Genesis 29:1
‘The people in the east’ were those who lived near to the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. That land is nowadays Syria and Iraq. Jacob had actually gone more to the north than to the east.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The people in the east’ were those who lived near to the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. That land is nowadays Syria and Iraq. Jacob had actually gone more to the north than to the east.... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 29 JACOB MEETS RACHEL V1 Then Jacob continued his journey. He came to the land where the people in the east lived. V2 As he looked, he saw a well in the field. And he saw three groups of sheep that lay near to the well. People used to take water... [ Continue Reading ]
When Jacob said ‘Nahor’s son’ he meant Nahor’s grandson.... [ Continue Reading ]
We can be certain that God caused Jacob and Rachel to meet. Abraham’s servant and Rebekah met in a similar way. (See Genesis 24:15.)... [ Continue Reading ]
Perhaps people had agreed that they would give water to the sheep at the same time. And not all the sheep had arrived. V9 While Jacob still spoke with them, Rachel arrived. She was looking after her father’s sheep and she brought them to the well. V10 Jacob saw Rachel, who was his uncle Laban’s dau... [ Continue Reading ]
Until Jacob left home, he used to do what his mother told him to do. (For example, see Genesis 27:13-14.) But from this time, he himself decided what he would do. He did not wait to see what the local people did. He opened the well himself. He wanted to show to Rachel that he was strong. And he want... [ Continue Reading ]
Rachel’s aunt Rebekah had gone to *Canaan to marry Isaac. (See Genesis 24:50-51; Genesis 24:61.) We can be sure that Rachel’s father Laban had told her that.... [ Continue Reading ]
This does not mean that Jacob stayed for only a month. He began by staying for a month. After that, he agreed that he would stay for another 7 years. (See verse 20.) And in the end, he stayed for 20 years. V15 At the end of the month, Laban spoke to Jacob. He said, ‘You are my relative. But that is... [ Continue Reading ]
Genesis does not tell us that Jacob served Laban during the first month. But we can guess that Jacob looked after Laban’s animals. And that is why Laban said, ‘You should not serve me without wages.’... [ Continue Reading ]
Many Bibles say, ‘Leah’s eyes were weak.’ But the *Hebrew word probably means ‘gentle’ or ‘lovely’. It probably does not mean ‘weak’. Rachel was younger and she was beautiful. Leah was older and she was not beautiful. But her eyes were lovely.... [ Continue Reading ]
Laban said ‘her’. He did not say ‘Rachel’. Perhaps he had already decided that he would give Leah to Jacob instead of Rachel. (See verse 23.) JACOB MARRIES V21 After 7 years, Jacob spoke to Laban. He said, ‘Give me my wife so that I may have sex with her. I have served you for the time that I prom... [ Continue Reading ]
Jacob thought that his wife was Rachel. He did not recognise Leah. There could be several reasons for this. • Leah covered her head with a cloth when she came to Jacob. That was the custom. (See Genesis 24:64-65 and the comment.) • It was dark while Leah lay with Jacob. • Jacob had drunk much win... [ Continue Reading ]
Jacob and Rebekah had cheated Jacob’s father, Isaac. (See Genesis 27:19.) Leah and Laban cheated Jacob in a similar way. The next 6 lines show how the two events were similar. • When Jacob cheated Isaac, he pretended to be his older brother. His mother Rebekah made the plan for this. • When Leah... [ Continue Reading ]
Perhaps this was true. Perhaps Laban had a good reason to give Leah first, before he gave Rachel. But Laban ought to have explained that to Jacob. He ought to have told that to Jacob 7 years earlier. So for 7 years he had been cheating Jacob. Jacob was working so as to earn Rachel as his wife. But L... [ Continue Reading ]
Some people are very sad because of trouble in their family. Perhaps their relatives do not love them. God helped Leah because he loved her. He helped her when Jacob did not love her. God can help us too, if we ask him.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Reuben’ means ‘see a son’. ‘Simeon’ means ‘one who hears’. ‘Levi’ sounds like ‘joined’. ‘Judah’ sounds like ‘praise God’. CANAAN ~ the country where the Canaanites lived. (See Canaanites.) It is approximately the same land as the modern country Israel together with the land of the Palestinians.... [ Continue Reading ]