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Genesis 28:5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Genesis 28:5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
5 Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way; he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.(A)
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Genesis 28:5
New International Version
Genesis 28:5
New International Version
5 Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way,(A) and he went to Paddan Aram,(B) to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean,(C) the brother of Rebekah,(D) who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.
Genesis 29:15-30
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Genesis 29:15-30
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
15 [a]Laban said to him: “Should you serve me for nothing just because you are a relative of mine? Tell me what your wages should be.” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the older was called Leah, the younger Rachel. 17 Leah had dull eyes,[b] but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18 Because Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”[c] 19 Laban replied, “It is better to give her to you than to another man. Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet they seemed to him like a few days because of his love for her.(A)
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, that I may consummate my marriage with her, for my term is now completed.” 22 So Laban invited all the local inhabitants and gave a banquet. 23 At nightfall he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he consummated the marriage with her. 24 Laban assigned his maidservant Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant. 25 In the morning, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban: “How could you do this to me! Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why did you deceive me?” 26 Laban replied, “It is not the custom in our country to give the younger daughter before the firstborn. 27 Finish the bridal week[d] for this one, and then the other will also be given to you in return for another seven years of service with me.”(B)
28 Jacob did so. He finished the bridal week for the one, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife. 29 Laban assigned his maidservant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30 Jacob then consummated his marriage with Rachel also, and he loved her more than Leah. Thus he served Laban another seven years.(C)
Jacob’s Children.[e]
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- 29:15–30 Laban’s deception and Jacob’s marriages. There are many ironies in the passage. Jacob’s protest to Laban, “How could you do this to me?” echoes the question put to Abraham (20:9) and Isaac (26:10) when their deceptions about their wives were discovered. The major irony is that Jacob, the deceiver of his father and brother about the blessing (chap. 27), is deceived by his uncle (standing in for the father) about his wife.
- 29:17 Dull eyes: in the language of beauty used here, “dull” probably means lacking in the luster that was the sign of beautiful eyes, as in 1 Sm 16:12 and Sg 4:1.
- 29:18 Jacob offers to render service (Jos 15:16–17; 1 Sm 17:25; 18:17) to pay off the customary bridal price (Ex 22:15–16; Dt 22:29).
- 29:27 The bridal week: an ancient wedding lasted for seven days; cf. Jgs 14:12, 17.
- 29:31–30:24 The note of strife, first sounded between Jacob and Esau in chaps. 25–27, continues between the two wives, since Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah (29:30). Jacob’s neglect of Leah moves God to make her fruitful (29:31). Leah’s fertility provokes Rachel. Leah bears Jacob four sons (Reuben, Levi, Simeon, and Judah) and her maidservant Zilpah, two (Gad and Asher). Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah bears two (Dan and Naphtali). After the mandrakes (30:14–17), Leah bears Issachar and Zebulun and a daughter Dinah. Rachel then bears Joseph and, later in the land of Canaan, Benjamin (35:18).
Genesis 29:15-30
New International Version
Genesis 29:15-30
New International Version
15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative(A) of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages(B) should be.”
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah,(C) and the name of the younger was Rachel.(D) 17 Leah had weak[a] eyes, but Rachel(E) had a lovely figure and was beautiful.(F) 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel(G) and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”(H)
19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel,(I) but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.(J)
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.(K)”
22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.(L) 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah(M) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah(N) to his daughter as her attendant.(O)
25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?(P) I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?(Q)”
26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.(R) 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week;(S) then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.(T)”
28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.(U) 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah(V) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.(W) 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.(X) And he worked for Laban another seven years.(Y)
Footnotes
- Genesis 29:17 Or delicate
Genesis 30:31
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Genesis 30:31
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
31 Laban asked, “What should I give you?” Jacob answered: “You do not have to give me anything. If you do this thing for me, I will again pasture and tend your sheep.
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Genesis 30:31
New International Version
Genesis 30:31
New International Version
31 “What shall I give you?” he asked.
“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them:
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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