Genesis 29:18

29:18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with ¹  Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.”

Genesis 29:20

29:20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. ²  But they seemed like only a few days to him ³  because his love for her was so great. ⁴ 

Genesis 29:30-31

29:30 Jacob ⁵  had marital relations ⁶  with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban ⁷  for seven more years. ⁸ 

The Family of Jacob

29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, ⁹  he enabled her to become pregnant ¹⁰  while Rachel remained childless.

Genesis 29:33

29:33 She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved, ¹¹  he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon. ¹² 

[29:18]  ¹ tn Heb “Jacob loved.”

[29:20]  ² tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”

[29:20]  ³ 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.

[29:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

[29:30]  ⁵ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ⁶ tn Heb “went in also to Rachel.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse, i.e., the consummation of the marriage.

[29:30]  ⁷ tn Heb “him”; the referent (Laban) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:30]  ⁸ tn Heb “and he loved also Rachel, more than Leah, and he served with him still seven other years.”

[29:31]  ⁹ tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.

[29:31]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”

[29:33]  ¹¹ tn Heb “hated.” See the note on the word “unloved” in v. 31.

[29:33]  ¹² sn The name Simeon (שִׁמְעוֹן, shim’on) is derived from the verbal root שָׁמַע (shama’) and means “hearing.” The name is appropriate since it is reminder that the Lord “heard” about Leah’s unloved condition and responded with pity.