Genesis 29:27

27 Complete the week of this one, then I will also give you the other, {on the condition that you will work for me} another seven years."

Genesis 29:27 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 29:27

Fulfil her week
Not Rachel's week, or a week of years of servitude for her, but Leah's week, or the week of seven days of feasting for her marriage; for a marriage feast used to be kept seven days, according to the Jewish writers ^F20, and as it seems from ( Judges 14:17 ) ; and the Targum of Jerusalem fully expresses this sense,

``fulfil the week of the days of the feast of Leah;''

and to the same sense the Targum of Jonathan, Aben Ezra and Jarchi:

and we will give this also;
meaning Rachel that stood by; and the sense is, that he and his wife, if he had any, or his friends about him, would give to Jacob Rachel also to be his wife, upon the following condition:

for the service which thou shall serve with me yet seven other years;
which shows the avaricious temper of the man.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 T. Hieros. Moed Katon, fol. 80. 4. Pirke Eliezer, c. 16, 36.

Genesis 29:27 In-Context

25 And it happened [that] in the morning, behold, it [was] Leah! And he said to Laban, "What [is] this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Now why did you deceive me?"

26 Then Laban said, "{It is not the custom} in our country to give the younger before the firstborn.

27 Complete the week of this one, then I will also give you the other, {on the condition that you will work for me} another seven years."

28 And Jacob did so. So he completed the week of this [one], then he gave Rachel his daughter to him as a wife.

29 And Laban gave Bilhah his female servant to Rachel his daughter as a female servant.

Footnotes

• [a]. Leah; the wedding feast would last one week
• [b]. Literally "with respect to the work that you will work with me yet"