29:15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work 1 for me for nothing because you are my relative? 2 Tell me what your wages should be.” 29:16 (Now Laban had two daughters; 3 the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 29:17 Leah’s eyes were tender, 4 but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) 5 29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with 6 Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 29:19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. 7 Stay with me.” 29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. 8 But they seemed like only a few days to him 9 because his love for her was so great. 10
29:21 Finally Jacob said 11 to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. 12 I want to have marital relations with her.” 13 29:22 So Laban invited all the people 14 of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah 15 to Jacob, 16 and Jacob 17 had marital relations with her. 18 29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 19
29:25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! 20 So Jacob 21 said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me! 22 Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked 23 me?”
1 tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.
2 tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.
3 tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.
5 tn Heb “and the eyes of Leah were tender.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a noun) continues the parenthesis begun in v. 16. It is not clear what is meant by “tender” (or “delicate”) eyes. The expression may mean she had appealing eyes (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT), though some suggest that they were plain, not having the brightness normally expected. Either way, she did not measure up to her gorgeous sister.
6 tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”
7 tn Heb “Jacob loved.”
9 tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”
11 tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”
12 sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.
13 tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
13 tn Heb “and Jacob said.”
14 tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”
15 tn Heb “and I will go in to her.” The verb is a cohortative; it may be subordinated to the preceding request, “that I may go in,” or it may be an independent clause expressing his desire. The verb “go in” in this context refers to sexual intercourse (i.e., the consummation of the marriage).
15 tn Heb “men.”
17 tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”
18 tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20 tn Heb “went in to her.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.
19 tn Heb “and Laban gave to her Zilpah his female servant, to Leah his daughter [for] a servant.” This clause gives information parenthetical to the narrative.
21 tn Heb “and it happened in the morning that look, it was Leah.” By the use of the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), the narrator invites the reader to view the scene through Jacob’s eyes.
22 tn Heb “and he said”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
23 tn Heb What is this you have done to me?” The use of the pronoun “this” is enclitic, adding emphasis to the question: “What in the world have you done to me?”
24 sn The Hebrew verb translated tricked here (רָמָה, ramah) is cognate to the noun used in Gen 27:35 to describe Jacob’s deception of Esau. Jacob is discovering that what goes around, comes around. See J. A. Diamond, “The Deception of Jacob: A New Perspective on an Ancient Solution to the Problem,” VT 34 (1984): 211-13.