Genesis 29

Jacob Meets Rachel

1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of 1the sons of the east.
2 He looked, and saw 2a 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.
3 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.
4 Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from 3Haran."
5 He said to them, "Do you know Laban the 4son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him."
6 And he said to them, "Is it well with him?" And they said, "It is well, and here is 5Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep."
7 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."
8 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."
9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 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.
11 Then Jacob 6kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept.
12 Jacob told Rachel that he was a 7relative of her father and that he was Rebekah's son, and 8she ran and told her father.
13 So when 9Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister's son, he ran to meet him, and 10embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Then he related to Laban all these things.
14 Laban said to him, "Surely you are 11my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him a month.
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall 12your wages be?"
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was 13beautiful of form and face.
18 Now Jacob 14loved Rachel, so he said, "15I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel."
19 Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me."
20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed * to him but a few days 16because of his love for her.

Laban's Treachery

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may 17go in to her."
22 Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast.
23 Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her.
24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid.
25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, "18What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you 19deceived me?"
26 But Laban said, "It is not the practice * in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn.
27 "Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which 20you shall serve with me for another seven years."
28 Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife.
29 Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.
30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed 21he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for 22another seven years.
31 Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
32 Leah conceived and bore a son and named * him Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has 23seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me."
33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, "24Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also." So she named * him Simeon.
34 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 * 25Levi.
35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore * she named * him 26Judah. Then she stopped bearing.

Images for Genesis 29

Cross References 26

  • 1. Judges 6:3, 33
  • 2. Genesis 24:10, 11; Exodus 2:15, 16
  • 3. Genesis 28:10
  • 4. Genesis 24:24, 29
  • 5. Exodus 2:16
  • 6. Genesis 33:4
  • 7. Genesis 28:5
  • 8. Genesis 24:28
  • 9. Genesis 24:29-31
  • 10. Genesis 33:4
  • 11. Genesis 2:23; Judges 9:2; 2 Samuel 5:1; 2 Samuel 19:12, 13
  • 12. Genesis 31:41
  • 13. Genesis 12:11, 14; Genesis 26:7
  • 14. Genesis 24:67
  • 15. Hosea 12:12
  • 16. Song of Songs 8:7
  • 17. Judges 15:1
  • 18. Genesis 12:18; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 26:10
  • 19. 1 Samuel 28:12
  • 20. Genesis 31:41
  • 21. Genesis 29:17, 18
  • 22. Genesis 31:41
  • 23. Genesis 16:11; Genesis 31:42; Exodus 3:7; Exodus 4:31; Deuteronomy 26:7; Psalms 25:18
  • 24. Deuteronomy 21:15
  • 25. Genesis 49:5
  • 26. Genesis 49:8; Matthew 1:2

Footnotes 17

Genesis 29 Commentaries

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