the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
New King James Version
Genesis 29:17
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.
And Leah's eyes were tender. But Rachel was beautiful and well favored.
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was very beautiful.
Leah's eyes were tender, but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.)
Leah [was] tender-eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well-favored.
Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored.
Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.
but Lya was blere iyed, Rachel was of fair face, and semeli in siyt.
and the eyes of Leah [are] tender, and Rachel hath been fair of form and fair of appearance.
Leah had no sparkle in her eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
Le'ah's eyes were weak; but Rachel was good-looking, with beautiful features.
And Leah's eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and well-favored.
And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form.
Lea was tender eyed: but Rachel was beautifull and well fauoured.
And the eyes of Leah were tender; but Rachel was of beautiful form and beautiful countenance.
Leah's eyes were gentle, but Rachel was beautiful.
And Leah's eyes were weak; but Rachel was of beautiful form and fair to look upon.
Leah was tender eyed: but Rachel was beautiful and well fauoured.
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
Leah's eyes were weak. But Rachel was beautiful in body and face.
Leah's eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful.
But, the eyes of Leah were weak, - whereas, Rachel, was comely in form and comely in countenance.
And Leah was tender eyed, but Rahel was beautifull and faire.
And Leah had attractive eyes; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored.
Leah had lovely eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
But Lia was blear eyed: Rachel was well favoured, and of a beautiful countenance.
Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and lovely.
And the eyes of Lea were weak. But Rachel was beautiful in appearance, and exceedingly fair in countenance.
And Leah's eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
Leah had tender eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
Le'ah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored.
Now the eyes of Leah were dull, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.
And the eyes of Leah were weak, and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.
And Lea was tender eyed, but Rachel was beutyfull & well fauoured of face,
And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in figure and appearance.
There was no sparkle in Leah's eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.
And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face.
And Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Rachel: Genesis 29:6-12, Genesis 29:18, Genesis 30:1, Genesis 30:2, Genesis 30:22, Genesis 35:19, Genesis 35:20, Genesis 35:24, Genesis 46:19-22, Genesis 48:7, 1 Samuel 10:2, Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:18
beautiful: Genesis 12:11, Genesis 24:16, Genesis 39:6, Proverbs 31:30
Reciprocal: Genesis 29:16 - was Leah
Cross-References
And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.
Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up.
So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East.
And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well's mouth.
So he said to them, "Is he well?" And they said, "He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep."
And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's relative and that he was Rebekah's son. So she ran and told her father.
Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter."
And Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me."
So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.
And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Leah [was] tender eyed,.... Blear eyed, had a moisture in them, which made them red, and so she was not so agreeable to look at; though Onkelos renders the words,
"the eyes of Leah were beautiful,''
as if her beauty lay in her eyes, and nowhere else;
but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured; in all parts, in the form of her countenance, in her shape and stature, and in her complexion, her hair black, her flesh white and ruddy, as Ben Melech observes.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- Jacob’s Marriage
6. רחל rāchēl, Rachel, “a ewe.”
16. לאה lê'âh, Leah, “wearied.”
24. זלפה zı̂lpâh, Zilpah, “drop?”
29. בלהה bı̂lhâh, Bilhah, “timidity.”
32. ראוּבן re'uvbēn, Reuben, “behold a son.” A paronomasia in allusion to the phrase בעניי ראה be‛ānyı̂y rā'âh. Derivatives and compounds, being formed by the common speaker, are sometimes founded upon resemblance in sound, and not always on precise forms of the original sentence which prompted them.
33. שׁמעין shı̂m‛ôn, Shim‘on, “hearing, answer.”
34. לוי lêvı̂y, Levi, “junction, union.”
35. יחוּדה yehûdâh, Jehudah, “praised.”
In this chapter and the following, Jacob grows from a solitary fugitive with a staff in his hand Genesis 32:10 to be the father of a large family and the owner of great wealth. He proves himself to be a man of patience and perseverance, and the Lord according to promise is with him.
Genesis 29:1-8
Jacob arrives at the well of Haran. “The land of the sons of the east.” The points of the heavens were defined by the usage of practical life, and not by the standard of a science yet unknown. Hence, the east means any quarter toward the sunrising. Haran was about four degrees east of Beer-sheba, and five and a half degrees north. The distance was about four hundred and fifty miles, and therefore it would take Jacob fifteen days to perform the journey at thirty miles a day. If he reached Bethel the first night, he must have travelled about fifty miles the first day. After this he proceeds on his journey without any memorable incident. In the neighborhood of Haran he comes upon a well, by which lay three flocks. This is not the well near Haran where Abraham’s servant met Rebekah. It is in the pasture grounds at some distance from the town. On its mouth was a large stone, indicating that water was precious, and that the well was the common property of the surrounding natives. The custom was to gather the flocks, roll away the stone, which was too great to be moved by a boy or a female, water the flocks, and replace the stone. Jacob, on making inquiry, learns that Haran is at hand, that Laban is well, and that Rachel is drawing nigh with her father’s flocks. Laban is called by Jacob the son of Nahor, that is, his grandson, with the usual latitude of relative names in Scripture Genesis 28:13. “The day is great.” A great part of it yet remains. It is not yet the time to shut up the cattle for the night; “water the sheep and go feed them.” Jacob may have wished to meet with Rachel without presence of the shepherds. “We cannot.” There was a rule or custom that the flocks must be all assembled before the stone was rolled away for the purpose of watering the cattle. This may have been required to insure a fair distribution of the water to all parties, and especially to those who were too weak to roll away the stone.
Genesis 29:9-14
Jacob’s interview with Rachel, and hospitable reception by Laban. Rachel’s approach awakens all Jacob’s warmth of feeling. He rolls away the stone, waters the sheep, kisses Rachel, and bursts into tears. The remembrance of home and of the relationship of his mother to Rachel overpowers him. He informs Rachel who he is, and she runs to acquaint her father. Laban hastens to welcome his relative to his house. “Surely my bone and my flesh art thou.” This is a description of kinsmanship probably derived from the formation of the woman out of the man Genesis 2:23. A month here means the period from new moon to new moon, and consists of twenty-nine or thirty days.
Genesis 29:15-20
Jacob serves seven years for Rachel. “What shall thy wages be?” An active, industrious man like Jacob was of great value to Laban. “Two daughters.” Daughters in those countries and times were also objects of value, for which their parents were accustomed to receive considerable presents Genesis 24:53. Jacob at present, however, is merely worth his labor. He has apparently nothing else to offer. As he loves Rachel, he offers to serve seven years for her, and is accepted. Isaac loved Rebekah after she was sought and won as a bride for him. Jacob loves Rachel before he makes a proposal of marriage. His attachment is pure and constant, and hence the years of his service seem but days to him. The pleasure of her society both in the business and leisure of life makes the hours pass unnoticed. It is obvious that in those early days the contact of the sexes before marriage was more unrestrained than it afterward became.
Genesis 29:21-30
Jacob is betrayed into marrying Leah, and on consenting to serve other seven years obtains Rachel also. He claims his expected reward when due. “Made a feast.” The feast in the house of the bride’s father seems to have lasted seven days, at the close of which the marriage was completed. But the custom seems to have varied according to the circumstances of the bridegroom. Jacob had no house of his own to which to conduct the bride. In the evening: when it was dark. The bride was also closely veiled, so that it was easy for Laban to practise this piece of deceit. “A handmaid.” It was customary to give the bride a handmaid, who became her confidential servant Genesis 24:59, Genesis 24:61. In the morning Jacob discovers that Laban had overreached him. This is the first retribution Jacob experiences for the deceitful practices of his former days. He expostulates with Laban, who pleads the custom of the country.
It is still the custom not to give the younger in marriage before the older, unless the latter be deformed or in some way defective. It is also not unusual to practise the very same trick that Laban now employed, if the suitor is so simple as to be off his guard. Jacob, however, did not expect this at his relative’s hands, though he had himself taken part in proceedings equally questionable. “Fulfill the week of this.” If this was the second day of the feast celebrating the nuptials of Leah, Laban requests him to Complete the week, and then he will give him Rachel also. If, however, Leah was fraudulently put upon him at the close of the week of feasting, then Laban in these words proposes to give Rachel to Jacob on fulfilling another week of nuptial rejoicing. The latter is in the present instance more likely. In either case the marriage of Rachel is only a week after that of Leah. Rather than lose Rachel altogether, Jacob consents to comply with Laban’s terms.
Rachel was the wife of Jacob’s affections and intentions. The taking of a second wife in the lifetime of the first was contrary to the law of nature, which designed one man for one woman Genesis 2:21-25. But the marrying of a sister-in-law was not yet incestuous, because no law had yet been made on the subject. Laban gives a handmaid to each of his daughters. To Rebekah his sister had been given more than one Genesis 24:61. Bondslaves had been in existence long before Laban’s time Genesis 16:1. “And loved also Rachel more than Leah.” This proves that even Leah was not unloved. At the time of his marriage Jacob was eighty-four years of age; which corresponds to half that age according to the present average of human life.
Genesis 29:31-35
Leah bears four sons to Jacob. “The Lord saw.” The eye of the Lord is upon the sufferer. It is remarkable that both the narrator and Leah employ the proper name of God, which makes the performance of promise a prominent feature of his character. This is appropriate in the mouth of Leah, who is the mother of the promised seed. “That Leah was hated” - less loved than Rachel. He therefore recompenses her for the lack of her husband’s affections by giving her children, while Rachel was barren. “Reuben” - behold a son. “The Lord hath looked on my affliction.” Leah had qualities of heart, if not of outward appearance, which commanded esteem. She had learned to acknowledge the Lord in all her ways. “Simon” - answer. She had prayed to the Lord, and this was her answer. “Levi” - union, the reconciler. Her husband could not, according to the prevailing sentiments of those days, fail to be attached to the mother of three sons. “Judah” - praised. Well may she praise the Lord; for this is the ancestor of the promised seed. It is remarkable that the wife of priority, but not of preference, is the mother of the seed in whom all nations are to be blessed. Levi the reconciler is the father of the priestly tribe. Simon is attached to Judah. Reuben retires into the background.
Reuben may have been born when Jacob was still only eighty-four, and consequently Judah was born when Jacob was eighty-seven.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Genesis 29:17. Leah was tender-eyed — רכות raccoth, soft, delicate, lovely. I believe the word means just the reverse of the signification generally given to it. The design of the inspired writer is to compare both the sisters together, that the balance may appear to be greatly in favour of Rachel. The chief recommendation of Leah was her soft and beautiful eyes; but Rachel was יפת תאר yephath toar, beautiful in her shape, person, mien, and gait, and יפת מראה 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. Therefore Jacob loved her, and was willing to become a bond servant for seven years, that he might get her to wife; for in his destitute state he could produce no dowry, and it was the custom of those times for the father to receive a portion for his daughter, and not to give one with her. One of the Hindoo lawgivers says, "A person may become a slave on account of love, or to obtain a wife." The bad system of education by which women are spoiled and rendered in general good for nothing, makes it necessary for the husband to get a dowry with his wife to enable him to maintain her; whereas in former times they were well educated and extremely useful, hence he who got a wife almost invariably got a prize, or as Solomon says, got a good thing.
