Genesis 29
The Marriages of Jacob
1So Jacob moved on and came to the land of the eastern people.
The Hebrew word for “moved” is נָשָׂא (nasa), meaning to lift the feet. Jacob was encouraged by God. He did not dread the trip any longer. He was no longer sad about running away from Esau. He had a new spring in his step. He was now going to Haran with a new attitude of finding a wife, returning to Israel, and serving God.
2He saw in the field a well with three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now a large stone covered the mouth of the well.
When Jacob arrived at the outskirts of Haran, he found a well with sheep around it. If sheep were near, then shepherds were near as well.
3When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth.
The stone may have possibly hidden the well from marauders. Marauders often filled the wells to cause famine. Often, stronger tribes would take wells away from weaker shepherds.
4Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.”
Jacob had arrived at his destination.
5So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” “We know him,” they said.
Jacob now was given a connection to Laban. God’s sovereignty was at work. God planned this encounter between Jacob and these Haran shepherds before the foundations of the world.
6“Is he well?” Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well. Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”
The Hebrew word for “now look” is הִנֵּה (hinay), meaning “pay attention, because a tremendous spiritual event or message is about to take place.” The important spiritual event was Rachel.
7Then Jacob said, “Since it is still the middle of the day, it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.”
Jacob was a professional shepherd. He knew what he was talking about.
8“We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water the sheep.”
This was good advice from Jacob, but it was against the custom of the day.
9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them.
Rachel means “ewe lamb,”
10When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he went over and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban.
Laban had no sons at this time, so Rachel was a shepherdess. This was not unusual in the Semitic culture.
11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly.
This was the customary Semitic greeting at this time.
12When Jacob explained to Rachel that he was a relative of her father and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father.
Jacob and Rachel were kissing cousins.
13When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban how he was related to him.
Laban remembered all of the wealth that Abraham’s servant brought as a bridal price for his sister Rebekah over 97 years ago. Laban had not heard from his sister since she left to get married to Isaac. Jacob told him the 97 year history of Isaac and Rebekah.
14Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” So Jacob stayed with him for a month.
A month is a long time to stay as a guest without working. Also, Jacob had his eyes on Rachel.
15Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work for me for nothing because you are my relative? Tell me what your wages should be.”
Uncle Laban was clever. Jacob never said anything about working for him. Jacob has no bridal price. Laban was making a marriage contract with Jacob.
16(Now Laban had two daughters; the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel.
Leah means “wild cow” or “antelope.”
17Leah’s eyes were tender, but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.)
The Hebrew word for “tender” is weak or spoiled. Leah had weak eyes, meaning that either she had poor eyesight, or she was so ugly that it hurt one’s eyes to look at her. Rachel was a knockout with a lovely figure.
18Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.”
The seven years of labor would be the bridal price.
19Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. Stay with me.”
The marriage contract was settled.
20So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because his love for her was so great.
Time goes by fast when one is in love.
21Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. I want to have marital relations with her.”
Jacob was ready for the wedding feast. The wedding feast would last for seven days. The marriage would be consummated at this time.
22So Laban invited all the people of that place and prepared a feast.
Family and friends were invited to the wedding feast.
23In the evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and Jacob had marital relations with her.
Leah entered the marriage tent in a veil under the cover of night, so Jacob assumed it was Rachel. Just as Jacob had deceived his father, now Jacob had been deceived.
24(Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.)
Zilpah means “nearness” or “intimacy.. The transference of servants was part of the law of the Nuzi Tablets of that day.
25In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked me?”
Jacob violated the Abrahamic Covenant when he deceived his father. Now, he was paid back kind-for-kind. Jacob now knew how his father felt when he was deceived.
26“It is not our custom here,” Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn.
This was fine print in the marriage contract which Jacob did not read.
27Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. Then we will give you the younger one too, in exchange for seven more years of work.”
Jacob was to fulfill the bridal week with Leah. At the end of the seven days, he would have another marriage with Rachel. Therefore, Jacob only had to wait seven days for Rachel, not seven years. However, he had to work seven more years for Rachel as part of the second bridal contract.
Laban had violated the Abrahamic Covenant. His curse will come later.
28Jacob did as Laban said. When Jacob completed Leah’s bridal week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
Bigamy was permitted before the Mosaic Law.
29(Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.)
Bilhah means “terror.” The transference of servants was part of the law of the Nuzi Tablets.
30Jacob had marital relations with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban for seven more years.
When a man possessed two wives and he loves one more than the other, then it will cause trouble in that household.
The Family of Jacob
31When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to become pregnant while Rachel remained childless.
The Hebrew word for “unloved” is שָׂנֵא (sana), a qal passive verb, meaning not chosen. Many English versions mistranslate this verb to mean that Leah was “hated.” This English definition is too strong. It is sometimes used of God, so skeptics and liberals like to use this stronger translation. It is a way they can attack God and the Bible, as they attempt to show that God loves some and hates others. God loves everyone, but He chooses some and allows others to make their own choices. This Hebrew verb שָׂנֵא (sana) has more to do with election and predestination than it does with the emotions of God.
Many English versions of the Bible are translated by skeptics and liberals who subtly attack the Bible by mistranslating it. Most believers do not have enough Hebrew and Greek skills to become Bereans to check out these translations. This is why every believer needs to study the original languages. Otherwise, they will be deceived. Satan has placed his own servants in the fields of Bible translations, commentaries, and elder boards.
This verse should be translated as “Jehovah saw that Leah was not Jacob’s first choice, so He enabled her to become pregnant while Rachel remained childless.” A child was considered a gift from God, so this would make Leah extremely happy, especially since she was to birth a child before her sister.
32So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. Surely my husband will love me now.”
Reuben means “Behold, a son.” Leah was hoping that since she had the first son, then he would become the seed-son. Hopefully, Jacob would love her more for giving birth to the seed son.
33She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, He gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.
Simeon means “heard.” The Hebrew word for “unloved” שָׂנֵא (sana) does not mean “hated,” as many English versions translate. Instead, it means “not chosen,” or “not the first choice.” Leah was still Jacob’s second choice.
34She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Now this time my husband will show me affection, because I have given birth to three sons for him.” That is why he was named Levi.
Levi means “joined.” The Levites will become the official Jewish priests of God. The Levites were the result of an undesired and unplanned wedding.
35She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” That is why she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
The Hebrew word for Judah means “He will be praised.” Judah will become the official royal monarchy of Israel. The line of Judah will also be the line of the Messiah. The royal line and the seed-son will come from an unplanned and undesired marriage.
Notice that Leah stopped having children at this time. Rachel was most likely extremely jealous, because her older sister, Leah, was blessed with four children and she had none. Therefore, she pressured Jacob into cutting off marital relations with Leah. This stoppage will continue until Leah offers Rachel some mandrakes.
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In conclusion, the human viewpoint of the satanic world system teaches that children are a product of random variation and chance.
The divine viewpoint of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God teaches that children are a gift of God. It is God’s sovereignty which decides human fertility. Some people are called to have few or many children and some are called to have no children. Whatever the situation, one should be happy with the choice that God had made for them in this life. God knows what He is doing.
The human viewpoint is that God loves some and hates others.
The divine viewpoint is that God loves everyone, but He chooses some for salvation and leaves others to make their own choices.