Book of Genesis Chapter 29 Commentary by Pastor
Ron Beckham
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 29:1-8
Verse 1. "Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the sons of the east."
Jacob, son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, continued on his journey from the area of Bethel (also called Luz), in Canaan, near the Mediterranean Sea, to Haran, which was in the area of modern-day Syria. It is possible he made the approximately 200-mile inland journey alone, though he might have taken one or more of his father's servants with him. It is unlikely he walked that distance; instead he probably rode on a camel and was leading another camel on a tether, carrying whatever basic supplies were needed for the journey.
He had been filled with apprehension about this dangerous trip for the normal reasons of the time which included robbers and wild animals along this Damascus Road journey. But he must have looked over his shoulder often to see who might be following him because of the threatening thought that his twin brother, Esau, might be right behind him (Genesis 27:41). The relationship between these two had never been good, but now it was worse than ever because Jacob had used deceit to steal the blessing of the eldest son from Esau. The good news in all of this were the Lord's words to him in Genesis 28:15, when He promised, "I am with you." Whoever you are, He is with you as well.
Verses 2-3. "He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large. When all the flocks were gathered there, they would then roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well."
Jacob had arrived at a point near Haran, or as it was called in the preceding chapter, "Padan-Aram" (which is the area of modern Syria). Haran was the specific community he sought, which was located within that much larger area. The "well in the field" was likely the same well seen by Abraham's servant many years before, as recorded in Genesis Chapter 24. This place was fertile and green because of the underground water that had been tapped into by local inhabitants, and Jacob liked what he saw in that place.
Jacob had visited a lot of wells during his lifetime in Canaan, and as he looked around near the well, he noticed "three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it." They probably were well-cared for because he did not comment about any problems in relation to them. But he did observe with interest an unusually large stone that covered the well when it was not in use and then the stone would be rolled away to one side when the sheep (or the villagers) needed water.
Verses 4-5. "Jacob said to them, 'My brothers, where are you from?' And they said, 'We are from Haran.' He said to them, 'Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?' And they said, 'We know him.'"
Jacob now walked up to the shepherds who were with the sheep and began to ask them questions. He came right to the point, asking them where they lived, to which they replied, "We are from Haran." Jacob had no doubt been given very good directions by his parents about how to find his relatives in Haran before he left Canaan. After all, his mother, Rebekah, originated from the very place where he stood at the moment. But much like most of us today, he wouldn't have felt fully comfortable with those directions until he actually knew he had arrived in the place he sought.
He was now there and the reply of the shepherds was precisely what he needed to hear. Haran was nearby. This was the well he had been looking for, probably the very same well his mother had drawn water from when she was a young girl. He likely smiled at that moment, as he now asked, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" Laban was Jacob's uncle, the brother of his mother, and his smile would have grown even wider as the shepherds replied, "We know him."
Verse 6. "And he said to them, 'Is it well with him?' And they said, 'It is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.'"
Jacob was continuing to speak with shepherds at a well near the town of Haran, and he now asked them if all was well with his uncle Laban. Years had likely passed since the latest word had come to Canaan from Haran and he no doubt wondered if Laban was still alive. The shepherds answered that his uncle was doing very well indeed and then they looked up and pointed to a young girl who was leading sheep toward the well. They said to Jacob, "Here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep."
At the moment he could not have asked for anything more. He was in the right place near the town of Haran, and here came a young lady named "Rachel" who was his first cousin, the daughter of his mother's brother. All the worries of the past few weeks began to fade as he continued to speak with these shepherds, but his eyes were on his cousin as she came ever closer to the well. Was she pretty? he may have wondered as he stared intently at this still-distant girl. Was this the one he was intended to marry?
Verses 7-8. "He said, 'Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.' But they said, 'We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.'"
Jacob was now giving advice, pointing out to the shepherds that there was still a lot of time left in the day and he was asking them: Why don't you go ahead and water the sheep now and then return them to their regular pasture? It is very possible that Jacob's motive here was to get these men out of the way so that he could talk with Rachel alone. Another motivation may be found in the basic personality of Jacob - He was not a hunter, an outdoorsman like his brother, but we will get a good look at Jacob as this chapter unfolds. He was an industrious man who also happened to be an effective shepherd.
What he did, he did well, and he might well have been looking at the shepherds he was speaking to and judged them with a critical eye - Why were they just standing around at this well when the day was still young? But these men replied that it was the custom in their community to wait until all of the various herds of sheep from all of the owners were present before the large stone was rolled away and the animals were given water from the well.
Lord, help us to learn from this chapter and from all of the Books given to us in Scripture, that we might grow in understanding the grace and knowledge of God, given to us so eloquently in our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 29:9-15
Verse 9. "While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess."
Jacob's conversation with the men at the well suddenly ended and was for now forgotten by him. He may have surprised his listeners as he stopped talking in the middle of a sentence and his jaw likely dropped open because Rachel had now walked up to the well with her sheep. He no longer worried or cared about why the men were standing around instead of watering the sheep because Rachel was there and he was smitten. And it was obvious that "she was a shepherdess." How perfect for him because he was an accomplished, experienced shepherd himself. Not only was she the cousin he had never met, but he also felt that they would be perfect for each other - for life! Jacob was elated.
Verses 10-11. "When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept."
Jacob no longer cared about the men who stood near him or why they were just talking and standing around. He only had eyes for Rachel. He had been ordered by his father to go to this very place, find his mother's family and marry the daughter of her brother. And here he was. He was blessedly in the right place, this very pretty daughter of his uncle was right in front of him and he had no doubts in his mind whatsoever: this lovely girl, this Rachel, she was the one!
He didn't hesitate, he didn't care about the local customs as to when it was appropriate to water sheep, he just strode over to the well, surprised the other shepherds by single-handedly pushing away the heavy stone, and began to water the sheep she had brought to this well. Some time must have passed as he brought up bucket after bucket until each one of her sheep had been watered. Then he could not stand it any longer and strode over to Rachel, embraced her, kissed her, and openly wept for joy!
Verse 12. "Jacob told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father."
Who was this man? He had watered all of her sheep and then he had come right up to her, hugged her tightly in a manner that was somewhat inappropriate but strangely pleasant all at the same time, and then he kissed her! And in addition he had cried in public, right in front of her! He was a man and he had openly cried! She was touched by all of this, but still did not know what to make of it? Who was he? Why did he cry? Why did he water her sheep? Why had he kissed her?
It was at this moment that Jacob, through his tears, managed to croak out the words that he was not a stranger after all; he was a relative of her father! And now he blurted out a name that would have been familiar to everyone in the family. "Rebekah," her father's sister, was his mother! He was her first cousin, the son of Rebekah! This was real news and she responded with real emotion. She did not say a word, she was not able to - Rachel simply gasped, turned and ran, back to her father's house and she then told her father everything that had happened. The sheep were forgotten; all she could think and talk about was this - "Jacob."
Verses 13-14. "So when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things. Laban said to him, 'Surely you are my bone and my flesh.' And he stayed with him a month."
In our "modern" world, people often travel great distances, and thousands of miles may separate family members from one another. The two halves of this family were actually only a few hundred miles apart, but two hundred miles in those days was comparatively more than thousands today. There were no telephones, computer communications didn't exist and if someone traveled even a relatively short distance from home, they likely would never see the place or its people again.
This meeting of Laban and Jacob was, for those concerned, the event of a lifetime. Jacob's uncle Laban, who will be revealed as a crafty trickster in subsequent verses, was for now completely overcome with emotion at the sight of Jacob. He literally RAN to meet his nephew from far away, greeted him with a warm hug and kiss, and took him to his home. They probably stayed awake far into the night as Jacob told him and the others EVERYTHING about the events of the family in far off Canaan. Laban smiled broadly as he said, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." A month now passed between this verse and the next one.
Verse 15. "Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?'"
One element of Jacob's personality is revealed here that was not shown clearly in previous accounts about his nature and his life. Not only was he something of a schemer like his mother and, compared to his brother, Esau, a mama's boy, but he was also a hard worker in his own right. In the month that passed between Verses 14 and 15, we can see here that Jacob had SERVED Laban as a shepherd and in other ways. This younger man had done a lot of hard work for his uncle, using skills that he had undoubtedly learned back at his home in the land of Canaan.
This "Laban" had become a shrewd judge of character. He had watched Jacob carefully during the past month. His nephew was a dedicated worker who was skilled in what he did. His tending of the sheep was as effective as any shepherd he had ever seen. The sheep were well-fed, protected, and they seemed to thrive under his care. Jacob was someone he wanted to keep with his family, for life if possible. After some thought he asked Jacob, a man who had sought nothing so far: "What shall your wages be?"
Father, teach us from this historical account about the life of Jacob. He had been a young man concerned about the things of this world, and God was subtly, behind the scenes and then openly, changing his mind, his life, his very soul. Lord, change us as well. Enable us to become people who trust in God, follow Your Holy Spirit and work effectively for You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 29:16-25
Verses 16-17. "Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face."
As we saw in Verse 15, Laban had done a lot of thinking about his nephew, Jacob. The younger man was a "catch," an effective hard worker who could become an invaluable asset for the future. Laban had daughters but it was not the custom in that culture for daughters to inherit an estate. Instead the animals, tents and other items of value he possessed would pass to a chief servant, as it would have happened for Abraham in previous years (Genesis 15:2). But if the girls married well, his estate would be theirs through a good husband.
And so he was thinking not only about Jacob, but also about his daughters, Leah, the older girl, and Rachel, the younger one. There was definitely a "spark" between Jacob and Rachel that he could exploit to keep Jacob with him. He considered Leah, who was the older daughter, noting that Leah was not only plain in appearance, but she also had "weak" eyes. In today's world, she would have been issued glasses that enabled her to see effectively, but in that time and place she merely squinted a lot which didn't help her appearance. Rachel, on the other hand, "was beautiful of form and face." Laban must have thought, "Hmmm," as he considered the two girls in relation to his need to keep Jacob with him in Haran.
Verses 18-19. "Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, 'I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.'Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.'"
As we saw in the last verses of Chapter 27, Jacob, son of Esau and Rebekah, had been told by his mother to "flee to (her) brother, Labah in Haran and stay with him a few days..." (Verses 43-44). Rebekah wanted to save this son from the murderous intention of his brother, Esau. We are now seeing in Chapter 29 that the "few days" were about to become many years. And so it is with all of our plans - We are blind to the future, often thinking we know something about it when we really don't. Days can become years and the reverse is true also. Speculation about the future, by the way, is far less significant than placing our faith in the Lord - He knows your tomorrow.
It was the custom in that society and in most of the world for many centuries, that the promise of marriage was a contract between the young woman's father and the potential groom. The theory was that the bride's father was older, not passionately involved like his daughter may have been, and he could help her to not make a mistake. Oddly the system often worked better than the system of today, in which two people in lust or in love (they are not sure) make all the decisions. Marriage has never been as happy as we would hope, but the divorce rate is so high that the new method is looking worse than the old.
The contract was now entered into between Rachel's father, Laban, and Jacob. If you are concerned, by the way, that Jacob's family broke God's law by marrying family members to one another, that Law was not given by God until hundreds of years later (Leviticus 18). Jacob's grandfather, Abraham, married his half-sister (Genesis 20:11-12) and was not condemned for it. In this verse, Jacob made an offer to Laban - the bride price, the dowry for Rachel, would be seven years of hard work and Laban accepted the offer. They may well have authenticated the contract by the placing of a hand under the thigh, Abraham did in Genesis 24:2-3.
Verses 20-21. "So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.'"
All of the evidence of these verses in Genesis is that Jacob was an effective, diligent worker. The proof is Uncle Laban, who, at a time when no worker-protection laws existed, would simply get rid of someone who couldn't or wouldn't do the work. Jacob's seven years of work as a sheepherder and no doubt other functions he performed were accepted without question and now it was time for payment - Laban's daughter, Rachel, by an agreement made seven years before, was to become Jacob's wife.
It's interesting to see the deviousness of this family. Jacob's mother, Rebekah, was the sister of his Uncle Laban, and we saw in Chapter 27 that she and Jacob, at her urging, deceived her husband, his father, the blind man named Isaac. We will see in Verse 23 that Laban would now deceive the deceiver. He would trick Jacob into marrying the wrong daughter, and you have to wonder: How long had this deception been in Laban's mind before he carried it out? You can note in a careful reading of Verse 19 that Laban did not precisely agree to what Jacob thought he did. This deception may have been Laban's intent from the beginning.
Verses 22-24. "Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid."
The "feast" in these Verses represented the custom of a marriage within a wealthy family. The feast contained more than just dancing, singing, games and other forms of entertainment. Everyone present, including Jacob, the groom-to-be, consumed great quantities of wine. There would have been laughter, words said that should have been left unsaid, possibly a few fights, and more. Jacob would have had no idea that the outcome of all this was to be a deception that was to change his whole life.
The happy, drunken Jacob, now went into the bridal tent for the commencement of his honeymoon with Rachel. We know the truth because we are reading about something that happened in the past, but Jacob did not know. This was a female person who was about the same size as Rachel, but it was really Leah, the older sister. She was in on the deception, having likely been ordered by her father to keep quiet about it, and perhaps the giving to her of a maid of her own was a bribe. Rachel must have learned about it before it happened also, and if she objected, her father probably ordered that she be restrained and possibly gagged so that the wedding night would not be interrupted.
Verse 25. "So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, 'What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?'"
Jacob awoke in the morning with a feeling of happiness that was greater than any hangover he might have been experiencing. But then he turned and looked at his wife, Rachel, who was lying next to him. But it wasn't Rachel! It was Leah, her older sister! As he thought about it with wide, concerned eyes, "Behold, it was Leah!" He was shocked. He was frightened. He was angry! He had been tricked! He ignored the sobs of his new wife, Leah, and stormed out of the tent, looking for his Uncle Laban, who was now his deceitful father-in-law!
The words of this verse were not quietly spoken. Jacob's statement here was shouted loudly enough to be heard by everyone in Laban's family, and his workers, and by who-knows how many people had stayed for the night after the wedding. He continued shouting, "What is this you have done to me?" and so on. he had worked diligently for seven years as a means of paying the bride-price for Rachel, and when he saw Leah in the morning with her veil removed, it was Leah! "Why then have you deceived me?" he shouted.
Dear God, this world is incredibly filled with deception, anger and sorrow. Help us to know the forgiveness You offer in Christ Jesus. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we might no longer be deceivers but instead become people filled with truth and love. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 29:26-35
Verses 26-27. "But Laban said, 'It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn.' Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years."
The response of Laban in these verses suggests that Jacob's Uncle had not just come up with this scheme at the last minute - He likely had planned it right from the beginning; from the time when Jacob had asked for the hand of Rachel in marriage. Laban's answer was so glib that it likely had been planned for many years. "It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn," would have been the custom long before Jacob came to Haran and Jacob now knew he had been tricked by a master-liar, a man easily a match for Rebekah, who was Jacob's mother and also Laban's sister.
Laban's next sentence had also been planned far in advance of this moment. The promise of Rachel, the young woman that Jacob loved, was still valid, but was instead being delayed. Laban would get another seven years out of him, and Jacob would get Rachel. His jaw must have dropped somewhat and he would have paused before answering. Perhaps he simply nodded and then turned around and left. He loved Rachel and she was worth it. He would stay. He would end up with two wives when he only wanted one. But he would work. She would be his wife.
Verses 28-29. "Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid."
Seven more long years passed between Verses 27 and 28. It was a very long time, not only for Jacob, but also for Rachel, who seems to have loved Jacob about as much as he loved her. Even more though, it was a very long time for Jacob's wife, Leah, who, as we will see in Verses 30-31, felt "unloved." "Leah's eyes were weak," as we saw in Verse 17 and she was not pretty. She felt unloved by her husband, by her father who had done this to her, she didn't particularly like herself, and she might well have had anger at God because this was a culture that 1) believed in Him, and 2) knew that He is the One who gives us our children.
The word "week" in this verse, as in a day of the week, of course actually meant "years" in this context. Jacob had made his decision and he diligently worked hard and effectively for Uncle Laban for seven more years. It was difficult for this man who was part of a family that didn't get over anger easily, but he did it. There was likely another feast, though more somber than before, and Jacob must have kept his wits about him and did not drink as much as before - Who knew what tricks Uncle Laban might still have up his sleeve? And we can notice in Verse 29 that Rachel had been given a maid-servant, similar to the gift their father had given to Leah. This time it was a woman named "Bilhah," a name that meant "foolish" or "simple."
Verse 30. "So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years."
This time Jacob's marriage really was to Rachel. He had married her at last, after seven years of waiting! He truly did love this girl, and it is unfortunate for Leah that she had to experience what turned out to be a lifetime of being unloved by the man who was her husband, but whose heart belonged to her sister. Jacob seems to have given little thought at the moment to possibly returning with his new family, to his mother's home in Canaan. Rebekah, his mother, had encouraged him to go to Laban's home in Haran "for a few days" (Genesis 27:44), which now was entering the last third of what was to become at least twenty-one years. It is not said in Genesis that he ever again saw his mother alive. Rebekah is subsequently mentioned in Genesis 49:31, as one of the occupants of the family burial plot in the land of Canaan.
Verse 31. "Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren."
If you feel unloved by your parents, your spouse or some other person or persons of great significance, you might carefully and prayerfully read the words of this verse and the ones that follow. When we look up from our sorrow it's important to note that the Lord is aware of our need. Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sent to earth for that very purpose; there is a gaping hole in our "hearts," right in the center of our being, a place that only God can touch and heal. He knows your loneliness, your need, and He has a better solution for our lives than we could ever grasp.
We often can find by becoming willing to look at life through God's perspective, that something better than what we wanted has been or is being given to us. In Leah's case, the Lord gave her sons, a valuable commodity in that society. No matter what might happen to Jacob, Leah's husband, her sons would take care of her in her old age. She would love them, she would care for them, and they would later on care for her. But even more than spouses, love or family, is the Presence of God in our lives. Anything, anyone of this world, even including our own bodies, is only something temporary because everything in humanity is passing away. Leah needed to trust in the the Lord, and so do we!
Verses 32-35. "Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, 'Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.' Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, 'Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.' So she named him Simeon. She conceived again and bore a son and said, 'Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.'" Therefore he was named Levi. And she conceived again and bore a son and said, 'This time I will praise the Lord.' Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing."
Four sons. God saw that Leah was unloved by her husband and knew she felt badly about herself as so many people do, and He was moved by her feelings about her circumstances, just as He is moved by yours. You have not been forgotten. You are just as loved as David was, who would later say, "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off... and are acquainted with all my ways" (Psalm 139:1 and forward). It's good and profitable for you to prayerfully read that chapter many times, until it becomes a part of you. God knows your name. He knows everything about you and me, and He loves us utterly - anyway.
Leah's first son was "Reuben," a name which meant "behold a son." He would later be the key progenitor of a tribe in the not-yet existing country of Israel, a people who would occupy the place then called "the land of Canaan." Her next son was "Simeon," a name that likely meant "hearing," probably relating to the fact that God had heard Leah's cry, answering her loneliness with the gift of children. The third was "Levi," ("a joining"), possibly an acknowledgement that he had joined his brothers in the family, or it meant that Leah's sons were joining her to Jacob, her husband. The fourth was "Judah," a name that meant something like, "Let God be praised." All of these sons would be among the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel. It is from the name "Judah," that the term "Jew" has been applied to descendants of the entire nation. Leah's sister, Rachel, had not yet borne any children, and now suddenly, Leah stopped bearing.
Lord, hear our cry. Let injustice, whether done by us or done to us, be taken out of our lives. We give ourselves and our need - to You. Please hear us, Lord, and grant to us the desire of our heart. Thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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