Genesis 29

Leah and Rachel


NOTE: Quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.

1 Jacob hurried on*, finally arriving in the land of the east.

*hurried on - literally “lifted up his feet”

   Assured that Jehovah would be with him and protect him and bless him and bring him back safely, Jacob hurried on to Haran. From Beersheba, Isaac’s dwelling-place, to Padan-Aram, his destination, was a distance of something like 550 miles, ON FOOT AND ALONE.

2 He saw in the distance three flocks of sheep lying in an open field beside a well, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.

3 It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone. After watering them, the stone would be rolled back over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked them, "Where do you live?" "At Haran," they said.

5 "Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?" "Yes, we do," they replied.

6 "How is he?" Jacob asked. "He's well and prosperous. Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."

   This is the same well where Rebekah met Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, who had come to find a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:11).

   Here is proof that God was guiding Jacob, for he arrived at the well where he met the daughter of the very man Isaac had told him to go to! It was not by “accident” that Jacob arrived at that well, nor was it by “accident” that Rachel came to that well just when she did. There are no “accidents” in a world that is governed by God.

7 "Why don't you water the flocks so they can get back to grazing?" Jacob asked. "They'll be hungry if you stop so early in the day."

   Jacob is trying to send the shepherds away so that he can meet Rachel alone.

8 "We don't roll away the stone and begin the watering until all the flocks and shepherds are here," they replied.

9 As this conversation was going on, Rachel arrived with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherd.

10 And because she was his cousin, the daughter of his mother's brother, and because the sheep were his uncle's, Jacob went over to the well and rolled away the stone and watered his uncle's flock.

11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and tears came to his eyes.

   The meeting is emotional. In days when families were often out of touch for years such scenes were a regular feature of life when they came together.

12 He explained that he was her cousin on her father's side, her aunt Rebekah's son. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.

13 As soon as Laban heard about Jacob's arrival, he rushed out to meet him and greeted him warmly. Laban then brought him home, and Jacob told him his story.

14 "Just think, my very own flesh and blood!" Laban exclaimed. After Jacob had been there about a month,

15 Laban said to him, "You shouldn't work for me without pay just because we are relatives. How much do you want?"

   Surely, over an entire month, Jacob has told Laban why Isaac sent him there – to marry one of Labans’ daughters! Laban knows that Jacob has not come with expensive marriage gifts, quite unlike Abraham’s servant when he came to get a bride for Isaac. Laban’s hospitality went only so far – now, Jacob is no longer a guest! Laban lets Jacob know that if he remained with him it must be in the capacity of a servant, and raises the question of pay. This must have been a blow to Jacob’s pride.

   Laban is telling Jacob that he’s going to have to earn his wife by a period of servitude, since he has no gifts or money for a dowry. He is asking how long he is prepared to serve as payment for a wife. When Abraham’s servant came he brought rich gifts which were accepted as recompense for the loss of a daughter and sister.

16 Now Laban had two daughters: Leah*, who was the oldest, and her younger sister, Rachel**.

   ;*Leah – Hebrew “weary”

   **Rachel – Hebrew “a ewe” (a female sheep)

17 Leah had pretty eyes*, but Rachel was beautiful in every way, with a lovely face and shapely figure.

   *pretty eyes, or “dull eyes”. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. The point was that while Leah was not unattractive and had “pretty eyes”, she didn’t compare to Rachel, who was perfect.

18 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, "I'll work for you seven years if you'll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife."

   Jacob has no dowry to give to Laban for Rachel. Therefore, without consulting the God, he agrees to work for seven years to give Laban the equivalent of a good dowry. Jacob has made his choice of which daughter he wants.

   This seven years was just the period during which, among the Hebrews, a Jewish slave had to serve; in short, he would become a bondsman for Rachel.

   Laban's daughters felt the degradation of being sold:
"There's nothing for us here - none of our father's wealth will come to us anyway. He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. He sold us, and what he received for us has disappeared." (Genesis 31:14-15)

19 "Agreed!" Laban replied. "I'd rather give her to you than to someone outside the family."

   The offer is accepted and it’s possible that Laban thought that Leah might be married within the seven years to someone else thus clearing the way for Jacob. In that era, they are already nearly “old maids”!

20 So Jacob spent the next seven years working to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

21 Finally, the time came for him to marry her. "I have fulfilled my contract," Jacob said to Laban. "Now give me my wife so we can be married."

22 So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood to celebrate with Jacob at a wedding feast.

23 That night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.

24 And Laban gave Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.

25 But when Jacob woke up in the morning--it was Leah! "What sort of trick is this?" Jacob raged at Laban. "I worked seven years for Rachel. What do you mean by this trickery?"

   I wonder what words were exchanged between Jacob and Leah in the morning! He doesn’t express anger at her, so he must realize that she’s just a pawn in Laban’s hands.

   How is it possible that Jacob did not realize this was Leah when they went to his tent? When did Laban do the switcheroo? Did Rachel and Leah agree to this or did they have no say in it at all? Leah would have been veiled during the wedding feast. The veiled bride was brought to the groom after one week of festivities. Jacob was probably a little “sauced” after a whole week of partying and drinking. When they go to bed it is dark and presumably Leah kept silent. Thus Jacob does not realize until daylight that it’s Leah he’s slept with. And by then it is too late. He is legally committed to Leah and can’t get rid of her.

   As I said earlier, perhaps, Laban had assumed that Leah would be married off within those seven years, but it hadn’t happened, and custom forbade Rachel being married first. In fact, Laban is starting to think he’ll never be able to sell them off. Instead of being open and honest, he foists Leah on Jacob.

   Remember what I said last week, that some Jewish traditions teach that Leah was supposed to marry Esau. But, Esau failed miserably and didn’t get the best that God intended! I know a few people, including myself, who failed to recognize God’s direction and went their own way, ending up with God’s alternate, but inferior, plan. But, I believe that God knew all along what kind of character Esau would exhibit.

   Doesn’t this sound very familiar? Remember how Jacob lied to his father Isaac pretending to be his brother Esau.

   When Jacob realizes what has happened, he is furious and immediately marches in to where Laban is to lay his complaint. The terms of his contract have been broken.

   But Laban has his excuses ready. He is a smooth-tongued liar and confident because he’s in control here. Jacob can do nothing.

   In Jewish weddings today, the groom sees the bride unveiled to confirm she is the correct woman; then he puts the veil on her. This tradition is done to avoid the problem Jacob had.

26 "It's not our custom to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn," Laban replied.

   The taking of a second wife was not uncommon then, as was the taking of slave-wives. The marrying by one man of two sisters was later forbidden (Leviticus 18:18).

   Every one in the tribe would know the situation, and they were probably laughing at Jacob behind his back.

   However, Laban gives him with an offer. Let him go through the seven-day wedding feast without trouble, giving Leah her full due, and then he can also marry Rachel. After which, he must work another seven years for the privilege.

27 "Wait until the bridal week is over, and you can have Rachel, too--that is, if you promise to work another seven years for me."

   I found on Jewish sites that Orthodox Jews have a tradition called “Sheva Berachos” - "Seven Blessings’’ - a week-long wedding celebration. The Talmud describes the custom in considerable detail. Rather than going on a “honeymoon” to some exotic locale as soon as their vows are exchanged and their wedding dinner consumed, traditionally observant Jewish couples remain for a week in the community in which they plan to make their lives. During that time, neither bride nor groom will work at their regular jobs so they can spend their days together in rest, privacy, or setting up a new household. In the evenings, however, they are honored at different dinner parties every night, hosted by various members of the community.

   The climax of each night’s banquet is the recitation, over twin cups of wine, of the actual "seven blessings" themselves, repeating a key element of the wedding ceremony. One of the wine glasses is passed around the table to different members of the community who are supposed to sing one of the blessings on the new husband and wife. The final formulation reads, in part, "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who created joy and gladness, groom and bride, mirth, glad song, pleasure, delight, love, brotherhood, peace, and companionship.” At the conclusion of the brief ceremony, the two cups of wine are mixed, and their contents divided into a third cup, making one goblet each for the bride, the groom, and the community member who led the blessings.

28 So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.

   Leah’s part was not a happy one for she knows it is her sister that Jacob wants, but knew a woman could be married off (or “sold”) by her father, and had no real choice in the matter. Just imagine how difficult it would be to be married to two sisters!

29 And Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.

   Laban provides a handmaid for his daughter from his household. The suggestion is that that is all that she receives. Laban is hard-nosed.

30 So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her more than Leah. He then stayed and worked the additional seven years.

   Had Jacob got Rachel at first, for whom he had honestly and faithfully served seven years, there is no evidence whatever that he would have taken a second wife.

31 But because Leah was unloved, the LORD let her have a child, while Rachel was childless.

   Having a son was extremely important in Jacob’s day for such a son or sons would inherit the family tribe and wealth and maintain the family name and take care of the parents when they were old and feeble. A man felt he lived on in his sons. They would also eventually strengthen Jacob’s position. So, Leah was delighted when she bears not one but four sons. But Rachel was barren and was devastated.

32 So Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me

   *Reuben means "Look, a son!" It also sounds like the Hebrew for "He has seen my misery."

   The names given by Leah are used to express the pain in her heart by a play on words. She is afflicted, Jehovah has heard that she is unloved, and she feels that her husband is not really one with her. But now that she has borne a full complement of sons - three is the number of completeness - she is confident that Jacob will now love her. She knows how important sons are to him and knows that she has fulfilled her responsibility.

33 She soon became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Simeon*, for she said, "The LORD** heard that I was unloved and has given me another son."

   *Simeon probably means "one who hears."

   **LORD - Note the reference to the LORD (Jehovah). She worships Jacob’s God.

34 Again she became pregnant and had a son. She named him Levi*, for she said, "Surely now my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!"

   *Levi sounds like a Hebrew term that means "being attached" or "feeling affection for."

35 Once again she became pregnant and had a son. She named him Judah, for she said, "Now I will praise the LORD!" And then she stopped having children.

   *Judah sounds like the Hebrew term for "praise." It is through the line of Judah that Jesus comes.

   With three sons her confidence had returned. Everyone would be congratulating her. So when a fourth is born she can express praise to Jehovah God. Her husband’s God has been good to her and she acknowledges His goodness in the name of her son.

   What are the lessons learned from this chapter?

RESOURCES:

• “BibleGateway.com”


• “Bible.org”


• “Gleanings in Genesis”


• "Heartlight’s Search God’s Word"


• “New Living Translation” – Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.


• “New International Biblical Commentary - Genesis” – John E. Hartley – Hendrickson Publishers


• “Scriptures for the Whole House of Israel


• “The Genesis Record” – Henry M. Morris – Baker Book House