Genesis 29:4

New King James Version

And Jacob said to them, "My brethren, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" They said, "We are from Haran."

Update Bible Version
And Jacob said to them, My brothers, where are you from? And they said, We are of Haran.

New Century Version
Jacob said to the shepherds there, "My brothers, where are you from?" They answered, "We are from Haran."

New English Translation
Jacob asked them, "My brothers, where are you from?" They replied, "We're from Haran."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence [are] ye? And they said, We [are] from Haran.

World English Bible
Jacob said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran."

Amplified Bible
Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Jacob seide to the scheepherdis, Brithren, of whennus ben ye? Whiche answeriden, Of Aran.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jacob saith to them, `My brethren, from whence [are] ye?' and they say, `We [are] from Haran.'

Berean Standard Bible
"My brothers," Jacob asked the shepherds, "where are you from?" "We are from Haran," they answered.

Contemporary English Version
Jacob asked the shepherds, "Where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they answered.

Complete Jewish Bible
Ya‘akov said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" They answered, "We're from Haran."

American Standard Version
And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

Bible in Basic English
Then Jacob said to the herdmen, My brothers, where do you come from? And they said, From Haran.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iacob saide vnto them: My brethren, whence be ye? And they sayde: of Haran are we.

Darby Translation
And Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

Easy-to-Read Version
Jacob said to the shepherds there, "Brothers, where are you from?" They answered, "We are from Haran."

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Jacob said unto them: 'My brethren, whence are ye?' And they said: 'Of Haran are we.'

King James Version (1611)
And Iacob said vnto them, My brethren, whence be ye? and they saide, Of Haran are we.

King James Version
And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

New Life Bible
Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran."

New Revised Standard
Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" They said, "We are from Haran."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said: From haran, are we.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Iaakob sayde vnto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they answered, We are of Haran.

George Lamsa Translation
And Jacob said to them, My brethren, where do you come from? And they said, We are from Haran.

Good News Translation
Jacob asked the shepherds, "My friends, where are you from?" "From Haran," they answered.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to the shepherds: Brethren, whence are you? They answered: Of Haran.

Revised Standard Version
Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where do you come from?" They said, "We are from Haran."

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jacob said to them, Brethren, whence are ye? and they said, We are of Charrhan.

English Revised Version
And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.

Christian Standard Bible®
Jacob asked the men at the well, “My brothers! Where are you from?”

Hebrew Names Version
Ya`akov said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran."

Lexham English Bible
And Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."

Literal Translation
And Jacob said to them, My brothers, from where are you? And they said, We are from Haran.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Iacob sayde vnto them: Brethren, whece be ye? They answered: we are of Haran.

THE MESSAGE
Jacob said, "Hello friends. Where are you from?" They said, "We're from Haran."

New American Standard Bible
Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."

New Living Translation
Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, "Where are you from, my friends?" "We are from Haran," they answered.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."

Legacy Standard Bible
And Jacob said to them, "My brothers, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran."

Contextual Overview

¹ So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East. ² 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. ³ Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well's mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well's mouth. ⁴ And Jacob said to them, "My brethren, where are you from?" And they said, "We are from Haran." ⁵ Then he said to them, "Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him." ⁶ So he said to them, "Is he well?" And they said, "He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep." ⁷ Then he said, "Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them." ⁸ But they said, "We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Of Haran: Genesis 11:31, Genesis 24:10, Genesis 27:43, Genesis 28:10, Acts 7:2, Acts 7:4, Charran

Reciprocal: Genesis 11:26 - Abram 2 Kings 19:12 - Haran Isaiah 37:12 - Haran

Cross-References

Genesis 11:31
And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram's wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.

Genesis 24:10
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, for all his master's goods were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

Genesis 27:43
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran.

Genesis 28:10
Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran.

Acts 7:2
And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,

Acts 7:4
Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jacob said unto them,.... To the shepherds, though not expressly mentioned; it cannot be imagined he spoke to the flocks, but to the keepers of them:

my brethren, whence [be] ye? a kind and affable way of speaking, used even to strangers, since all men are brethren by nature; or might be used by Jacob, because they were of the same occupation with himself, shepherds, asking them of what city they were, and from whence they came? and which being answered, would lead on to a conversation, which was what he wanted:

and they said, of Haran [are] we; the very place he was bound for, and was sent unto, Genesis 27:43.

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 29:4. My brethren, whence be ye? — The language of Laban and his family was Chaldee and not Hebrew; (see Genesis 31:47); but from the names which Leah gave to her children we see that the two languages had many words in common, and therefore Jacob and the shepherds might understand each other with little difficulty. It is possible also that Jacob might have learned the Chaldee or Aramitish language from his mother, as this was his mother's tongue.