Genesis 29

Chap. XXIX. Ver. 2. A great stone was upon the well’s mouth.—In Arabia, in the East; and salam, which is a wish of peace, implies their usual same time, it was impossible for him to forget the gracious encouragement he had met with in his way at Bethel, or the pleasing prospect of a kind reception, especially from the object of his affection. Ah! how many ingredients go to form the bliss or misery of a moment! Jacob kissed Rachel and wept! Ver. 15—35. Jacob contracts for Rachel, and is married to Leah.—When Jacob was introduced to Laban, we are informed he “told him all things;” that is, explained his situation, so far as to account for his appearance alone and unattended, for otherwise Laban might of wonder to find him come in such an humble form, with a staff only; when Abraham sent his head servant with rich presents, and camels, and attendants, when he sent for a wife for Isaac.

Laban appears to sympathize with him, saying, “Surely thou art bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh;” while, at the same time, finding Jacob so active and useful a servant, he endeavours to turn these circumstances to his own advantage. “True,” said he, “thou art my brother,” (or kinsman,) but that is no reason thou shalt serve me for nothing: What shall thy wages be? Jacob then makes the offer of seven years servitude for Rachel, which is accepted, and such was his affection, that they appear to him but as a few days. When they were expired, however, he demanded his wife, to which Laban appeared cheerfully to agree, and made a marriage feast; but, at the consummation of the marriage, Laban fraudulently introduced his eldest daughter instead of Rachel, which was not difficult, as the bride was always closely veiled.

In the morning, when the imposition was discovered, and Jacob complained to Laban, the latter excused himself from the custom of the country, which would not allow him to marry off his younger daughter before the elder. But this, if true, Laban knew from the beginning, and should have candidly informed him: but Laban’s plan was doubtless to retain Jacob for another seven years, and to marry off both his daughters. It seems not difficult in this case to penetrate Jacob’s feelings and reflections, and it is not improbable but a confession of the manner in which he had deceived his father Isaac, first suggested to Laban the plan of deceiving him. On this occasion, Bishop Hall very properly remarks as follows:—“Jacob’s mother had before, in a cunning disguise, substituted him, who was the younger son, for the elder; and now his father-in-law, substitutes to him the elder daughter for the younger by a like fraud, God comes oftentimes home to us in our own kind; and even by the sin of others pays us for our own, when we look not for it.

It is doubtful whether it were a greater cross to marry whom he would not, or to be disappointed of her whom he desired.” ‘As the marriage was, however, consummated, it was too late to recall it; Laban, therefore, proposes to complete the marriage feast, and then gives him Rachel also, thus economically the feast serve for both weddings: and that Jacob, making one by one, might not fear another disappointment, he allows him to take “for the service thou shalt serve with me yet other seven years.” Thus Jacob was drawn into polygamy, evidently without consent, and gave another example of its evils; for he loved Rachel better than her sister, who seems to have had weak or tender eyes, which made her the less likely to be sought in marriage.

The partiality of Jacob to Rachel appears to have afforded Leah great uneasiness. And therefore Providence compensated her want of personal charms by rendering her fruitful; for she bare to Jacob four children, while his beloved Rachel continued barren, which was considered as a great misfortune among the Hebrew women. Thus “God setteth one thing over against the other,” balancing circumstances of prosperity and affliction, that we may not have reason to say his ways are not equal. ((Ecclesiastes 7:14). (Ezekiel 18:2).) Leah had the honour to bear the four first of the twelve Patriarchs, and she named them, as was common among the ancients, from existing circumstances. Thus, because her firstborn was a son, according to her wishes, she named him Reuben, which our translators explain in the margin, “See a son!”

The second was called Simeon, that is, “Hearing;” because, saith she, God hath heard my affliction, and hath given me a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach,” for as such barrenness was always considered among the Hebrews; “and she called his name Joseph,” that is, “Adding;” and said, “the Lord shall add (or may he add) to me another son!” He did so some time after in the person of Benjamin, with whom she died in childbed. Alas! how often are our wishes fatal! So soon as Rachel was recovered from her lying-in, Jacob began to think seriously of returning to his father’s house, and applied to Laban for his dismission. Laban, however, entreated him to stay; for, said he, “I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.”

He was, therefore, anxious to retain his services, and offers to give him wages; but Jacob having seen an admonitory vision, (ch. xxxi. 11.) offers to continue his services for the spotted cattle only. This narrative is confessedly obscure, and appears confused; but the antiquity of the book, and the want of collateral records, are sufficient to account for this; what appears intelligible and certain may be brought under two or three remarks. 1. It appears evident, that before Laban agreed to Jacob’s proposal, he carefully separated all the spotted cattle from his flocks, and sent them by his own sons to the distance of three days’ journey, which not only prevented Jacob from claiming any of these speckled sheep or goats already in existence, but, in a great measure, the chance of such being produced in future; and it should seem that Laban so understood it, by the readiness with which he assented to this plan.

Jacob having now no spotted cattle to produce their like, has recourse to a stratagem, which completely answered his design.—2. How far Jacob can be vindicated from a selfish policy, it may be hard to say; yet certainly Providence favoured him in a singular manner, which by no means justifies Jacob, for God often prospers worldly and covetous men, as to their temporal concerns: but as the God of Jacob claims the cattle on a thousand hills, he has certainly a right to dispose of them as he pleases. 3. As Jacob was justly punished for deceiving his father, in the fraud practised upon him by Laban; so Laban was as justly punished for the cheat practised in imposing Leah upon Jacob, after making him serve seven years for Rachel; and thus, in fact, defrauding him of seven years’ labour, besides fixing on him for life a woman he disliked.

4. Though it is not easy to explain exactly all the particulars, Laban certainly was a hard and capricious master, who had changed the wages of his son-in-law ten times, as he complains. First, he was to have Rachel, then Leah, then again Rachel; then the spotted cattle, and the ring-streaked; and probably other changes, of which we know not. Both his wives, Leah as well as Rachel, admitted the harsh conduct of their father, and proposed to accompany Jacob wherever he might go. Lastly, God himself confirms the charge against Laban, as we shall see in verse 12 of the following chapter. Indeed, the hand of God is evident in all these transactions; and if, for the last six years, Jacob was enriched at the expense of Laban, Laban himself admits that, for the fourteen years preceding, he had been blessed for Jacob’s sake.

Chap. XXXI. Ver. 1—24. Jacob departs secretly from Laban.—Jacob having overheard the murmuring of Laban’s sons,

Notes on the verses

and other places, they cover up their wells of water, lest the sand, which is put into motion by the winds, should fill and quite stop them up. (Chardin.) So great was their care not to leave the well open any length of time, that they waited till the flocks were all gathered together before they began to draw water; and when they had finished, the well was immediately closed again.—Harmer’s Observ. Ver. 2, 3. For sheep, the Samaritan and Arabic read shepherds, which the Hebrew sufficiently implies; for sheep would not come without a shepherd; neither could sheep roll away the stone, Ver. 6. Is he well? And they said, He is well.—The Hebrew reads, ‘Is there peace? And they said, Peace.” This is the usual form of expression form of salutation.

Ver. 7. It is yet high day.—The Hebrew reads “Yet the day is great;’ —Dr. Clarke. That is, there was time to give the flocks another feed before watering. Ver. 9. For she kept them.—{In those primitive times, a pastoral life was not only considered useful but honourable; nor was it beneath the dignity of the daughters of the most opulent chiefs to carry water from the well, or tend the sheep. Jacob, Moses, and David, were shepherds; and the scholiast on the Odyssey, informs us, that the sons of kings were often keepers of flocks. Indeed the title given to Agamemnon, and other ancient monarchs, was, “shepherd of his people.”’—Bagster, Ver. 17. Tender-eyed.—(Dr. Adam Clarke thinks that the original word denotes just the reverse of the signification generally given to it; and that it signifies “soft, delicate, lovely.”

The design of the inspired writer, he observes, is to compare both the sisters together, that the balance may appear greatly in favour of Rachel. The chief recommendation of Leah, was her soft and beautiful eyes; but Rachel was yephath tear, beautiful in her shape, person, mien, and gait; and yephath mareh, beautiful in her countenance.—The words plainly signify a fine shape and fine features; all that can be considered as essential to personal beauty.]—Bagster. Ver. 18. And Jacob loved Rachel, &c.—Because he had no money or other goods which he could give to the father for his daughter, he offers seven years servitude. For among many people of the East, in ancient and modern times, we find it customary, not for the bride to bring a dowry to the bridegroom, but the bridegroom must, in a manner, purchase the girl whom he intends to marry from the father, by either cattle or money; and sometimes (when poor) by personal service.

Thus the Burdooraunees in Cabul, even at this day, live some of them with their future father-in-law, and earn their bride by their services, like Jacob and Rachel, without ever seeing the object of their wishes.—Elphinston’s Cabul. Orient. Lit. Ver. 29. And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him.—* This deceit of giving Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel, was the more easy, because the bride was introduced veiled to the bridegroom. ‘The following passage from Olearius (Travels in Persia) is particularly applicable here: ‘If they are people of any consideration, they keep up their daughters locked up in their chambers, to hide them from view; and they cannot be seen by the bridegroom till they are received in the chamber.

In this manner many a one is deceived, and receives, instead of a handsome, a deformed and ugly girl; nay, instead of the daughter, some other relation, or even a servant maid,”’—Orient. Cust. Ver. 24. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah, Zilpah his maid for a handmaid.—Chardin observes, that none but very poor people marry a daughter in the East, without giving her a female slave for a handmaid; there being no hired servants there as in Europe. So Solomon supposes they were extremely poor that had not a servant. (Proverbs 12:9).—Harmer’s Observ. Ver. 26. It must not be so done in our country.—There is certainly a law among the Hindoos to this effect.—Hathhed’s Code. Ver. 28. Fulfilled her week.—{The public marriage feast, made on this occasion, seems to have formed the regular method of recognising the marriage, and lasted seven days; it would therefore have been improper to have broken off the solemnities to which all the men of the place had been invited, viz.

Judgment. 1 Sam. 1:19. 29:31. “the Lord hath heard that I was hated.” Again, the third time, she bore a son, and called his name Levi, that is, “joined,” (or united,) “because (said she) now will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” A fourth time she conceived and bare Judah, which signifies “Praise;” saying, “Now will I praise the Lord”—in all which she seems to discover good sense and piety. And now she left off bearing for the present, with a strong expression of her gratitude to Divine Providence. “with my staff only.” See Remarks on (Genesis 29)ver. 1, &c. q Ver. 14. Two hundred, &c.—[This was a princely present; and such as was sufficient to compensate Esau for any temporal loss he might have sustained in being deprived of his birth-right and blessing.

The “thirty milch camels” were particularly valuable; for among the Arabs they constitute a principal part of their riches, being every way so serviceable, that the providence of God appears peculiarly kind and wise in moving such animals for those countries, where no other animal could be of equal service. “The she-camel,” as Pliny remarks, “gives milk continually, not ceasing even when with young; the milk of which, when mixed with three parts of water, affords the most pleasant and wholesome beverage.”—Hist. Nat. —Bagster. The camel’s milk among the dishes presented to him by the bride.—Orient. Lit. Harmer remarks that in all these droves, there were neither lambs, kids, or calves. One reason was, they were driven on hastily to meet Esau: see prayer 13.

Another, that in case Esau should prove hostile, these might be preserved.