_JACOB IS KINDLY RECEIVED BY LABAN. HE LOVES RACHEL, AND SERVES SEVEN YEARS FOR HER. LABAN SUBSTITUTES LEAH, THE ELDEST SISTER, IN RACHEL'S STEAD, BUT AFTERWARDS GIVES RACHEL IN MARRIAGE TO JACOB, FOR WHOM ALSO HE SERVES SEVEN YEARS. LEAH BEARS REUBEN, SIMEON, LEVI, AND JUDAH._... [ Continue Reading ]
PEOPLE OF THE EAST— Mesopotamia, and particularly Haran, lay northward of Beth-el: Babylon, however, lay eastward from both places; and therefore, Mesopotamia being part of the Babylonish dominions, the Babylonians might well be called the _people of the east;_ and Jacob is only said to have gone in... [ Continue Reading ]
THITHER WERE ALL THE FLOCKS GATHERED— Houbigant, instead of כלאּהעדרים (_cal-hangadarim_) _all the flocks,_ would read after the Samaritan version כלאּהרעים (_cal-haroim_) _all the shepherds,_ both here and in the eighth verse. And it must be allowed that the alteration seems very just. It is said,... [ Continue Reading ]
MY BRETHREN, WHENCE, &C.— Jacob, himself a shepherd, addresses his _brethren_ of the same occupation with much courtesy; and either must have learned from his mother the language of this country, or they spoke the same language with the Abrahamic family. He calls Laban the son of Nahor, i.e._._ the... [ Continue Reading ]
IS HE WELL?— In the margin of our Bibles it is, _Is there peace to him?_ which is agreeable to the Hebrew. _Peace,_ with them, was a word comprehensive of all happiness; hence used in salutation, See Luke 10:5; Luke 24:36. John 20:19. _Pax_ (_peace_) is sometimes used in the same sense by the Latins... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS YET HIGH DAY, &C.— Jacob inquires why these shepherds delayed to water their flocks, when much of the day yet remained for them to feed in, if now watered; when it was much too soon to _gather them together,_ or to fold them for the night. To which they reply, Genesis 29:8 that they _could not... [ Continue Reading ]
ROLLED THE STONE, &C.— Out of complaisance to his relation Rachel, and to shew his officiousness in her service, Jacob assisted the shepherds to roll away the stone, when she approached with her flock; and, touched with the tenderest feelings on beholding so near and amiable a relation, the tears of... [ Continue Reading ]
TOLD LABAN ALL THESE THINGS— i.e._._ All that concerned himself and his journey to Laban's country; all that has been recorded in this and the former chapter. In Genesis 29:12 father's _brother_ means _nephew,_ all near relations being called brethren in the Hebrew; see Genesis 29:15, &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LABAN SAID, &C.— During the month which Jacob passed with Laban, he shewed so much industry and diligence that Laban was desirous of retaining his services; he therefore requests to know what salary, or gratuity, he would expect. And Jacob, who admired his younger daughter Rachel, offered, by wa... [ Continue Reading ]
LEAH WAS TENDER-EYED— Leah had _tender_ eyes: the Hebrew word רכות (_racoth_) imports _soft, tender,_ and _delicate;_ and, in that sense, some of the ancient versions render it, _Leah had soft_ and beautiful _eyes,_ which were her chief or sole external grace; while Rachel was perfectly agreeable an... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SEEMED UNTO HIM BUT A FEW DAYS, &C.— The flattering prospect of possessing the lovely Rachel after the seven years, and the endearments of her pleasing company the mean while, rendered that interval of waiting apparently short and light. Some have supposed that Jacob married at the beginning of... [ Continue Reading ]
GIVE ME MY WIFE, FOR MY DAYS, &C.— He might call her _his wife_ with propriety, as he had fulfilled the terms of the contract.... [ Continue Reading ]
LABAN GATHERED TOGETHER, &C.— Contracts of marriage were ratified anciently by the magistrates of the place: for this purpose, and to make the solemnity public, Laban invited his neighbours, &c. to the feast.... [ Continue Reading ]
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; but as Leah herself must have been an accomplice in the fraud, one cannot wonder at Jacob's great p... [ Continue Reading ]
LABAN GAVE—ZILPAH, &C.— It appears to have been a very ancient custom, not only among the Hebrews, but with many other nations, and particularly the Greeks and Romans, in the marriages both of their sons and their daughters, especially the latter, for the parents to give with the bride or bridegroom... [ Continue Reading ]
LABAN SAID, IT MUST NOT, &C.— This appears to have been a mere shift, as we read of no such custom; or, had the fact been true, he ought to have informed Jacob before.... [ Continue Reading ]
FULFIL HER WEEK— i.e.. perfect this marriage with Leah, by keeping the solemnity of seven days feasting, which seems to have been the time allowed for marriage feasts; and this done, thou shalt solemnize thy marriage with Rachel also, on condition of serving me seven years more. It appears beyond al... [ Continue Reading ]
LEAH WAS HATED— The words in the foregoing verse explain this seemingly harsh expression, _He loved Rachel more than Leah;_ this is agreeable to the Hebrew idiom; see Malachi 1:2.Luke 14:26. The word _hate,_ in the New Testament, is frequently to be understood in this sense, of _loving less._ Consid... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LEFT BEARING— Heb. _stood from bearing._ So the LXX u949?στη του τικτειν. She ceased from bearing for a time; not wholly _left off bearing,_ as our version seems to express; for she had children afterwards. See ch. Genesis 30:17, &c. REFLECTIONS.—A forced match must needs be unhappy. It is shoc... [ Continue Reading ]