New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Genesis 29
1
Then Jacob continued on his journey. He came to the land where the eastern tribes lived.
Reference
2
There he saw a well in the field. Three flocks of sheep were lying near it. The flocks were given water from the well. The stone over the opening of the well was large.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 7:17
Isaiah 49:10
Psalm 23:2
John 4:6
John 4:14
Genesis 24:13
Genesis 24:11
3
All of the flocks would gather there. The shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's opening. They would give water to the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the opening of the well.
4
Jacob asked the shepherds, "My friends, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they replied.
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5
He said to them, "Do you know Nahor's grandson Laban?" "Yes, we know him," they answered.
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6
Then Jacob asked them, "How is he?" "He's fine," they said. "Here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep now."
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7
"Look," he said, "the sun is still high in the sky. It's not time for the flocks to be brought together. Give water to the sheep and take them back to the grasslands."
Reference
Parallel theme
Ephesians 5:16
8
"We can't," they replied. "We have to wait until all of the flocks are brought together. The stone has to be rolled away from the opening of the well. Then we'll give water to the sheep."
Reference
9
He was still talking with them when Rachel came with her father's sheep. It was her job to take care of the flock.
Reference
10
Rachel was the daughter of Laban. He was the brother of Jacob's mother. When Jacob saw Rachel with Laban's sheep, he went over to the well. He rolled the stone away from the opening. He gave water to his uncle's sheep.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Exodus 2:17
12
He had told Rachel he was a relative of her father. He had also said he was Rebekah's son. Rachel ran and told her father what Jacob had said.
Reference
13
As soon as Laban heard the news about his sister's son Jacob, he hurried to meet him. Laban hugged Jacob and kissed him. Then he brought him to his home. There Jacob told him everything.
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14
Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." Jacob stayed with Laban for a whole month.
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15
Then Laban said to him, "You are one of my relatives. But is that any reason for you to work for me for nothing? Tell me what your pay should be."
Reference
16
Laban had two daughters. The name of the older one was Leah. And the name of the younger one was Rachel.
Reference
People
18
Jacob was in love with Rachel. He said to Laban, "I'll work for you for seven years to get your younger daughter Rachel."
Reference
Love
Genesis 29:20
Genesis 29:30
Parallel theme
Hosea 12:12
Genesis 34:12
Genesis 31:41
Hosea 3:2
2 Samuel 3:14
19
Laban said, "It's better for me to give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."
Reference
20
So Jacob worked for seven years to get Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because he loved her so much.
Reference
21
Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. I've completed my time. I want to make love to her."
Reference
Parallel theme
Judges 15:1
22
So Laban brought all of the people of the place together and had a big dinner prepared.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 19:9
25
When Jacob woke up the next morning, there was Leah next to him! So he said to Laban, "What have you done to me? I worked for you to get Rachel, didn't I? Why did you trick me?"
Reference
26
Laban replied, "It isn't our practice here to give the younger daughter to be married before the older one.
27
Complete this daughter's wedding week. Then we'll give you the younger one also. But you will have to work for another seven years."
Reference
28
So Jacob did it. He completed the week with Leah. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
30
Jacob made love to Rachel also. He loved Rachel more than he loved Leah. And he worked for Laban for another seven years.
Reference
31
The Lord saw that Jacob didn't love Leah as much as he loved Rachel. So he let Leah have children. But Rachel wasn't able to have children.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 10:37
Genesis 29:30
Deuteronomy 21:15
John 12:25
Genesis 30:22
Genesis 27:41
References Lord
1 Samuel 2:21
Psalm 127:3
1 Samuel 1:5
Exodus 3:7
32
Leah became pregnant. She had a son. She named him Reuben. She said, "The Lord has seen me suffer. Certainly my husband will love me now."
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Psalm 106:44
Psalm 25:18
Genesis 42:22
Genesis 31:42
Genesis 42:27
References Lord
Exodus 4:31
Exodus 3:7
Deuteronomy 26:7
Luke 1:25
1 Samuel 1:11
33
She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, "The Lord heard that Jacob doesn't love me very much. That's why the Lord gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.
Reference
People
34
She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, "Now at last my husband will want me. I have had three sons by him." So the boy was named Levi.
Reference
People
35
She became pregnant again. She had a son. Then she said, "This time I'll praise the Lord." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Matthew 1:2
1 Chronicles 5:2
Genesis 35:26
Genesis 46:12
References Lord
Deuteronomy 33:7
Summary of Genesis 29
Genesis, chapter 29, describes further adventures of Jacob that both parallel those with his father and are to produce a family fraught with jealousy.
He arrived at a well in the open country and he saw three flocks of sheep lying beside it, since this well was where flocks came for water. A big stone was laid across the opening of the well, and the custom was that all shepherd would gather to move the stone from the well. Jacob spoke with the shepherds there about where they were from, and they said to him that they were from Harran, and when he asked them about Laban, grandson of Nahor, they told him that they knew him well, and that he was doing well. Then they said to him, "Here comes his daughter, Rachel, with the flocks."
When he saw Rachel approaching with Laban's flocks, he did something that surprised the shepherds waiting for the stone to be removed so they could water the flocks. He went over and removed the stone from the opening of the well and watered the flock. It was quite a display of strength and eagerness, especially since the custom had always been to wait until all the shepherds had arrived to remove the stone. He kissed Rachel and then wept aloud, telling her she was a relative of her father's, actually Rebekah's son. She ran and told the news to her father, and when Laban heard that Jacob, his sister's son, had arrived, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him, bringing him home. Jacob told Laban all about what had happened, and, having stayed for a month, Laban asked him a fair question: because he was a relative of yours, should you work for me gratuitously? Tell me what your wages should be.
He had two daughters. The older one, Leah, had weak eyes, but the younger one, Rachel, was lovely in form and beautiful. Jacob was taken by Rachel and made Laban an offer: I will work for you 7 years in exchange for Rachel, your younger daughter. Laban agreed that it was much better to give her to Jacob rather than to him. Jacob worked for 7 years in exchange for Rachel, and it is beautifully described that they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
When the time came for Jacob to ask Laban to give him his wife so that he could make her his own, Laban gathered everyone for a feast, but that evening, he took Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob slept with her, not knowing that it was Leah rather than Rachel. It is really quite the echo of what Jacob did to his father in chapter 27, being deceived by someone through deception and darkness to obtain what was not rightly his.
Jacob confronted Laban furiously: What have you done to me? I worked for you for Rachel, but you have deceived me by giving me Leah. Laban replied with a local custom: It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter's bridal week, and we will give you the younger one too, in return for another 7 years of work.
Jacob agreed to this, and he finished the bridal week of Leah, and then Laban gave him Rachel, and Jacob slept with her too, loving Rachel more than Leah. He ended up working Laban another 7 years for her, although this was after the marriage, not before, which means that Jacob worked a total of 14 years for the two women he married.
The chapter is concerned with the emotional impact of the deception on his family. The Lord saw that Leah was not loved and opened her womb while Rachel remained childless. It's quite beautiful that God has such an interest in the plight of an unwanted woman within her own marriage, and has compassion on her. Leah became pregnant and delivered a son, nameing him Reuben, saying the Lord has seen my misery, surely my husband will love me now. She conceived again and had another son, naming him Simeon, saying the Lord has heard that I am not loved. Another son came, and she named him Levi, hoping that now my husband will be attached to me, since I have born him 3 sons. Then she had a fourth son and names him Judah, saying, this time, I will praise the Lord, and after that, she stopped having children for a while.
This chapter is an outstanding display of the repercussions of favoritism and deception, two themes that have plagued Jacob in previous chapters of Genesis. He deceived his father and now is deceived by his father-in-law. He loved one, Leah, and left the other, Rachel, feeling unwanted and in turn, Rachel's lack of children in spite of Leah's fertility is a source of tension for years to come. Even in his misfortune, God does not let the unwanted be unwanted for long, looking out for Leah's feelings of being unwanted, and responding to her prayers.
He arrived at a well in the open country and he saw three flocks of sheep lying beside it, since this well was where flocks came for water. A big stone was laid across the opening of the well, and the custom was that all shepherd would gather to move the stone from the well. Jacob spoke with the shepherds there about where they were from, and they said to him that they were from Harran, and when he asked them about Laban, grandson of Nahor, they told him that they knew him well, and that he was doing well. Then they said to him, "Here comes his daughter, Rachel, with the flocks."
When he saw Rachel approaching with Laban's flocks, he did something that surprised the shepherds waiting for the stone to be removed so they could water the flocks. He went over and removed the stone from the opening of the well and watered the flock. It was quite a display of strength and eagerness, especially since the custom had always been to wait until all the shepherds had arrived to remove the stone. He kissed Rachel and then wept aloud, telling her she was a relative of her father's, actually Rebekah's son. She ran and told the news to her father, and when Laban heard that Jacob, his sister's son, had arrived, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him, bringing him home. Jacob told Laban all about what had happened, and, having stayed for a month, Laban asked him a fair question: because he was a relative of yours, should you work for me gratuitously? Tell me what your wages should be.
He had two daughters. The older one, Leah, had weak eyes, but the younger one, Rachel, was lovely in form and beautiful. Jacob was taken by Rachel and made Laban an offer: I will work for you 7 years in exchange for Rachel, your younger daughter. Laban agreed that it was much better to give her to Jacob rather than to him. Jacob worked for 7 years in exchange for Rachel, and it is beautifully described that they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
When the time came for Jacob to ask Laban to give him his wife so that he could make her his own, Laban gathered everyone for a feast, but that evening, he took Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob slept with her, not knowing that it was Leah rather than Rachel. It is really quite the echo of what Jacob did to his father in chapter 27, being deceived by someone through deception and darkness to obtain what was not rightly his.
Jacob confronted Laban furiously: What have you done to me? I worked for you for Rachel, but you have deceived me by giving me Leah. Laban replied with a local custom: It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter's bridal week, and we will give you the younger one too, in return for another 7 years of work.
Jacob agreed to this, and he finished the bridal week of Leah, and then Laban gave him Rachel, and Jacob slept with her too, loving Rachel more than Leah. He ended up working Laban another 7 years for her, although this was after the marriage, not before, which means that Jacob worked a total of 14 years for the two women he married.
The chapter is concerned with the emotional impact of the deception on his family. The Lord saw that Leah was not loved and opened her womb while Rachel remained childless. It's quite beautiful that God has such an interest in the plight of an unwanted woman within her own marriage, and has compassion on her. Leah became pregnant and delivered a son, nameing him Reuben, saying the Lord has seen my misery, surely my husband will love me now. She conceived again and had another son, naming him Simeon, saying the Lord has heard that I am not loved. Another son came, and she named him Levi, hoping that now my husband will be attached to me, since I have born him 3 sons. Then she had a fourth son and names him Judah, saying, this time, I will praise the Lord, and after that, she stopped having children for a while.
This chapter is an outstanding display of the repercussions of favoritism and deception, two themes that have plagued Jacob in previous chapters of Genesis. He deceived his father and now is deceived by his father-in-law. He loved one, Leah, and left the other, Rachel, feeling unwanted and in turn, Rachel's lack of children in spite of Leah's fertility is a source of tension for years to come. Even in his misfortune, God does not let the unwanted be unwanted for long, looking out for Leah's feelings of being unwanted, and responding to her prayers.