Genesis 29:8

8 And they said, "We are not able, until all the flocks are gathered. Then the stone is rolled away from the mouth of the well, and we water the sheep."

Genesis 29:8 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 29:8

And they said, we cannot
That is, water the sheep; either because the stone was a great one, as Jarchi observes, and therefore used to be removed by the joint strength of all the shepherds when they came together, though Jacob rolled it away of himself afterwards; but this is imputed to his great strength: or rather it was a custom that obtained among them, or an agreement made between them, that the stone should not be removed from the mouth of the well, and any flock watered,

until all the flocks be gathered together;
and therefore they could not fairly and rightly do it, without violating the law and custom among them:

and [till] they roll the stone from the well's mouth;
that is, the shepherds of the several flocks:

then we water the sheep;
and not till then.

Genesis 29:8 In-Context

6 And he said to them, "{Is he well}?" And they said, "[He is] well. Now look, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep."

7 And he said, "Look, [it is] still {broad daylight}; it is not the time [for] the livestock to be gathered. Give water to the sheep and go, pasture them."

8 And they said, "We are not able, until all the flocks are gathered. Then the stone is rolled away from the mouth of the well, and we water the sheep."

9 While he was speaking with them, Rachel came with the sheep which belonged to her father, for she was pasturing [them].

10 And it happened [that], when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, Jacob drew near and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.