Genesis 29:12

_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._ Jacob told Rachel ... According to the practice of the East, the term "brother" is extended to remote degrees of relationship, as uncle, cousin, or nephew....

9-14 See Rachel's humility and industry. Nobody needs to be ashamed of honest, useful labour, nor ought it to hinder any one's preferment. When Jacob understood that this was his kinswoman, he was very ready to serve her. Laban, though not the best humoured, bade him welcome, and was satisfied with the account Jacob gave of himself. While we avoid being foolishly ready to believe every thing which is told us, we must take heed of being uncharitably suspicious....

- 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 _re'uvbēn_, Reuben, “behold a son.” A paronomasia in allusion to the phrase בעניי ראה _be‛ānyı̂y_ _rā'âh_. Derivatives and compounds, being formed by the common speaker, are sometimes founded upon resemblance in sound, and not always on precise forms of the original sentence which prompted them. 33. ש

EXPOSITION GENESIS 29:1 THEN JACOB WENT ON HIS JOURNEY (literally, _lifted up his feet—a _graphic description of traveling. Inspired by new hopes, and conscious of loftier aims than when he fled from Beersheba, the lonely furtive departed from Bethel), AND CAME INTO THE LAND OF THE PEOPLE OF THE EAST—literally, _the land of the sons of the east_,_ i_._e_._ _Mesopotamia, about 450 miles distant from Beersheba. GENESIS 29:2 AND HE LOOKED (either to discover where he was, or in search of water), AND BEHOLD A WELL IN THE FIELD,—not the well at which Eliezer's caravan halted, which was a well for the village maidens, situated in front of the town,

AND JACOB TOLD RACHEL,.... Or "had told" i her; before he kissed her, and lift up his voice and wept, as Aben Ezra observes: THAT HE [WAS] HER FATHER'S BROTHER; his nephew by his sister, for such were sometimes called brethren, as Lot, Abraham's brother's son, is called his brother, Genesis 14:12: AND THAT HE [WAS] REBEKAH'S SON; sister to her father, and aunt to her, and whose name and relation she doubtless knew full well: AND SHE RAN AND TOLD HER FATHER; leaving the care of her flock with Jacob; Rebekah, in a like case, ran and told her mother, Genesis 24:28, which is most usual for daughters to do; but here Rachel runs and tells her father, her mother very probably being dead, as say the Jewish writers k. i ויגד "et puntiaverat",

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 (Genesis 29:26) 5. Leah's sons (Genesis 29:32) The Lord brought him to Padan-aram, where he was to dwell as an exile for twenty years. During these twenty years Jehovah did not manifest Himself to him, even as Israel dispersed among the nations has no communications from the Lord. His sojourn in Padan-aram produce

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 section belongs to JE. Analysis is very uncertain. Probably Genesis 29:1 is from E, Genesis 29:2 from J. Opinions differ as to Genesis 29:15; for our purpose further analysis is unnecessary. Jacob comes in his journey to a well, and finds three flocks waiting to

BROTHER. See on Genesis 29:6 and App-29....

_her father's brother_ In the sense of "relative"; strictly speaking, her father's sister's son. Cf. Genesis 29:15 and Genesis 13:8. _ran and told_ We are reminded of Rebekah's action in Genesis 24:28-29....

PART FORTY-ONE THE STORY OF JACOB: HIS EXPERIENCES IN PADDAN-ARAM (Genesis 29:1 to Genesis 31:16) The Biblical Account 1. Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. 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. 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. 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 th