Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Genesis 29:23

GENESIS—NOTE ON Genesis 29:23 in the evening. It was dark or nearly dark when Leah was introduced to Jacob for the consummation of their marriage. In a world without artificial lighting, darkness can be pitch-black. Jacob did not realize that Leah was the bride. She may also have come to him wearing a veil, the sign of a betrothed woman (see Genesis 24:65).

⇐ ⇔ ⇒
Continues after advertising

See also Genesis 29:23 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    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 _even...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - 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

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 29 JACOB WITH LABAN _ 1. Jacob's arrival at Padan-aram (Genesis 29:1)_ 2. His service for Rachel (Genesis 29:15) 3. Laban's deception (Genesis 29:21) 4. Jacob receives Rachel ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB SERVES SEVEN YEARS FOR RACHEL. LABAN SUBSTITUTES LEAH AND SECURES FOURTEEN YEARS'SERVICE IN EXCHANGE FOR THE TWO. Apart from bits of P (Genesis 29:24; Genesis 29:28_ b_, Genesis 29:29) the secti...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Jacob's Marriage with Leah and Rachel 15. _Because … brother_ Lit. "art thou a brother, and shouldest thou serve me for nothing?" For "brother," see note on Genesis 29:12. Laban asks Jacob to state o...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _he took Leah_ The bride was brought to the bridegroom enveloped in a veil; cf. Genesis 24:65. "The bridegroom can scarcely ever obtain even a surreptitious glance at the features of his bride until h...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    IN THE EVENING, &C.— It was the custom to introduce the bride veiled to the bridegroom in the nuptial chamber, in which there was very little or no light. This made it easy for Laban to deceive Jacob;...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. _Jacob's Double Marriage_ (Genesis 29:13-30). _The Meeting with Laban._ When Laban heard of Jacob's presence, _he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house._ T...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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._ In the evening, that he took Leah ... and brought her to him. The ample bridal v...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB IN MESOPOTAMIA WITH LABAN The divine care and blessing promised to Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:15) are illustrated in the narrative of the sojourn of the patriarch at Haran, which apparently las...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    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 Gene...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    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...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (23)HE TOOK LEAH HIS DAUGHTER. — As the bride is taken to the bridegroom’s house closely veiled (see Note on Genesis 24:65), and as probably there was some similarity in voice and form between the two...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE TÔLDÔTH ISAAC (Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 35:29). THE BIRTH OF ISAAC’S SONS. Abraham begat Isaac — The _Tôldôth_ in its original form gave probably a complete genealogy of Isaac, tracing up his des...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יְהִ֣י בָ † עֶ֔רֶב וַ יִּקַּח֙...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    JACOB MARRIES LEAH AND RACHEL Genesis 29:21 The chief lesson of this paragraph is its illustration of the awful nemesis which accompanies wrongdoing. No thoughtful person can watch the events of hist...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Pursuing his journey after his experience at Luz, now called Beth-el, Jacob came into "the land of the children of the east." Here the next twenty years of his life were to be spent, during which he a...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    THE DECEIVER IS DECEIVED When Jacob came to a well in a field in northern Mesopotamia, he inquired where he was. He learned he was near Haran and soon met Rachel, his uncle Laban's daughter, who was c...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And (h) it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. (h) The reason Jacob was deceived was that in ancient times the wife was cover...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Having already shown the position of Isaac, I resume briefly with the remark that he stands before us clearly as the representative of the Son, and this too as dead, risen, and in heaven. All will und...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 29 THROUGH 35. I have no doubt that in the two wives, as I have said, we have the Gentiles and Israel: Rachel first loved on the earth, but not possessed; but...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole 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 DAUG...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 23. _He took Leah his daughter._] The elder, for the younger; by a like fraud...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _He took Leah and brought her to him_ This deceit he might the more easily practise, as it was customary in those times to bring the bride to her husband veiled, and without lights. This guile of Laba...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Iacob commeth to the well of Haran. 9 He taketh acquaintance of Rachel. 13 Laban enterteineth him. 18 Iacob couenanteth for Rachel. 23 He is deceiued with Leah. 28 He marrieth also Rachel, and...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    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. This deception on Laban's part could be carried out all the more easily, since cust...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    SECOND SECTION _Jacob’s wives and children. Jacob and Rachel, Laban’s youngest daughter. First and second treaty with Laban. His involuntary consummation of marriage with Leah. The double marriage. L...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB MEETS RACHEL AND LABAN After many days of travel Jacob came to the land of his relatives. He could not phone to find his directions to their home, nor did he have any street and house number, bu...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    15-30 During the month that Jacob spent as a guest, he was not idle. Wherever we are, it is good to employ ourselves in some useful business. Laban was desirous that Jacob should continue with him. I...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THAT I WILL NOT TAKE; Heb. _If I shall take._ Understand, _God do so and so to me, _ which is expressed 1 SAMUEL 14:44. A defective manner of swearing used amongst the Hebrews, either to maintain the...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    These Chapter s present to us the history of Jacob at least, the principal scenes in that history. The Spirit of God here sets before us the deepest instruction, first, as to God's purpose of infinite...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 29:23 evening H6153 took H3947 (H8799) Leah H3812 daughter H1323 brought H935 (H8686) in H935 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast, and so it was that in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him, and he went in to her. And Laban gave Zilpah...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Jacob and Laban, two bargain makers, meet. CHARACTERS: Jacob, Laban, Rachael, Leah, Reuben, Levi, Judah. CONCLUSION: The believer who has erred may not be forsaken of God, but he is permit...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 29:1. _Jacob went on his journey._ Our version fails here to express the lively sense of the Hebrew, as in most versions. _Levabit pedes;_ he tripped along with light feet, being now assured t...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _He took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him_ LABAN’S FRAUD ON JACOB I. THE CHARACTER OF THE FRAUD. 1. Deliberate. 2. Bold. 3. Selfish. II. THE FRAUD CONSIDERED AS A RETRIBUTION. There are...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 29:23. He took Leah, his daughter, and brought her to him.] “The fraud was rendered possible by the Eastern custom of the bride being veiled, aided by the darkness of the nig...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 29:15 AND LABAN SAID UNTO JACOB (probably at the month's end), BECAUSE THOU ART—literally, _is it not that_._ thou art _(cf. Genesis 27:36;...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east. And he looked, behold there was a well in the field, and, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    brought her. Genesis 24:65 Genesis 38:14 Genesis 38:15 Micah 7:5...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    When was Rachel given to be Jacob’s wife? PROBLEM: In Genesis 29:27 Laban tells Jacob to complete the bridal week of feasting with Leah, and then Rachel would be given to him. However, the verse also...

Continues after advertising