2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.
4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.
9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she kept them.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.
2 And he looked, H7200 and behold a well H875 in the field, H7704 and, lo, there were three H7969 flocks H5739 of sheep H6629 lying H7257 by it; for out of that well H875 they watered H8248 the flocks: H5739 and a great H1419 stone H68 was upon the well's H875 mouth. H6310
3 And thither were all the flocks H5739 gathered: H622 and they rolled H1556 the stone H68 from the well's H875 mouth, H6310 and watered H8248 the sheep, H6629 and put H7725 the stone H68 again H7725 upon the well's H875 mouth H6310 in his place. H4725
4 And Jacob H3290 said H559 unto them, My brethren, H251 whence H370 be ye? And they said, H559 Of Haran H2771 are we.
5 And he said H559 unto them, Know H3045 ye Laban H3837 the son H1121 of Nahor? H5152 And they said, H559 We know H3045 him.
6 And he said H559 unto them, Is he well? H7965 And they said, H559 He is well: H7965 and, behold, Rachel H7354 his daughter H1323 cometh H935 with the sheep. H6629
7 And he said, H559 Lo, H2005 it is yet high H1419 day, H3117 neither is it time H6256 that the cattle H4735 should be gathered together: H622 water H8248 ye the sheep, H6629 and go H3212 and feed H7462 them.
8 And they said, H559 We cannot, H3201 until all the flocks H5739 be gathered together, H622 and till they roll H1556 the stone H68 from the well's H875 mouth; H6310 then we water H8248 the sheep. H6629
9 And while he yet H5750 spake H1696 with them, Rachel H7354 came H935 with her father's H1 sheep: H6629 for she kept them. H7462
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob H3290 saw H7200 Rachel H7354 the daughter H1323 of Laban H3837 his mother's H517 brother, H251 and the sheep H6629 of Laban H3837 his mother's H517 brother, H251 that Jacob H3290 went near, H5066 and rolled H1556 the stone H68 from the well's H875 mouth, H6310 and watered H8248 the flock H6629 of Laban H3837 his mother's H517 brother. H251
11 And Jacob H3290 kissed H5401 Rachel, H7354 and lifted up H5375 his voice, H6963 and wept. H1058
12 And Jacob H3290 told H5046 Rachel H7354 that he was her father's H1 brother, H251 and that he was Rebekah's H7259 son: H1121 and she ran H7323 and told H5046 her father. H1
2 And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. And the stone upon the well's mouth was great.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered. And they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in its place.
4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We know him.
6 And he said unto them, Is it well with him? And they said, It is well. And, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.
7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together. Water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.
8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth. Then we water the sheep.
9 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep. For she kept them.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son. And she ran and told her father.
2 and he looketh, and lo, a well in the field, and lo, there three droves of a flock crouching by it, for from that well they water the droves, and the great stone `is' on the mouth of the well.
3 (When thither have all the droves been gathered, and they have rolled the stone from off the mouth of the well, and have watered the flock, then they have turned back the stone on the mouth of the well to its place.)
4 And Jacob saith to them, `My brethren, from whence `are' ye?' and they say, `We `are' from Haran.'
5 And he saith to them, `Have ye known Laban, son of Nahor?' and they say, `We have known.'
6 And he saith to them, `Hath he peace?' and they say, `Peace; and lo, Rachel his daughter is coming with the flock.'
7 And he saith, `Lo, the day `is' still great, `it is' not time for the cattle to be gathered; water ye the flock, and go, delight yourselves.'
8 And they say, `We are not able, till that all the droves be gathered together, and they have rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, and we have watered the flock.'
9 He is yet speaking with them, and Rachel hath come with the flock which her father hath, for she `is' shepherdess;
10 and it cometh to pass when Jacob hath seen Rachel, daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the flock of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob cometh nigh and rolleth the stone from off the mouth of the well, and watereth the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
11 And Jacob kisseth Rachel, and lifteth up his voice, and weepeth,
12 and Jacob declareth to Rachel that he `is' her father's brother, and that he `is' Rebekah's son, and she runneth and declareth to her father.
2 And he looked, and behold, there was a well in the fields, and behold there, three flocks of sheep were lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks, and a great stone was at the mouth of the well.
3 And when all the flocks were gathered there, they rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the mouth of the well in its place.
4 And Jacob said to them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, Of Haran are we.
5 And he said to them, Do ye know Laban the son of Nahor? And they said, We do know [him].
6 And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, [He is] well; and behold, there comes Rachel his daughter with the sheep.
7 And he said, Behold, it is yet high day; it is not time that the cattle should be gathered together; water the sheep, and go, feed [them].
8 And they said, We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well, and we water the sheep.
9 While he was still speaking to them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10 And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the mouth of the well, and watered the sheep of Laban his mother's brother.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was a brother of her father, and that he was Rebecca's son; and she ran and told her father.
2 He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well's mouth was great.
3 There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well's mouth in its place.
4 Jacob said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran."
5 He said to them, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him."
6 He said to them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep."
7 He said, "Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the cattle together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them."
8 They said, "We can't, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth. Then we water the sheep."
9 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them.
10 It happened, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.
11 Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.
2 And there he saw a water-hole in a field, and by the side of it three flocks of sheep, for there they got water for the sheep: and on the mouth of the water-hole there was a great stone.
3 And all the flocks would come together there, and when the stone had been rolled away, they would give the sheep water, and put the stone back again in its place on the mouth of the water-hole.
4 Then Jacob said to the herdmen, My brothers, where do you come from? And they said, From Haran.
5 And he said to them, Have you any knowledge of Laban, the son of Nahor? And they said, We have.
6 And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well, and here is Rachel his daughter coming with the sheep.
7 Then Jacob said, The sun is still high and it is not time to get the cattle together: get water for the sheep and go and give them their food.
8 And they said, We are not able to do so till all the flocks have come together and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the water-hole; then we will get water for the sheep.
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she took care of them.
10 Then when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, coming with Laban's sheep, he came near, and rolling the stone away from the mouth of the hole, he got water for Laban's flock.
11 And weeping for joy, Jacob gave Rachel a kiss.
12 And Rachel, hearing from Jacob that he was her father's relation and that he was the son of Rebekah, went running to give her father news of it.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 29
Commentary on Genesis 29 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 29
Ge 29:1-35. The Well of Haran.
1. Then Jacob went, &c.—Hebrew, "lifted up his feet." He resumed his way next morning with a light heart and elastic step after the vision of the ladder; for tokens of the divine favor tend to quicken the discharge of duty (Ne 8:10).
and came into the land, &c.—Mesopotamia and the whole region beyond the Euphrates are by the sacred writers designated "the East" (Jud 6:3; 1Ki 4:30; Job 1:3). Between the first and the second clause of this verse is included a journey of four hundred miles.
2. And he looked, &c.—As he approached the place of his destination, he, according to custom, repaired to the well adjoining the town where he would obtain an easy introduction to his relatives.
3. thither were all the flocks gathered; and a stone, &c.—In Arabia, owing to the shifting sands and in other places, owing to the strong evaporation, the mouth of a well is generally covered, especially when it is private property. Over many is laid a broad, thick, flat stone, with a round hole cut in the middle, forming the mouth of the cistern. This hole is covered with a heavy stone which it would require two or three men to roll away. Such was the description of the well at Haran.
4. Jacob said, My brethren—Finding from the shepherds who were reposing there with flocks and who all belonged to Haran, that his relatives in Haran were well and that one of the family was shortly expected, he enquired why they were idling the best part of the day there instead of watering their flocks and sending them back to pasture.
8. They said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered—In order to prevent the consequences of too frequent exposure in places where water is scarce, the well is not only covered, but it is customary to have all the flocks collected round it before the covering is removed in presence of the owner or one of his representatives; and it was for this reason that those who were reposing at the well of Haran with the three flocks were waiting the arrival of Rachel.
9-11. While he yet spake with them, Rachel came—Among the pastoral tribes the young unmarried daughters of the greatest sheiks tend the flocks, going out at sunrise and continuing to watch their fleecy charges till sunset. Watering them, which is done twice a day, is a work of time and labor, and Jacob rendered no small service in volunteering his aid to the young shepherdess. The interview was affecting, the reception welcome, and Jacob forgot all his toils in the society of his Mesopotamian relatives. Can we doubt that he returned thanks to God for His goodness by the way?
12. Jacob told Rachel, &c.—According to the practice of the East, the term "brother" is extended to remote degrees of relationship, as uncle, cousin, or nephew.
14-20. he abode a month—Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was the hand of Rachel.
17. Leah tender-eyed—that is, soft blue eyes—thought a blemish.
Rachel beautiful and well-favored—that is, comely and handsome in form. The latter was Jacob's choice.
18. I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy daughter—A proposal of marriage is made to the father without the daughter being consulted, and the match is effected by the suitor either bestowing costly presents on the family, or by giving cattle to the value the father sets upon his daughter, or else by giving personal services for a specified period. The last was the course necessity imposed on Jacob; and there for seven years he submitted to the drudgery of a hired shepherd, with the view of obtaining Rachel. The time went rapidly away; for even severe and difficult duties become light when love is the spring of action.
21. Jacob said, Give me my wife—At the expiry of the stipulated term the marriage festivities were held. But an infamous fraud was practised on Jacob, and on his showing a righteous indignation, the usage of the country was pleaded in excuse. No plea of kindred should ever be allowed to come in opposition to the claim of justice. But this is often overlooked by the selfish mind of man, and fashion or custom rules instead of the will of God. This was what Laban did, as he said, "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the first-born." But, then, if that were the prevailing custom of society at Haran, he should have apprized his nephew of it at an early period in an honorable manner. This, however, is too much the way with the people of the East still. The duty of marrying an elder daughter before a younger, the tricks which parents take to get off an elder daughter that is plain or deformed and in which they are favored by the long bridal veil that entirely conceals her features all the wedding day, and the prolongation for a week of the marriage festivities among the greater sheiks, are accordant with the habits of the people in Arabia and Armenia in the present day.
28. gave him Rachel also—It is evident that the marriage of both sisters took place nearly about the same time, and that such a connection was then allowed, though afterwards prohibited (Le 18:18).
29. gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah to be her maid—A father in good circumstances still gives his daughter from his household a female slave, over whom the young wife, independently of her husband, has the absolute control.
31. Leah … hated—that is, not loved so much as she ought to have been. Her becoming a mother ensured her rising in the estimation both of her husband and of society.
32-35. son … his name Reuben—Names were also significant; and those which Leah gave to her sons were expressive of her varying feelings of thankfulness or joy, or allusive to circumstances in the history of the family. There was piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to names, as it tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his duty and the claims of God.