Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
Genesis 29:1-30 (NLT)
Jacob Arrives at Paddan-Aram
1 Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east. 2 He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.
3 It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals. Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well. 4 Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?”
“We are from Haran,” they answered.
5 “Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” he asked.
“Yes, we do,” they replied.
6 “Is he doing well?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”
7 Jacob said, “Look, it’s still broad daylight—too early to round up the animals. Why don’t you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?”
8 “We can’t water the animals until all the flocks have arrived,” they replied. “Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats.”
9 Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd. 10 And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle’s flock. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud. 12 He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father’s side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.
13 As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story, 14 Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, 15 Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. 17 There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face. 18 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”
19 “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.” 20 So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.
21 Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”
22 So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. 23 But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)
25 But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”
26 “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. 27 “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”
28 So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. 29 (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) 30 So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.
Examine the Scriptures
Genesis 29:1-30 (NLT)
Jacob Arrives at Paddan-Aram
1 Then Jacob hurried on, finally arriving in the land of the east.
More than 450 miles (15 days at 30 miles/day)
Fleeing from Esau
Genesis 27:43-45 (NLT)
43 So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. 44 Stay there with him until your brother cools off. 45 When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”
Energized after receiving God’s blessing. (Genesis 28:13-15)
Jacob was also looking for a wife as instructed by his father. (Genesis 28:1-3)
Jacob was 77 years old. (Unger’s Bible Dictionary)
- Jacob hurried on.
- Fleeing from Esau.
- Energized after receiving God’s blessing.
- Was looking for a wife as instructed by his father.
2 He saw a well in the distance.
Wells were a sign of life.
Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.
Protecting the valuable water from:
Evaporation
Sand and dust
Other animals falling in
3 It was the custom there to wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone and watering the animals.
Wait for all the flocks to arrive before removing the stone.
Suggesting the stone was too heavy for females or young shepherds to move.
Efficient use of time and energy.
Afterward the stone would be placed back over the mouth of the well.
4 Jacob went over to the shepherds and asked, “Where are you from, my friends?”
“We are from Haran,” they answered.
- Jacob arrives at Paddan-Aram
5 “Do you know a man there named Laban, the grandson of Nahor?” he asked.
“Yes, we do,” they replied.
God’s sovereignty – finding people from Haran who knew Laban.
Genesis 28:15 NLT)
What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”
6 “Is he doing well?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, he’s well,” they answered. “Look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the flock now.”
Again God’s sovereignty or wow what a coincidence (tongue in cheek).
7 Jacob said, “Look, it’s still broad daylight—too early to round up the animals. Why don’t you water the sheep and goats so they can get back out to pasture?”
Possibly Jacob wanted to be alone with Rachel for the meeting.
8 “We can’t water the animals until all the flocks have arrived,” they replied. “Then the shepherds move the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water all the sheep and goats.”
9 Jacob was still talking with them when Rachel arrived with her father’s flock, for she was a shepherd. 10 And because Rachel was his cousin—the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother—and because the sheep and goats belonged to his uncle Laban, Jacob went over to the well and moved the stone from its mouth and watered his uncle’s flock.
11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel,
Relatives kissed. Greeting a cousin. Kissing a relative was a proper greeting.
- Jacob finds a relative.
and he wept aloud.
- Jacob’s mission was going well.
Jacob may have remembered God’s promise, “I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”
12 He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father’s side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban.
13 As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him
Relatives kissed
and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story,
Genesis 24:50-51 (NLT)
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”
It was 97 years since Rebekah left home. (MacArthur)
Genesis 25:21 (NLT)
21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. (20 years) The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.
14 Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!”
- Jacob tells Laban his story.
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month,
It was common for strangers to work for their host to pay to stay at their home.
- Jacob moves in with his relatives.
15 Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel. 17 There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.
Rachel was beautiful.
Genesis 12:11 Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman.
Genesis 24:16 Rebekah Isaac’s wife) was very beautiful.
18 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”
- Jacob falls in love with Rachel.
19 “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.” 20 So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.
- Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel.
21 Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her.”
Note: Jacob said, “Give me my wife”, he did not say give me Rachel.
22 So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. 23 But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)
25 But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”
Jacob had deceived his father and brother.
Jacob was deceived by his mother’s brother.
20 years of drudgery, affliction, and deception lay ahead.
Genesis 31:38 (NLT)
“For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. … “
Jacob’s sons deceive Jacob.
Genesis 37:32 (NLT)
They (Jacob’s sons) sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son (Joseph)?”
You reap what you sow.
Galatians 6:7 (NLT)
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.
- Jacob was deceived by his mother’s brother.
26 “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied.
It was also the custom for the older brother to receive the birthright.
Jacob took that from his older brother.
27 “But wait until the bridal week is over;
A wedding feast usually lasted seven days.
then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”
28 So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too.
Two wives in seven days. (along with two servant girls, Zilpah and Bilhah)
29 (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) 30 So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years.
- Jacob marries Rachel.
Warning:
Leviticus 18:18 (NLT)
“While your wife is living, do not marry her sister and have sexual relations with her, for they would be rivals.
The story continues.
