Book: [[Genesis]] Next chapter: [[Genesis 30]] # Overview ## [[Jacob]] meets [[Rachel]] at the well - Arriving in [[Aram]], Jacob finds shepherds gathered at a well - He helps roll away the large stone and waters the flock when [[Laban]]’s daughter [[Rachel]] arrives. - [[Jacob]] kisses [[Rachel]], weeps aloud, and she runs to tell her father the news. ## [[Jacob]] works for [[Laban]] in order to marry [[Rachel]] - After a month, [[Laban]] asks [[Jacob]] to name his wages; [[Jacob]] offers seven years of service for [[Rachel]]’s hand. - “[[Jacob]] served seven years for [[Rachel]], but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her” (29:20). ## [[Laban]] deceives [[Jacob]] with [[Leah]] before giving [[Rachel]] - At the wedding feast [[Laban]] secretly substitutes his elder daughter [[Leah]]. - [[Jacob]] discovers the next morning and protests - [[Laban]] cites the local custom of marrying the firstborn first. - [[Jacob]] agrees to serve another seven years and marries [[Rachel]] after that ## Birth of [[Leah]]’s sons - Leah bears four sons—[[Reuben]], [[Simeon]], [[Levi]], and [[Judah]]—each name reflecting a way that [[Leah]] has one-upped [[Rachel]] # Details - [[Laban]] seems initially nice at first, and it was [[Jacob]]'s own idea to offer 7 years for [[Rachel]] - **Origins of [[Israel]]’s tribes:** The first four tribes are born, culminating in [[Judah]], ancestral line of [[David]] and ultimately [[Jesus]]. ## Comparison between [[Abraham]]'s servant and [[Jacob]] in [[Aram]] ### Narrative echoes - Both journeys end at a well in [[Aram]]/Mesopotamia where a relative of [[Abraham]] appears ([[Rebekah]] in [[Genesis 24]], [[Rachel]] here).   - [[Laban]] hosts the travelers on both occasions - Each story safeguards the promise by securing a wife from Abraham’s own kin.   | Theme | [[Abraham]]’s servant ([[Genesis 24]]) | [[Jacob]] ([[Genesis 29]]) | | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Motive | Sent under oath by [[Abraham]] to find a wife for [[Isaac]]. | Fleeing [[Esau]] and seeking a wife for himself. | | Spiritual posture | Prays for guidance and worships when God answers (24:12, 26). | No recorded prayer; acts in his own strength. | | Initiative at the well | Waits for a sign; [[Rebekah]] voluntarily draws water for the camels. | Removes the heavy stone himself and waters [[Rachel]]’s flock. | | Terms | Lavishes gold and rich gifts immediately, winning swift consent. | Offers seven years’ labor (then another seven) | | Timeframe | Mission completed in days; quick return to Canaan. | 14 +  years of toil and family tension in [[Aram]] (Haran). | | [[Laban]]'s role | Asks for [[Rebekah]] to stay 10 more days, but relents. No trickery noted. | Engineers the bride switch, exploiting [[Jacob]]’s love. | | Character of [[God]] | God’s providence is overt and immediate. | God’s blessing works through and despite adversity/human scheming. | > [!NOTE] Takeaway > [[Genesis 24]] models prayerful dependence and swift divine provision, whereas [[Genesis 29]] shows Jacob learning to rely on God’s timing rather than his own initiative. ## [[Jacob]]'s reaction at the well He breaks into tears upon seeing [[Rachel]] -- but could just as well be from seeing the flock of sheep ## On polygamy - [[Jacob]]'s polygamy is not the focus of the chapter - Despite creating practical issues as seen in [[Genesis 30]], the focus is on [[Jacob]]'s delay to [[Canaan]] and therefore the delay in fulfillment of [[God's promises]] ## Sons of [[Leah]] | Son | Hebrew wordplay / meaning | Verse | Leah’s explanation | | ---------- | ---------------------------------- | ----- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [[Reuben]] | רְאוּבֵן (rəʾû·ḇēn) – “See, a son” | 29:32 | “The Lord has seen my misery; surely my husband will love me now.” | | [[Simeon]] | שִׁמְעוֹן (šimʿôn) – “Heard” | 29:33 | “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, He gave me this one too.” | | [[Levi]] | לֵוִי (lēwî) – “Attached/Joined” | 29:34 | “Now at last my husband will become attached to me.” | | [[Judah]] | יְהוּדָה (yəhûḏâ) – “Praise” | 29:35 | “This time I will praise the Lord.” (Focus shifts from Jacob to God.) | # Questions - Why doesn't [[Jacob]] notice the initial swap? Does it even matter?