | Genesis 30 →

Then Jacob went
- on his journey,
- and came to the land
  - of the children of the east.
- He looked, and saw
  - a well in the field,
    - and saw three flocks of sheep lying there by it.
    - For out of that well they //children of the east, relatives// watered the flocks.
    - The stone on the well's mouth was large.
    - There all the flocks were gathered.
    - They rolled the stone from the well's mouth,
      - and watered the sheep,
      - and put the stone back on the well's mouth in its place.
Jacob said to them,
- "My relatives, where are you from?" //Q//
  - They said, "We are from Haran." //A//
- He said to them, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" //Q//
  - They said, "We know him." //A//
- He said to them, "Is it well with him?" //Q//
  - They said, "It is well. See, Rachel, //A//
    - his daughter,
    - is coming with the sheep."
- He said, "Behold, it is still the middle of the day,
  - not time to gather the livestock together.
  - Water the sheep,
  - and go and feed them."
  - They said, "We can't,
    - until all the flocks are gathered together,
    - and they //WHO?// roll the stone from the well's mouth.
    - Then we will water the sheep."
- While he was yet speaking with them,
  - Rachel came
    - with her father's sheep,
      - for she kept them.
When Jacob saw
- Rachel
  - the daughter of Laban,
    - his mother's brother,
  - and the sheep of Laban,
    - his mother's brother,
- Jacob went near,
  - and rolled the stone from the well's mouth,
  - and watered the flock
    - of Laban
      - his mother's brother.
- Jacob kissed
  - Rachel,
  - and lifted up his voice,
  - and wept.
- Jacob told
  - Rachel that
    - he was her father's relative,
    - and that he was Rebekah's son.
  - She ran and told her father.
When Laban heard
- the news of Jacob,
  - his sister's son,
- he ran to meet
  - Jacob,
    - and embraced him,
    - and kissed him
    - and brought him to his house.
  - Jacob told Laban
    - all these things.
Laban said
- to him,
  - "Surely you are
    - my bone
    - and my flesh."
- Jacob stayed
  - with him
    - for a month.
Laban said
- to Jacob,
  - "Because you are my relative,
    - should you therefore serve me for nothing? //Q//
      - Tell me, what will your wages be?"
      - Laban had two daughters.
        
        Leah
        
        The name of the elder
        
        Leah's eyes were weak^[1],
        
        Rachel.
        
        and the name of the younger
        
        but Rachel was beautiful in form
        
        and attractive.
        
        Jacob loved Rachel.
    - He said, "I will serve you //A//
      - seven years for Rachel,
        
        your younger daughter."
  - Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you,
    - than that I should give her
      - to another man.
    - Stay with me."
  - Jacob served
    - seven years for Rachel.
      - They //the seven years// seemed
        
        to him but a few days,
        
        for the love he had for her.
Jacob said
- to Laban,
  - "Give me my wife,
    - for my days are fulfilled,
    - that I may go in to her."
- Laban gathered together
  - all the men of the place,
  - and made a feast.
  - In the evening,
    - he took Leah
      - his daughter^[2],
      - and brought her
        
        to Jacob.
        
        He went in to her.
        
        Laban gave Zilpah
        
        his servant
        
        to his daughter Leah
        
        for a servant.
  - In the morning,
    - behold, it was Leah!
    - He said to Laban,
      - "What is this you have done to me? //Q//
        
        Didn't I serve with you
        
        for Rachel? //Q//
        
        Why then have you deceived me?" //Q//
      - Laban said, //A//
        
        "It is not done so in our place,
        
        to give the younger
        
        before the firstborn.
        
        Fulfill the week^[3] of this one,
        
        and we will give you the other also
        
        for the service which you will serve with me
        
        for seven more years."
        
        Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week.
        
        He gave him Rachel
        
        his daughter as wife.
        
        Laban gave Bilhah,
        
        his servant,
        
        to his daughter Rachel
        
        to be her servant.
        
        He went in also
        
        to Rachel,
        
        and he loved also Rachel
        
        more than Leah,
        
        and served with him seven more years.
v31
Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb^[4], but Rachel was barren.
v32
Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, "Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction; for now my husband will love me."
v33
She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, "Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also." She named him Simeon.
v34
She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, "Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi.
v35
She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, "This time I will praise Yahweh." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

← Genesis 28 | Genesis | Genesis 30 →

Connections

Repeated Words (more than four times):
- daughter (7)
- gave (5)
- wife (5)
- years (6)
Numbers Mentioned:
- 03: Genesis 29:2 – “And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it.”
- 07: Genesis 29:18 – “And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.”
- 07: Genesis 29:20 – “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days.”
- 07: Genesis 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.”
- 07: Genesis 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.”
Other Related Scriptures:
- Gen-288: Jacob’s journey to Haran begins, and he receives God’s covenant promise.
- Gen-30: Continuation of Jacob’s family and dealings with Laban.
- Hos-12:12 – References Jacob’s service in Haran for a wife.
- Gen-31: Jacob’s departure from Laban and further covenant interactions.

Idiom “Leah’s eyes were delicate” – Likely means weak or unattractive eyes, possibly implying physical or emotional frailty. ↩︎
Unrighteous Laban’s deception of Jacob by giving Leah instead of Rachel ↩︎
Idiom “Fulfill her week” – Refers to completing the bridal week of celebration, a customary period for a marriage feast. ↩︎
Jacobiac YHWH’s involvement in opening Leah’s womb, implying covenantal care for Jacob’s line. Birth of children (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah) Blessing Grace Life ↩︎

Setting

Who:

What:

When:

Where:

Genesis 29

v31

v32

v33

v34

v35

Connections