Genesis 29

Jacob and the sheepherders (vs. 1-8)—Jacob arrived near the home of Laban, his mother’s brother. He sees some sheepherders who have gathered their flocks near a watering well. He asked them if they knew Laban, to which they responded in the affirmative (v. 5). It’s a little confusing why these sheepherders were around the well. Jacob pointed out the them that it was still “high day,” so water your sheep and go feed them. But they say that they could not water their flocks until all the sheep were gathered and someone rolled the stone from the mouth of the well (v. 8). Why they weren’t out with the sheep is unknown. But perhaps it was near watering time because here came Laban’s daughter, Rachel, to water her flock.

Jacob meets Rachel (vs. 9-12)—Rachel was a shepherdess, which means she wasn’t kept shut up in the house until marriage. When she arrived with her flock, Jacob rolled the stone from the well and helped water her flock. We don’t know the conversation that ensued during all of this, but Jacob eventually told Rachel who he was and she ran and told Laban (v. 12).

Laban’s treachery and Jacob’s surprise (13-30)—Laban greeted his nephew warmly and Jacob stayed with the family. Obviously he started working for Laban for the latter asked him, “’Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?’" (v. 15). In the few weeks Jacob had been there so far, he had fallen in love with Rachel. So he tells Laban that he’ll work for him seven years for Rachel. Laban agrees. “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her” (v. 20). So far, so good.

But Laban had another daughter, whose name was Leah. Moses, trying to find something nice to say about her, said her eyes were “delicate,” or “tender,” and the word seems to indicate that she had pretty eyes. But apparently that was all, and she didn’t compare with the beauty of Rachel. Well, when the seven years were up, Jacob wanted his wife (v. 21). Laban put together a great wedding feast (v. 22), but did something dastardly. Somehow, without Jacob knowing it—and Rachel must have been in on it, too—Laban snuck Leah into the wedding bed. Whether Jacob was too intoxicated to know who he was with that night or what, in the morning “behold, it was Leah” (v. 25).  Jacob understandably complains, but Laban explains, and correctly, “’It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn’” (v. 26). That was the custom of that region. Jacob apparently wasn’t aware of it, and Laban was less than honest, to say the least, in not explaining it to him. But Laban probably also saw an opportunity to get Leah married off, the prospects of which apparently hadn’t looked too good up till then. He told Jacob to fulfill Leah’s week and he would give him Rachel, on condition that Jacob serve him another seven years (v. 27). Jacob had little choice in the matter. Each of the daughters was given a handmaid as well—Bilhah for Rachel and Zilpah for Leah. That’s important, as we shall see.

Leah bears four sons (vs. 31-35)—Verse 30 indicates that Jacob loved Rachel more than he loved Leah; this is not surprising news. But the Lord was touched by Leah’s situation: “When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren” (v. 31). And over the first four years of marriage, Leah bore Jacob four sons, Rueben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. She hoped with each son that it would produce a greater love in Jacob for her. But it never happened. And, indeed, the whole situation should never have happened. Polygamy simply was not God’s plan for man and woman. Yet the Lord will work all of this out for His purposes and the benefit of man.