Genesis 29:18

18 And Jacob loved Rachel and said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter."

Genesis 29:18 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 29:18

And Jacob loved Rachel
As he seems to have done from the moment he saw her at the well, being beautiful, modest, humble, affable, diligent, and industrious:

and he said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger
daughter:
signifying, that he desired no other wages for his service than that, that he might have her for his wife, at the end of seven years' servitude, which he was very willing to oblige himself to, on that condition; for having no money to give as a dowry, as was customary in those times, he proposed servitude instead of it; though Schmidt thinks this was contrary to custom, and that Laban treated his daughters like bondmaids, and such as are taken captives or strangers, and sold them, of which they complain, ( Genesis 31:15 ) .

Genesis 29:18 In-Context

16 Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older [was] Leah, and the name of the younger [was] Rachel.
17 Now the eyes of Leah [were] dull, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel and said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter."
19 Then Laban said, "Better [that] I give her to you than I give her to another man. Stay with me."
20 And Jacob worked for Rachel seven years, but they were as a few days in his eyes because he loved her.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.