the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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New King James Version
Genesis 29:23
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But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. And he went in to her.
That evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and they had sexual relations.
In the evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and Jacob had marital relations with her.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in to her.
It happened in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her.
But in the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob went in to [consummate the marriage with] her.
and in the euentid Laban brouyte in to hym Lya his douytir,
And it cometh to pass in the evening, that he taketh Leah, his daughter, and bringeth her in unto him, and he goeth in unto her;
But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.
But that evening he brought Leah to Jacob, who married her and spent the night with her.
In the evening he took Le'ah his daughter and brought her to Ya‘akov, and he went in and slept with her.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
And in the evening he took Leah, his daughter, and gave her to him, and he went in to her.
And when euen was come, he toke Lea his daughter, and brought her to hym, and he went in to her.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in to her.
That night Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob. Jacob and Leah had sexual relations together.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
And it came to passe in the euening, that he tooke Leah his daughter, and brought her to him, and he went in vnto her.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
But in the evening he took his daughter Leah to him. Jacob went in to her.
But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her in unto him, - and he went in unto her.
But whe the euening was come, he tooke Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went in vnto her.
And it came to pass in the evening, he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in unto her.
But that night, instead of Rachel, he took Leah to Jacob, and Jacob had intercourse with her.
And at night he brought in Lia, his daughter, to him,
But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her.
And it was even, and he took his daughter Lea, and brought her in to Jacob, and Jacob went in to her.
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.
It happened in the evening, that he took Le'ah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her.
And it happened that in the evening he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him, and he went in to her.
And it happened in the evening, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and he went in to her.
But at eue he toke his doughter Lea, and brought her in vnto him, and he laye wt her.
Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her.
But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.
Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her.
Now it happened in the evening that he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
brought her: Genesis 24:65, Genesis 38:14, Genesis 38:15, Micah 7:5
Reciprocal: Genesis 27:19 - I am Deuteronomy 22:13 - General 1 Samuel 1:2 - two
Cross-References
for she had said to the servant, "Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took a veil and covered herself.
And Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." And he stayed with him for a month.
Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?|"
Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And it came to pass in the evening,.... After the feast was over, and the guests were departed; when it was night, a fit season to execute his designs, and practise deceit:
that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him, to Jacob, in his apartment, his bedchamber, or to him in bed: for it is still the custom in some eastern countries for the bridegroom to go to bed first, and then the bride comes, or is brought to him in the dark, and veiled, so that he sees her not: so the Armenians have now such a custom at their marriages that the husband goes to bed first; nor does the bride put off her veil till in bed o: and in Barbary the bride is brought to the bridegroom's house, and with some of her female relations conveyed into a private room p; then the bride's mother, or some very near relation, introduces the bridegroom to his new spouse, who is in the dark, and obliged in modesty not to speak or answer upon any account: and if this was the case here, as it is highly probable it was, the imposition on Jacob is easily accounted for:
and he went in unto her; or lay with her as his wife; a modest expression of the use of the bed.
o Tournefort's Voyage to the Levant, vol. 3. p. 255. p Ockley's Account of Southwest Barbary, c. 6. p. 78.
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 29:23. In the evening - he took Leah his daughter — As the bride was always veiled, and the bride chamber generally dark, or nearly so, and as Leah was brought to Jacob in the evening, the imposition here practised might easily pass undetected by Jacob, till the ensuing day discovered the fraud.
