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Text -- Genesis 29:1-18 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
The Marriages of Jacob
29:1 So Jacob moved on and came to the land of the eastern people .
29:2 He saw in the field a well with three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well . Now a large stone covered the mouth of the well .
29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there , the shepherds would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep . Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth .
29:4 Jacob asked them, “My brothers , where are you from?” They replied , “We’re from Haran .”
29:5 So he said to them, “Do you know Laban , the grandson of Nahor ?” “We know him,” they said .
29:6 “Is he well ?” Jacob asked . They replied , “He is well . Now look , here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep .”
29:7 Then Jacob said , “Since it is still the middle of the day , it is not time for the flocks to be gathered . You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.”
29:8 “We can’t ,” they said , “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well . Then we water the sheep .”
29:9 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep , for she was tending them .
29:10 When Jacob saw Rachel , the daughter of his uncle Laban , and the sheep of his uncle Laban , he went over and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban .
29:11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly .
29:12 When Jacob explained to Rachel that he was a relative of her father and the son of Rebekah , she ran and told her father .
29:13 When Laban heard this news about Jacob , his sister’s son , he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house . Jacob told Laban how he was related to him.
29:14 Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood .” So Jacob stayed with him for a month .
29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob , “Should you work for me for nothing because you are my relative ? Tell me what your wages should be.”
29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters ; the older one was named Leah , and the younger one Rachel .
29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender , but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance .)
29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel , he said , “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel .”
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Gen 29:1; Gen 29:1; Gen 29:2; Gen 29:2; Gen 29:2; Gen 29:3; Gen 29:5; Gen 29:5; Gen 29:6; Gen 29:6; Gen 29:7; Gen 29:7; Gen 29:7; Gen 29:8; Gen 29:9; Gen 29:10; Gen 29:10; Gen 29:10; Gen 29:10; Gen 29:11; Gen 29:12; Gen 29:12; Gen 29:13; Gen 29:13; Gen 29:14; Gen 29:14; Gen 29:14; Gen 29:15; Gen 29:15; Gen 29:16; Gen 29:17; Gen 29:17; Gen 29:18
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NET Notes: Gen 29:2 The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.
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NET Notes: Gen 29:3 Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
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NET Notes: Gen 29:5 Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation...
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NET Notes: Gen 29:7 Heb “water the sheep and go and pasture [them].” The verbal forms are imperatives, but Jacob would hardly be giving direct orders to someo...
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NET Notes: Gen 29:8 The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.
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NET Notes: Gen 29:10 Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repeti...
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NET Notes: Gen 29:11 Heb “and he lifted up his voice and wept.” The idiom calls deliberate attention to the fact that Jacob wept out loud.
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NET Notes: Gen 29:13 Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see...
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NET Notes: Gen 29:15 Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.
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NET Notes: Gen 29:16 Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provid...
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