Genesis 29:21

29:21 Finally Jacob said ¹  to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. ²  I want to have marital relations with her.” ³ 

Genesis 29:23

29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah ⁴  to Jacob, ⁵  and Jacob ⁶  had marital relations with her. ⁷ 

Genesis 29:31

The Family of Jacob

29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, ⁸  he enabled her to become pregnant ⁹  while Rachel remained childless.

[29:21]  ¹ tn Heb “and Jacob said.”

[29:21]  ² tn Heb “my days are fulfilled.”

[29:21]  ³ 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).

[29:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “and it happened in the evening that he took Leah his daughter and brought her.”

[29:23]  ⁵ tn Heb “to him”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[29:23]  ⁷ 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.

[29:31]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”