John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Genesis 29:1
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 29
This chapter informs us of Jacob's coming to a well near Haran, where meeting with some shepherds he inquires after Laban, Ge 29:1; and there also with Rachel his daughter, the shepherds made known to him, and acquainted her who he was, Ge 29:9; upon which she ran to her father, and told him who was at the well, who went forth and brought him to his house, and kindly entertained him, Ge 29:13; with whom he agreed to stay and serve seven years for Rachel his daughter,
Ge 29:15; at the end of which Jacob demands his wife, but instead of Rachel, Leah was brought to him as his wife, Ge 29:21; which being discovered, and complained of, it was proposed he should have Rachel also, provided he would serve yet seven years more, to which he agreed, Ge 29:26; and the chapter is concluded with an account of four sons being born to Jacob of Leah, Ge 29:31.
Ver. 1. Then Jacob went on his journey,.... After the above vow at Bethel, and having had some intimation that what he desired would be granted him; or "he lift up his feet" {x}, which not only shows that he walked afoot, but that he went on his journey with great cheerfulness; for having such gracious promises made him, that God would be with him, and keep him, and supply him with all necessaries, and return him again to the land of Canaan, which made his heart glad; his heart, as the Jewish writers say {y}, lift up his legs, and he walked apace, and with great alacrity:
and came into the land of the people of the east; the land of Mesopotamia or Syria, which lay to the east of the land of Canaan, see Isa 9:11; hither he came by several days' journeys.
{x} wylgr-avyw "et levavit pedes suos", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Fagius; "sustulit", Drusius, Schmidt. {y} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 70. fol. 62. 2. Jarchi in loc.
Genesis 29:2
Ver. 2. And he looked, and behold a well in the field,.... Near Haran; he might purposely look out for a well, as knowing that there people frequently came for water for their families, or shepherds to water their flocks, of whom he might get intelligence concerning Laban's family, and where they dwelt; or he might lookout for this particular well, where his grandfather's servant had met with his mother Rebekah, of which he had been informed, and very probably had some directions how to find it: of this well, See Gill on "Ge 24:11"; to which may be added what another traveller says {z}, there is in this city (Orpha, the same with Haran) a fountain, which both Jews, Armenians, and Turks, reported unto us was Jacob's well, and that here he served his uncle Laban: near Alexandretta is a fine well, called Jacob's well, and its water is excellent; not far from which the Greeks say are the remains of Laban's house {a}:
and, lo, there [were] three flocks of sheep lying by it; in order to be watered, when it should be opened:
for out of that well they watered the flocks; the shepherds:
and a great stone [was] upon the well's mouth; so that until that was rolled off, they could not be watered, which was the reason of their lying by it: this stone was laid upon it, partly to keep the water from flowing out, and being wasted, that there might be a sufficiency for the flocks; and partly to keep the water pure and clean, that it might be wholesome for the flocks, as well as entire for the use of those that had a property in it.
{z} Cartwright's Preacher's Travels, p. 15. {a} Egmont and Heyman's Travels, vol. 2. p. 329.
Genesis 29:3
Ver. 3. And thither were all the flocks gathered,.... The three above mentioned, Ge 29:2:
and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep; that is, when they watered the sheep, they used to roll away the stone from the mouth of the well in order to do it; for as yet the flocks, now lying by it, had not been watered, as appears from
Ge 29:7:
and put a stone upon the well's mouth in this place; this they were wont to do every time they watered the flocks.
Genesis 29:4
Ver. 4. And Jacob said unto them,.... To the shepherds, though not expressly mentioned; it cannot be imagined he spoke to the flocks, but to the keepers of them:
my brethren, whence [be] ye? a kind and affable way of speaking, used even to strangers, since all men are brethren by nature; or might be used by Jacob, because they were of the same occupation with himself, shepherds, asking them of what city they were, and from whence they came? and which being answered, would lead on to a conversation, which was what he wanted:
and they said, of Haran [are] we; the very place he was bound for, and was sent unto, Ge 27:43.
Genesis 29:5
Ver. 5. And he said unto them, know ye Laban the son of Nahor?.... He was the son of Bethuel, and grandson of Nahor; grandsons being called the sons of their grandfather; and Nahor might be more known than Bethuel, Haran being Nahor's city, Ge 24:10; and not Bethuel his mother's father, but Laban her brother is inquired after; perhaps Bethuel was dead, and Laban was the head of the family, and well known, and it was to him he was sent:
and they said, we know him; perfectly well; he lives in our city, and is our neighbour.
Genesis 29:6
Ver. 6. And he said unto them, [is] he well?.... In good health, he and his family, or "is peace unto him" {b}; does he enjoy prosperity and happiness? for this word was used in the eastern nations, and still is, for all kind of felicity:
and they said, [he is] well; or has peace; he and his family are in good health, enjoying all the comforts and blessings of life:
and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep; at that very instant she was coming out of the city with her father's flock of sheep, to water them at the well; an instance of great humility, diligence, and simplicity; this was very providential to Jacob.
{b} wl Mwlvh "nunquid pax ei", Montanus, Vatablus, Fagius, Cartwright, Schmidt.
Genesis 29:7
Ver. 7. And he said, lo, [it is] yet high day,.... Noonday, when the sun is highest; at which time in those hot countries flocks used to be made to lie down in shady places, and by still waters, to which the allusion is in Ps 23:2; or however the sun was still up very high, and there was a great deal of the day yet to come; for so the phrase is, "yet the day is great" or "much" {c}, a long time still untonight:
neither [is it] time that the cattle should be gathered together; off of the pastures, to be had home, and put into folds, which was usually done in the evening:
water ye the sheep, and go [and] feed [them]; give them water out of the well to drink, and then lead them out the pastures, and let them feed until the night is coming on: this he said not in an authoritative way, or in a surly ill natured manner, and as reproving them for their slothfulness; but kindly and gently giving his advice, who was a shepherd himself, and knew what was proper to be done; and this appears by the shepherds taking in good part what he said, and returning a civil answer.
{c} lwdg "magnus", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "multus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt; "multum adhuc suparet diei", Vatablus.
Genesis 29:8
Ver. 8. And they said, we cannot,.... That is, water the sheep; either because the stone was a great one, as Jarchi observes, and therefore used to be removed by the joint strength of all the shepherds when they came together, though Jacob rolled it away of himself afterwards; but this is imputed to his great strength: or rather it was a custom that obtained among them, or an agreement made between them, that the stone should not be removed from the mouth of the well, and any flock watered,
until all the flocks be gathered together; and therefore they could not fairly and rightly do it, without violating the law and custom among them:
and [till] they roll the stone from the well's mouth; that is, the shepherds of the several flocks:
then we water the sheep; and not till then.
Genesis 29:9
Ver. 9. And while he yet spake with them,.... While Jacob was thus discoursing with the shepherds:
Rachel came with her father's sheep; to water them at the well. She was within sight when Jacob first addressed the shepherds, but now she was come to the well, or near it, with the sheep before her:
for she kept them: or "she was the shepherdess" {d}; the chief one; she might have servants under her to do some parts of the office of a shepherd, not so fit for her to do; it may be Laban's sons, for some he had, Ge 31:1; were not as yet grown up, and Leah, the eldest daughter, having tender eyes, could not bear the open air, and light of the sun, nor so well look after the straying sheep; and therefore the flock was committed to the care of Rachel the younger daughter, whose name signifies a sheep. The Jews say {e}, that the hand of God was upon Laban's flock, and there were but few left, so that he put away his shepherds, and what remained be put before his daughter Rachel, see
Ge 30:30; and some ascribe it to his covetousness that he did this; but there is no need to suggest anything of that kind; for keeping sheep in those times and countries was a very honourable employment, and not below the sons and daughters of great personages, and still is so accounted. Dr. Shaw {f} says it is customary, even to this day, for the children of the greatest Emir to attend their flocks; the same is related of the seven children of the king of Thebes, of Antiphus the son of Priam, and of Anchises, Aeneas's father {g}.
{d} awh her yk "quia pastor illa", Montanus, "pastrix", Schmidt. {e} Targ. Jon. in loc. Pirke Eliezer, c. 36. {f} Travels, p. 240. No. 2. Ed. 2. {g} Hom. II. 1. ver. 313. II. 6. ver. 424. II. 11. ver. 106.
Genesis 29:10
Ver. 10. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban his mother's brother,.... Coming with her flock towards the well, and for whom and whose flock only the shepherds might be waiting:
and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother; wherefore out of respect to him and his, he being so nearly allied to him, it was
that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, either with the help of the shepherds, or of himself by his own strength; which the Jewish writers {h} say amazed the shepherds, that he should do that himself, which required their united strength. The Targum of Jonathan says, he did it with one of his arms; and Jarchi, that he removed it as easily as a man takes off the lid cover of a pot:
and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother; this he did partly out of respect to his relations, and partly that he might be taken notice of by Rachel.
{h} Pirke Eliezer, c. 36.
Genesis 29:11
Ver. 11. And Jacob kissed Rachel,.... Which he did in a way of courtesy and civility; this was done after he had acquainted her with his relation to her; he saluted her upon that:
and lifted up his voice, and wept; for joy at the providence of God that had brought him so opportunely to the place, and at the sight of a person so nearly related to him; and who he hoped would be his wife, and was the person designed of God for him.
Genesis 29:12
Ver. 12. And Jacob told Rachel,.... Or "had told" {i} her; before he kissed her, and lift up his voice and wept, as Aben Ezra observes:
that he [was] her father's brother; his nephew by his sister, for such were sometimes called brethren, as Lot, Abraham's brother's son, is called his brother, Ge 14:12:
and that he [was] Rebekah's son; sister to her father, and aunt to her, and whose name and relation she doubtless knew full well:
and she ran and told her father; leaving the care of her flock with Jacob; Rebekah, in a like case, ran and told her mother, Ge 24:28, which is most usual for daughters to do; but here Rachel runs and tells her father, her mother very probably being dead, as say the Jewish writers {k}.
{i} dgyw "et puntiaverat", Pagninus, Montanus; "renuntiaverat", Vatablus. {k} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 70. fol. 62. 4. Jarchi in loc.
Genesis 29:13
Ver. 13. And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son,.... That there was such a man at the well, thus related to him, and what he had done there, had rolled away the stone, and watered his flock. The Jewish writers {l} make this report chiefly to respect his great strength showed in the above instance, with other things:
that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house; Jarchi and other interpreters represent this as done with avaricious views, and that he expected Jacob had brought presents with him, as pieces of gold, pearls and jewels, and such like precious things Abraham's servant brought and gave him when he came for Rebekah,
Ge 24:53; but I see not why we may not take all this to be hearty, sincere, and affectionate, arising from nearness of relation, and a sense of it:
and he told Laban all these things; how he was sent hither by his parents on account of the hatred of his brother Esau, because he had got the birthright and blessing from him; how God had appeared to him at Luz, and the promises he had made him; how providentially he had met with Rachel at the well, and perhaps might him at, if he did not openly declare, the end of his coming thither for a wife.
{l} Targ. Jon. in loc. Pirke Eliezer, ut supra. (c. 36.)
Genesis 29:14
Ver. 14. And Laban said to him, surely thou [art] my bone and my flesh,.... Nearly allied in blood, being his sister's son:
and he abode with him the space of a month; or "a month of days" {m}, a full month to a day; all this while feeding his flocks, and doing whatsoever service he had for him to do.
{m} Mymy vdx "mensem dierum", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, Schmidt.
Genesis 29:15
Ver. 15. And Laban said unto Jacob, because thou [art] my brother,.... Or nephew, his sister's son, See Gill on "Ge 29:12":
shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? nearness of kin was no reason why he should serve him freely, or for nothing, but rather why he should be more kind to him than to a stranger, and give him better wages:
tell me, what [shall] thy wages [be]? by the day, or month, or year; signifying he was willing to give him anything that was just and reasonable, which was very well spoken; and this gave Jacob a fair opportunity of opening his mind more freely to him, and for answering a principal end for which he came, as follows:
Genesis 29:16
Ver. 16. And Laban had two daughters,.... Grown up and marriageable:
and the name of the elder was Leah; which signifies labour or weariness:
and the name of the younger was Rachel; before mentioned, whom Jacob met with at the well, Ge 29:10; and whose name signifies a sheep, as before observed, See Gill on "Ge 29:9".
Genesis 29:17
Ver. 17. Leah [was] tender eyed,.... Blear eyed, had a moisture in them, which made them red, and so she was not so agreeable to look at; though Onkelos renders the words,
"the eyes of Leah were beautiful,''
as if her beauty lay in her eyes, and nowhere else;
but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured; in all parts, in the form of her countenance, in her shape and stature, and in her complexion, her hair black, her flesh white and ruddy, as Ben Melech observes.
Genesis 29:18
Ver. 18. And Jacob loved Rachel,.... As he seems to have done from the moment he saw her at the well, being beautiful, modest, humble, affable, diligent, and industrious:
and he said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter: signifying, that he desired no other wages for his service than that, that he might have her for his wife, at the end of seven years' servitude, which he was very willing to oblige himself to, on that condition; for having no money to give as a dowry, as was customary in those times, he proposed servitude instead of it; though Schmidt thinks this was contrary to custom, and that Laban treated his daughters like bondmaids, and such as are taken captives or strangers, and sold them, of which they complain, Ge 31:15.
Genesis 29:19
Ver. 19. And Laban said,.... Deceitfully, as the Targum of Jonathan adds, pretending great respect for Jacob, and that what he had proposed was very agreeable to him, when he meant to impose upon him:
[it is] better that I should give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man; by which he not only intimates that he preferred him, a relation, to another man, a stranger; but as if he did not insist upon the servitude for her, but would give her to him; unless he means upon the terms proposed, and so it should seem by what follows:
abide with me: the term of seven years, and serve me; suggesting, that then he agreed Rachel should be his wife; and so Jacob, a plain hearted man, understood him; but he designed no such thing.
Genesis 29:20
Ver. 20. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel,.... The whole term of time, diligently, faithfully, and patiently. Reference is had to this in Ho 11:12:
and they seemed unto him [but] a few days, for the love he had to her; for though to lovers time seems long ere they enjoy the object beloved; yet Jacob here respects not so much the time as the toil and labour of service he endured in it; he thought that seven years' service was a trifle, like the service of so many days, in comparison of the lovely and worthy person he obtained thereby; all that he endured was nothing in comparison of her, and through the love he bore to her: besides, the many pleasant hours he spent in conversation with her made the time slide on insensibly, so that it seemed to be quickly gone; which shows that his love was pure and constant.
Genesis 29:21
Ver. 21. And Jacob said unto Laban, give [me] my wife,.... Meaning Rachel, who was his wife by contract; the conditions of her being his wife were now fulfilled by him, and therefore he might challenge her as his wife:
for my days are now fulfilled; the seven years were up he agreed to serve him for his daughter; and therefore it was but just and right she should be given him:
that I may go in unto her; as his lawful wife, and it was high time Jacob had her; for he was now, as the Jewish writers generally say {n}, and that very rightly, eighty four years of age; and from him were to spring twelve princes, the heads of twelve tribes, which should inhabit the land of Canaan.
{n} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 70. fol. 63. 1. Jarchi in loc. and others.
Genesis 29:22
Ver. 22. And Laban gathered together all the men of the place,.... Of the city of Haran, which may be understood of the chief and principal of them, to make the marriage of his daughter public and authentic:
and made a feast; a marriage or marriage feast, as the Septuagint version, see Mt 22:2; which was usual, when a marriage was solemnized, expressive of joy on that account.
Genesis 29:23
Ver. 23. And it came to pass in the evening,.... After the feast was over, and the guests were departed; when it was night, a fit season to execute his designs, and practise deceit:
that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him, to Jacob, in his apartment, his bedchamber, or to him in bed: for it is still the custom in some eastern countries for the bridegroom to go to bed first, and then the bride comes, or is brought to him in the dark, and veiled, so that he sees her not: so the Armenians have now such a custom at their marriages that the husband goes to bed first; nor does the bride put off her veil till in bed {o}: and in Barbary the bride is brought to the bridegroom's house, and with some of her female relations conveyed into a private room {p}; then the bride's mother, or some very near relation, introduces the bridegroom to his new spouse, who is in the dark, and obliged in modesty not to speak or answer upon any account: and if this was the case here, as it is highly probable it was, the imposition on Jacob is easily accounted for:
and he went in unto her; or lay with her as his wife; a modest expression of the use of the bed.
{o} Tournefort's Voyage to the Levant, vol. 3. p. 255. {p} Ockley's Account of Southwest Barbary, c. 6. p. 78.
Genesis 29:24
Ver. 24. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid, [for] an handmaid. It was usual to have many given them at this time, as Rebekah seems to have had, Ge 24:59; but Leah had but one, and this was all the portion Jacob had with her. The Targum of Jonathan is,
"and Laban gave her Zilpah his daughter, whom his concubine bore unto him:''
hence the Jews say {q}, that the daughters of a man by his concubines are called maids.
{q} Pirke Eliezer, c. 36.
Genesis 29:25
Ver. 25. And it came to pass, that, in the morning, behold, it [was] Leah,.... The morning light discovered her, and her veil being off, her tender eyes showed who she was: it is much her voice had not betrayed her; but perhaps there might be a likeness of voice in her and her sister; or she might keep silence, and so not be discovered in that way; but to excuse her from sin is not easy, even the sin of adultery and incest. Manythings may be said indeed in her favour, as obedience to her father, and, being the eldest daughter, might be desirous of having an husband first, and especially of having the promised seed, which God promised to Abraham, and was to be in the line of Jacob: and it may be, as Schmidt observes, that Laban had persuaded her to believe, that the matrimonial contract he had made with Jacob was on her account, and that she was truly his spouse; and the same he might say to Rachel, which made her easy, or otherwise it is difficult to account for it that she should acquiesce in it; for it can hardly be thought to be done without her knowledge, when it was for the solemnity of her marriage that the men of the city were called together, and a feast made for them; for that she should deliver up to her sister the things or signs that Jacob had given her to carry on the fraud, as the Jewish writers {r} say, is beyond belief:
and he said to Laban; when he arose in the morning, and at first meeting with him:
what is this that thou hast done unto me? what a wicked thing is it? as it was, to put another woman to bed to him that was not his wife, and in the room of his lawful wife; or why hast thou done this to me? what reason was there for it? what have I done, that could induce thee to do me such an injury? for Jacob knew what he had done, of that he does not inquire, but of the reason of it, and expostulates with him about the crime, as it was a sin against God, and an injury to him:
did I not serve thee, for Rachel? even seven years, according to agreement? was not this the covenant I made with thee, that she should be my wife at the end of them?
wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? by giving Leah instead of her: though Laban is not to be justified in this action, yet here appears in Providence a righteous retaliation of Jacob; he beguiled his own father, pretending he was his brother Esau; and now his father-in-law beguiles him, giving him blear eyed Leah instead of beautiful Rachel.
{r} Targum Jon. & Jarchi in loc.
Genesis 29:26
Ver. 26. And Laban said, it must not be so done in, our country,.... Or "in our place" {s}; in this our city it is not usual and customary to do so; he does not deny what he had done in beguiling him, nor the agreement he had made with him, but pleads the custom of the place as contrary to it:
to give the younger, that is, in marriage,
before the firstborn; but it does not appear there was any such custom, and it was a mere evasion; or otherwise, why did not he inform him of this when he asked for Rachel? and why did he enter into a contract with him, contrary to such a known custom? and besides; how could he have the nerve to call the men of the city, and make a feast for the marriage of his younger daughter, if this was the case?
{s} wnmwqmb "in loco nostro", Pagninus, Montanus, &c
Genesis 29:27
Ver. 27. Fulfil her week,.... Not Rachel's week, or a week of years of servitude for her, but Leah's week, or the week of seven days of feasting for her marriage; for a marriage feast used to be kept seven days, according to the Jewish writers {t}, and as it seems from
Jud 14:17; and the Targum of Jerusalem fully expresses this sense,
"fulfil the week of the days of the feast of Leah;''
and to the same sense the Targum of Jonathan, Aben Ezra and Jarchi:
and we will give this also; meaning Rachel that stood by; and the sense is, that he and his wife, if he had any, or his friends about him, would give to Jacob Rachel also to be his wife, upon the following condition:
for the service which thou shall serve with me yet seven other years; which shows the avaricious temper of the man.
{t} T. Hieros. Moed Katon, fol. 80. 4. Pirke Eliezer, c. 16, 36.
Genesis 29:28
Ver. 28. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week,.... The week of the days of the feast of Leah, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; he agreed to it; during which time he cohabited with Leah as his wife, and which confirmed the marriage: how justifiable this was, must be left. The marrying of two sisters was forbidden by the law of Moses, Le 18:18; and polygamy was not allowed of in later times, and yet both were dispensed with in times preceding; and there seems to be an overruling Providence in this affair, which oftentimes brings good out of evil, since the Messiah was to spring from Leah, and not Rachel;
See Gill on "Ge 29:35"; and having more wives than one, and concubines also, seems to be permitted for this reason, that Jacob might have a numerous progeny, as it was promised he should: and indeed Jacob was under some necessity of marrying both sisters, since the one was ignorantly defiled by him, and the other was his wife by espousal and contract; and though he had served seven years for her, he could not have her without consenting to marry the other, and fulfilling her week, and serving seven years more; to such hard terms was he obliged by an unkind uncle, in a strange country, and destitute:
and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also; not after seven years' service, as Josephus {u} thinks, but after the seven days of feasting for Leah; though on condition of the above service, as appears from various circumstances related before the seven years' service could be completed; as his going in to Rachel, Ge 29:30; her envying the fruitfulness of her sister, Ge 30:1; giving Bilhah her handmaid unto him, Ge 30:3; and the whole series of the context, and life of Jacob.
{u} Antiqu. l. 1. c. 19. sect. 7.
Genesis 29:29
Ver. 29. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. As he had given Leah an handmaid he gave Rachel another; and this in the Targum of Jonathan is said to be a daughter of Laban by a concubine also, as the former.
Genesis 29:30
Ver. 30. And he went in also unto Rachel,.... Cohabited with her as his wife:
and he loved also Rachel more than Leah; she was his first love, and he retained the same love for her he ever had; as appears by his willingness to agree to the same condition of seven years' servitude more for her sake, and which he performed as follows:
and served with him, yet seven other years; that is, Jacob served so many years with Laban after he had married his two daughters, and fulfilled the weeks of feasting for each of them.
Genesis 29:31
Ver. 31. And when the Lord saw that Leah [was] hated,.... Not properly and simply hated by Jacob, as appears by his doing the duty of an husband to her, but comparatively; she was less loved than Rachel: and there are many things to be said for it; she was not beautiful as Rachel was; she was not Jacob's choice, as she was but imposed upon him through deceit, and he was forced to marry her, or he could not have Rachel his beloved wife: but the Lord had pity on her, and that she might have a share in her husband's affections,
he opened her womb; or gave her conception; as Onkelos paraphrases it:
but Rachel [was] barren; bare no children as yet, and for many years after, Ge 30:22.
Genesis 29:32
Ver. 32. And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben,.... That is, "see the son", as if she by this name called upon her husband, her friends, and all about her, to look at him, and view him; perhaps hoping and imagining he might be the famous son, the promised seed, the Messiah that was to spring to Abraham, in the line of Jacob; but if she so thought, she was greatly mistaken; for this son of hers proved unstable, and did not excel; or rather God hath seen or provided a son, as Hillerus {w} gives the signification of the name, which seems better to agree with what follows:
for she said, surely the Lord hath looked on my affliction; being deceived by her father, not so much loved by her husband as her sister was, and perhaps slighted by her:
now therefore my husband will love me: more than he has done, and equally as my sister, having bore him a son.
{w} Onomastic. Sacr. p. 918.
Genesis 29:33
Ver. 33. And she conceived again, and bare a son,.... As soon as she well could. The Jews {x} have a notion, that Leah brought forth her sons at seven months' end:
and said, because the Lord hath heard that I [was] hated; or less loved than her sister:
he hath therefore given me this [son] also; to comfort her under the trial and exercise, and engage her husband's love the more unto her:
and she called his name Simeon: which signifies "hearing", and answers to the reason of her having him as she concluded.
{x} Pirke Eliezer, c. 36.
Genesis 29:34
Ver. 34. And she conceived again, and bare a son,.... A third time, as soon as she well could after the former birth:
and said, now this time will my husband be joined to me; in greater affection and stronger ties of love, and cleave unto her:
because I have born him three sons; which she considered as a threefold cord, binding his affections to her, which could not be easily broke;
and therefore was his name called Levi; which signifies "joined"; from him the Levites sprung, and had their name.
Genesis 29:35
Ver. 35. And she conceived again, and bare a son,.... A fourth son, a son in whose line, and from whose tribe, the Messiah was to spring:
and she said, now will I praise the Lord; she had praised him before for looking on her affliction, and hearing her cries, and giving her one son after another; but now she determines to praise him more than ever, having a fresh instance of his goodness to her: the Targum of Jonathan adds this as a reason,
"because from this my son shall come forth kings, and from him shall come forth David the king, who shall praise the Lord.''
And why may it not be as well supposed that she had knowledge of the Messiah springing from him, which would greatly heighten and increase her joy and praise?
and therefore she called his name Judah; which signifies "praise". A further improvement is made of this name, and the signification of it, in Ge 49:8. According to the Jewish writers {y}, these four sons of Jacob were born, Reuben on the fourteenth day of Chisleu, or November, and lived one hundred and twenty four years; Simeon on the twenty first of Tebeth, or December, and lived one hundred and twenty years; Levi on the sixteenth of Nisan, or March, and lived one hundred and thirty seven years; and Judah on the fifteenth of Sivan, or May, and lived one hundred and nineteen years. And all these names being of the Hebrew language, and derived from words in it, show that this language, or what was much the same with it, was spoken in Laban's family, and had been continued from Nahor, as it had been in Isaac's family from Abraham:
and left bearing; that is, for a while, for after this she bore two sons and a daughter; see Ge 30:17.
{y} Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 3. 2. & 4. 1.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Genesis 30:1
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 30
This chapter gives an account of Rachel's envy of her sister for her fruitfulness, and of her earnest desire of having children, which she expressed to Jacob in an unbecoming manner, for which he reproved her,
Ge 30:1, of her giving her maid Bilhah to Jacob, by whom he had two sons, Dan and Naphtali, Ge 30:3; and of Leah's giving her maid Zilpah to him, by whom he had two other sons, Gad and Asher,
Ge 30:9; and of Reuben's mandrakes he found in the field, and the agreement made between Rachel and Leah about them, Ge 30:14; and of Leah's bearing Jacob two more sons and one daughter, Ge 30:17, and of Rachel's also bearing him a son, whose name was Joseph,
Ge 30:22; upon which he desires leave of Laban to depart into his own country, his time of servitude being up, Ge 30:25; which brought on a new agreement between him and Laban, that for the future he should have all the speckled, spotted, and brown cattle for his service, Ge 30:27; and the chapter is concluded with an account of a cunning scheme of Jacob's to increase that sort of cattle, which succeeded, and by which he became rich, Ge 30:37.
Ver. 1. And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children,.... In the space of three or four years after marriage, and when her sister Leah had had four sons:
Rachel envied her sister; the honour she had of bearing children, and the pleasure in nursing and bringing them up, when she lay under the reproach of barrenness: or, "she emulated her sisters" {z}; was desirous of having children even as she, which she might do, and yet not be guilty of sin, and much less of envy, which is a very heinous sin:
and said unto Jacob, give me children, or else I die; Rachel could never be so weak as to imagine that it was in the power of Jacob to give her children at his pleasure, or of a barren woman to make her a fruitful mother of children; though Jacob at sight seems so to have understood her: but either, as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it, that he would pray the Lord to give her children, as Isaac prayed for Rebekah; so Aben Ezra and Jarchi: or that he would, think of some means or other whereby she might have children, at least that might be called hers; and one way she had in view, as appears from what follows: or otherwise she suggests she could not live comfortably; not that she should destroy herself, as some have imagined; but that she should be so uneasy in her mind, that her life would be a burden to her; that death would be preferred to it, and her fretting herself for want of children, in all probability, would issue in it.
{z} anqt "aemulata est", Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Schmidt.
Genesis 30:2
Ver. 2. And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel,.... Whom yet he dearly loved, hearing her talk in such an extravagant manner, as her words seemed to be, and were not: only expressive of great uneasiness and impatience, but implied what was not in the power of man to do:
and he said, [am] I in God's stead: do you take me to be God, or one that has a dispensing power from him to do what otherwise no creature can do; and which also he never gives to any? for, as the Targum of Jerusalem on Ge 30:22 says, this is one of the four keys which God delivers not to an angel or a seraph; even the key of barrenness. Children are the gift of God, and his only, and therefore he is to be sought unto for them: hence Onkelos land Jonathan paraphrase it;
"wherefore dost thou seek them of me? shouldest thou not seek them of the Lord?''
who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? children,
Ps 127:3; not Jacob, but the Lord.
Genesis 30:3
Ver. 3. And she said,.... in order to pacify Jacob, and explain her meaning to him; which was, not that she thought it was in his power to make her the mother of children, but that he would think of some way or another of obtaining children for her, that might go for hers; so the Arabic version, "obtain a son for me": but, since no method occurred to him, she proposes one:
behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her, take her and use her as thy wife:
and she shall bear upon my knees; either sit on her knees in the time of labour, and so bring forth as if it was she herself; or rather bear a child, which Rachel would take and nurse, and dandle upon her knees as her own, see Isa 66:12;
that I may also have children by her; children as well as her sister, though by her maid, and as Sarah proposed to have by Hagar, whose example, in all probability, she had before her, and uses her very words; See Gill on "Ge 16:2".
Genesis 30:4
Ver. 4. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid,.... To be enjoyed as a wife, though she was no other than a concubine; yet such were sometimes called wives, and were secondary ones, and were under the proper lawful wife, nor did their children inherit; but those which Jacob had by his wives' maids did inherit with the rest:
and Jacob went in unto her; consenting to what Rachel his wife proposed to him: having concubines, as well as more wives than one, were not thought criminal in those times, and were suffered of God, and in this case for the multiplication of Jacob's seed; and perhaps he might the more readily comply with the motion of his wife, from the example of his grandfather Abraham, who took Hagar to wife at the instance of Sarah.
Genesis 30:5
Ver. 5. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. This was so far countenanced by the Lord, that he blessed her with conception, and Jacob with a son by her.
Genesis 30:6
Ver. 6. And Rachel said,.... As soon as she heard that Bilhah had bore a son:
God hath judged me: and hereby testified his approbation, as she understood it, of the step she had took in giving her maid to her husband, and she was justified in what she had done:
and hath also heard my voice: of prayer; she had prayed to God that her maid might have a child, or she have one by her:
and hath given me a son; whom she reckoned her own, Bilhah being her servant, and so her children born of her, hers; or whom she adopted and called her own, and therefore took upon her to give it a name, as follows: and here let it be observed, that she looked upon this child as a gift of God, as the fruit of prayer, and as in mercy to her, God dealing graciously with her, and taking her part, and judging righteous judgment:
therefore called she his name Dan; which signifies "judgment"; the reason of it lies in the first clause of the verse.
Genesis 30:7
Ver. 7. And Bilhah, Rachel's maid, conceived again,.... Soon after the birth of her first child:
and bare Jacob a second son; this was his sixth son, but the second by Bilhah.
Genesis 30:8
Ver. 8. And Rachel said, with great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister,.... Or, "with the wrestlings of God" {a}, wrestling and striving in prayer with God; being vehement and importunate in her petitions to him, that she might have children as well as her sister: some render it, "I used the craftinesses of God", or "great craftiness with my sisters" {b}; by giving her maid Bilhah to her husband, and having children by her:
and I have prevailed; as she strove in her desires and prayers to have another child before her sister had; in that she prevailed, or she was succeeded in her desires, she had children as she wished to have:
and she called his name Naphtali; which signifies "my wrestling", being a child she had been striving and wrestling for: these two sons of Bilhah were born, as say the Jews, Dan on the twenty ninth day of Elul or August, and lived one hundred and twenty seven years; Naphtali on the fifth of Tisri or September, and lived one hundred and thirty three years.
{a} Myhla ylwtpn "luctationibus Dei", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Cartwright. {b} "Calliditatibus Dei, Oleaster, astutiis Dei", Schmidt.
Genesis 30:9
Ver. 9. When Leah saw that she had left bearing,.... For a little while, for she afterwards bore again, and observing also what her sister had done;
she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife: in this she was less excusable than Rachel, since she had four children of her own, and therefore might have been content without desiring others by her maid; nor had she long left off bearing, and therefore had no reason to give up hope of having any more.
Genesis 30:10
Ver. 10. And Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore Jacob a son. For it seems he consented to take her to wife at the motion of Leah, as he had took Bilhah at the instance of Rachel; and having gratified the one, he could not well deny the other; and went in to her, and she conceived, though neither of these things are mentioned, but are all necessarily supposed.
Genesis 30:11
Ver. 11. And Leah said, a troop cometh,.... A troop of children, having bore four herself, and now her maid another, and more she expected; or the commander of a troop cometh, one that shall head an army and overcome his enemies; which agrees with the prophecy of Jacob,
Ge 49:19;
and she called his name Gad: which signifies a "troop", glorying in the multitude of her children, that she had or hoped to have.
Genesis 30:12
Ver. 12. And Zilpah, Leah's maid, bare Jacob a second son. As well as Bilhah, and no more.
Genesis 30:13
Ver. 13. And Leah said,.... Upon the birth of the second son by her maid:
happy am I; or, "in my happiness"; or, "for my happiness" {c}; that is, this child is an addition to my happiness, and will serve to increase it: for the daughters will call me blessed; the women of the place where she lived would speak of her as a happy person, that had so many children of her own, and others by her maid; see Ps 127:5:
and she called his name Asher, which signifies "happy" or "blessed". These two sons of Zilpah, according to the Jewish writers {d}, were born, Gad on the tenth day of Marchesvan or October, and lived one hundred and twenty five years; and Asher on the twenty second day of Shebet or January, and lived one hundred and twenty three years.
{c} yrvab "in felicitate mea", Montanus; "ob beatitatem meam", Drusius; "hoc pro beatitudine men", V. L. "pro beatitudine mihi est", Schmidt. {d} Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 4. 1.
Genesis 30:14
Ver. 14. And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest,.... Leah's eldest son, who is supposed to be at this time about four or five years of age {e}, who went out from the tent to the field, to play there perhaps; and this was at the time of wheat harvest, in the month Sivan, as the Targum of Jonathan, which answers to part of our May; a time of the year when the earth is covered with flowers:
and found mandrakes in the field; the flowers or fruit of mandrakes, mandrake apples, as the Septuagint. This plant is said to excite love, provoke lust, dispose for, and help conception; for which reasons it is thought Rachel was so desirous of these "mandrakes", which seem to have their name "dudaim" from love: the word is only used here and in So 7:13; where they are commended for their good smell, and therefore cannot be the plant which goes now by that name; since they neither give a good smell, nor bear good fruit, and are of a cold quality, and so not likely to produce the above effects ascribed unto them. It is very probable they were lovely and delightful flowers the boy picked up in the field, such as children delight in; some think the "jessamin", others lilies, and others violets {f}; it is not easy to determine what they were; See Gill on "So 7:13";
and brought them unto his mother Leah; as children are apt to do, to show what line flowers or fruit they have gathered:
then Rachel said to Leah, give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes; being taken with the colour or smell of them; for as for the notion of helping conception, or removing barrenness and the like, there is no foundation for it; for Rachel, who had them, did not conceive upon having them; and the conception both of her and Leah afterwards is ascribed to the Lord's remembering and hearkening to them.
{e} Shalshaley Hakabala, fol. 3. 2. {f} Vid. T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 2. & Gloss. in ib.
Genesis 30:15
Ver. 15. And she said unto her,.... Leah to Rachel, taking this opportunity to bring out a thing which had some time lain with uneasiness upon her mind:
[is it] a small thing that thou hast taken away my husband? got the greatest share of his affections, and had most of his company; which last was very probably the case, and more so, since Leah had left off bearing; and this she could not well stomach, and therefore upon this trifling occasion outs with it:
and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? which were poor things to be mentioned along with an husband; and besides, Rachel did not offer to take them away from the child without her leave, which she in very humble manner asked of her:
and Rachel said, therefore he shall lie with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes; which showed no great affection to her husband, and a slight of his company, to be willing to part with it for such a trifle; and it seems by this as if they took their turns to lie with Jacob, and this night being Rachel's turn, she agrees to give it to Leah for the sake of the mandrakes: or however, if she had engrossed him to herself very much of late, as seems by the words of Leah above, she was willing to give him up to her this night, on that consideration; which Leah agreed she should have, as appears by what follows.
Genesis 30:16
Ver. 16. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening,.... From feeding his flocks;
and Leah went out to meet him; knowing full well the time he used to come home:
and said, thou must come in unto me; into her tent, for the women had separate tents from the men; as Sarah from Abraham; and so these wives of Jacob had not only tents separate from his, but from one another:
for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes: that is, she had hired that night's lodging with him of Rachel, with the mandrakes her son Reuben had brought out of the field. Jacob made no objection to it; but consented, being willing to please both his wives, who he perceived had made this agreement between themselves:
and he lay with her that night; and that only, for the present: for, by the way of speaking, it looks as if he did not continue with her more nights together at that time, but went, as before that evening, to Rachel's tent.
Genesis 30:17
Ver. 17. And God hearkened unto Leah,.... To the prayer of Leah, as the Targum of Jonathan, for more children: the desire of these good women for the company of their husband was not from lust, or an amorous desire in them, but for the sake of having many children, as appears by giving their maids to him; and the reason of this was, as Bishop Patrick well observes, that the promise made to Abraham of the multiplication of his seed, and of the Messiah springing from thence, might be fulfilled; and is the true reason of Moses's taking such particular notice of those things, which might seem below the dignity of such a sacred history:
and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son; the fifth he had by her, but the ninth in all, that were born unto him.
Genesis 30:18
Ver. 18. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire,.... Of the mandrakes with which she had hired of Rachel a night's lodging with Jacob, and for which she had a sufficient recompense, by the son that God had given her: and she added another reason, and a very preposterous one, and shows she put a wrong construction on the blessing she received:
because I have given my maiden to my husband; which, she judged, was so well pleasing to God, that he had rewarded her with another son;
and she called his name Issachar, which signifies "hire" or "reward"; or, there is a reward, or a man of reward.
Genesis 30:19
Ver. 19. And Leah conceived again,.... For bearing children Jacob took more to her, and more frequently attended her apartment and bed:
and bare Jacob a sixth son; the sixth by her, but the tenth by her and his two maids.
Genesis 30:20
Ver. 20. And Leah said, God hath endued me [with] a good dowry,.... Having so many children; for though her husband could give her nothing at marriage, and her father gave her no more than one handmaid, yet God had abundantly made it up to her, in giving her so many sons: these are the heritage of the Lord, Ps 127:3;
now will my husband dwell with me; constantly; and not come to her tent now and then only, as he had used to do;
because I have borne him six sons; this she thought would fix his affections to her, and cause him to cleave to her, and continue with her:
and she called his name Zebulun; which signifies "dwelling". These two sons of Leah, according to the Jewish writers {g}, were born, Issachar on the tenth day of Ab or July, and lived one hundred and twenty two years, and Zebulun on the seventh of Tisri or September, and lived one hundred and twenty four years.
{g} Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 4. 1.
Genesis 30:21
Ver. 21. And afterwards she bare a daughter,.... Which some writers, as Aben Ezra observes, say, was at the same birth with Zebulun, a twin with him; but being said to be afterwards shows the contrary:
and called her name Dinah; which signifies "judgment": perhaps she may have some reference to the first son of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, whom she called Dan, a name of the same signification; intimating as if it was a clear case that judgment went on her side; and that by the number of children she had, it was plain God had determined in her favour.
Genesis 30:22
Ver. 22. And God remembered Rachel,.... In a way of mercy and kindness, whom he seemed to have forgotten, by not giving her children:
and God hearkened to her; to her prayer, which had been made time after time, that she might have children; but hitherto God had delayed to answer, but now gives one:
and opened her womb; gave her conception, and made her fruitful, and she became the mother of a child she so much desired.
Genesis 30:23
Ver. 23. And she conceived and bare a son,.... Through the goodness of God unto her, and for which she was greatly thankful;
and said, God hath taken away my reproach; the reproach of barrenness with which she was reproached among her neighbours; and perhaps by her sister Leah, and indeed it was a general reproach in those times; and especially, it was the more grievous to good women in the family of Abraham, because they were not the means of multiplying his seed according to the promise, and could have no hope of the Messiah springing from them.
Genesis 30:24
Ver. 24. And she called his name Joseph,.... Which signifies "adding", or rather, "to be added"; or, "God shall add", giving this reason for it;
and said, the Lord shall add to me another son: which is expressive of strong faith; that as she had begun to bear children, she should bear another, as she did; though some read the words as a wish or prayer, "may the Lord", or, "and that the Lord would add", &c. {h}; but our version seems best: the name Joseph is composed of two words, one which signifies to gather or take away, used in Ge 30:23, and another which signifies to add; and so has respect to the Lord's taking away her reproach, and adding to her another son: Melo, an Heathen writer, makes mention of Joseph by name, as Polyhistor {i} relates, and makes him the twelfth and last son of Abraham, whereas he was the eleventh of Jacob. He was born, as the Jews say {k}, the twenty seventh of Tammuz or June, and lived one hundred and ten years.
{h} Poy "addat", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. {i} Apud. Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 19. p. 421. {k} Shalshal. ibid.
Genesis 30:25
Ver. 25. And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph,.... At which time his fourteen years of servitude were ended; for Jacob was in Laban's house twenty years, fourteen were spent in serving for his wives, and the other six for his cattle, which begun from this time, as the context clearly shows; see Ge 31:41; so that, as the Jewish writers {l} truly observe, in seven years' time Jacob had twelve children born to him, eleven sons and one daughter; for he had served seven years before he had either of his wives: they also pretend that a twin was born with each, except with Joseph, but for that there is no foundation:
that Jacob said unto Laban, send me away; give me leave to depart thy house: he had a right to demand his liberty, and to insist upon it, since the time of his servitude was up; but he chose to have leave, and part in a friendly manner:
that I may go unto mine own place, and to my own country; to Beersheba, where his father and mother lived, and whom, no doubt, he longed to see; and to the land of Canaan, in which that place was, which was his native country and was given him by promise, and was to be the inheritance of his seed.
{l} Pirke Eliezer, c. 36. Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 6. 2.
Genesis 30:26
Ver. 26. Give [me] my wives,.... His two wives, Leah and Rachel, and the two maids, Bilhah and Zilpah, which he had given him for wives also; he desires leave not to have them, but to take them away with him:
and my children; his twelve children; he did not desire his father-in- law to take any of them, and keep them for him, but was desirous of having them with him: no doubt, for the sake of their education, though he had nothing of his own wherewith to support them; not doubting that God would make good his promise in giving him food and raiment, and returning him to his country; and which his faith applied to his family as well as to himself:
for whom I have served thee; not for his children, but for his wives, his two wives;
and let me go; free from thy service, and to my own country;
for thou knowest my service which I have done thee: how much and great it is, and with what diligence and faithfulness it has been performed, and that the time of it fixed and agreed upon was at an end.
Genesis 30:27
Ver. 27. And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry,.... One would think he could not expect to have much from him, by his treatment of him; but he craftily cajoles him in this fawning, flattering way, in order to gain a point, and begs of him, in a very humble and suppliant manner, if he had any love for him, that he would not depart from him, but stay with him, which he should take as a great favour; for he could not insist upon it, as bound in duty, or as a point of justice:
for I have learned by experience; by the observations made in the fourteen years past;
that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake: Laban had so much religion as to ascribe the blessings, the good things he had, to the Lord, as the author and giver of them; and so much honour, or however, thought it was more his interest to own it, that it was for Jacob's sake that he was thus blessed: the word translated is used sometimes of divination, and the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem render it, "I have used divinations"; and according to Jarchi and Aben Ezra, Laban was a diviner and soothsayer; and by the teraphim he had in his house,
Ge 31:19; he divined, and knew thereby that he was blessed for the sake of Jacob; but, as Schmidt observes, it is not credible that the devil should give so famous a testimony to Laban of Jehovah and Jacob.
Genesis 30:28
Ver. 28. And he said, appoint me thy wages, and I will give [it]. Say what thou wilt have, fix what salary thou thinkest sufficient, and I will agree to it, and punctually pay it: this he craftily said, not choosing to propose anything himself, but leaving it to Jacob, knowing very well the honesty and modesty of Jacob, that he would mention less wages than he could have the face to offer him.
Genesis 30:29
Ver. 29. And he said unto him,.... Jacob to Laban,
thou knowest that I have served thee; not only diligently and faithfully, without any salary, excepting for his wives; otherwise he had no wages for his service all this time, which therefore should be considered for the future:
and how thy cattle was with me: always under his care, and he ever watchful of them; spent all his time and labour with them, and had no opportunity of getting anything for himself.
Genesis 30:30
Ver. 30. For [it was] little which thou hadst before I [came],.... Perhaps but a single flock, and that not a very large one, since Rachel, his youngest daughter, had the care of it:
and it is [now] increased unto a multitude; or "broke forth" {m}, spread itself over the fields and plains, hills and mountains adjacent, so that they were covered with his sheep, these bringing forth thousands and ten thousands, Ps 144:13;
and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming; or "at my foot" {n}; ever since he set foot in his house. Aben Ezra observes it as a proverbial saying, such an one has a good foot, a lucky one, wherever he comes a blessing or success goes with him; or the meaning may be, wherever Jacob went or led his flock, and fed it, it prospered, the blessing of God going with him. Onkelos renders it, "for my sake"; and so it is the same with what Laban had observed and owned, Ge 30:27;
and now, when shall I provide for mine own house? suggesting it was his duty to do it, and it was high time he did it, since he had a large family to provide for; see 1Ti 5:8.
{m} Urpy "erupit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius. {n} ylgrl "ad pedem meum", Montanus, Piscator, Drusius, Schmidt.
Genesis 30:31
Ver. 31. And he said, what shall I give thee?.... So said Laban to Jacob, still avoiding making any offer himself, but waiting for Jacob, and pressing upon him to fix his wages:
and Jacob said, thou shalt not give me anything; a speech Laban liked very well: his meaning is, that he should give him no certain settled salary, nor even of anything that Laban was now possessed of, and God had blessed him with for his sake he did not desire any part of it;
but if thou wilt do this thing for me; which he was about to mention, and does in Ge 30:32;
I will again feed [and] keep thy flock; there is an elegance in the original; "I will return, I will feed, I will keep thy flock": it seems by this that Jacob had relinquished the care of the flock, upon the time of his servitude being out; but, upon the following condition, proposes to return to it, lead it out to the pastures, and feed it on them, and keep it night and day, as he had used to do.
Genesis 30:32
Ver. 32. I will pass through all thy flock today,.... Not alone, but Laban and his sons with him;
removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle; that is, such as were black and had white spots on them, or were white and had black spots on them; and the "speckled", according to Jarchi and Ben Melech, were such as had small spots on them; and the "spotted" were such as had larger:
and all the brown cattle among the sheep; the russet coloured ones, or the "black" {o} ones, as some render it; and so Aben Ezra, and who makes mention of another sort, called "barud", which signifies spotted with white spots like hailstones, but is not to be found in the text here, but in Ge 31:10; and besides coincide with those before described:
and the spotted and speckled among the goats: that had larger and lesser spots upon them as the sheep;
and [of such] shall be my hire; not those that were now in the flock, but such as were like them, that should be brought forth for the time to come; which seems to be a strange proposal, and what was not likely to turn out much to the advantage of Jacob; but he knew what he did, and very probably was directed of God, if not in a vision, yet by an impulse on his mind, that such a method would be right, and would succeed; see Ge 31:10.
{o} Mwx "nigrum", Montanus, Fagius; so R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 98. 1.
Genesis 30:33
Ver. 33. So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come,.... Either by the success I shall have, and the blessing of God upon me, making it prosperous; it will appear in time to come, and to all posterity, that I have most righteously and faithfully served thee: or rather, such a separation being made in Laban's flock, all the spotted ones being removed, and only white ones left with Jacob to keep; it would be a clear case hereafter, if any such should be found with Jacob, they were not taken from Laban's flock, but were what in Providence he was blessed with, and came by honestly and righteously:
when it shall come for my hire before thy face; when any spotted ones would be brought forth, it would be plain and manifest to his face, that they belonged to him for his hire or wages; or, as Schmidt, when any complaint should come before Laban concerning his hire, or about any speckled and spotted cattle that were Jacob's hire, as if he had wronged him of it, the action now done, by making such a separation, would be a sufficient vindication of him, and justify him from such an aspersion:
and everyone that [is] not speckled and spotted amongst the goats,
and brown among the sheep, that shall be accounted stolen with me; if any such were found among those that Jacob should hereafter call his flock, as were without specks and spots, or were not brown, he was content they should be reckoned as stolen, and what he had no right unto.
Genesis 30:34
Ver. 34. And Laban said,.... Being well pleased with the proposal Jacob made, as knowing that, generally speaking, cattle of a colour produced those that were of the same; and whereas Jacob proposed to have a flock of sheep of only white in colour, committed to his care, and to have such for his own that should be produced of them, that were speckled, spotted, and brown, Laban concluded from the general nature of things that he could have but very few, if any, and therefore was for striking the bargain at once:
behold, I would it might be according to thy word; he agreed it should be as Jacob had settled it, and he hoped and wished he would abide by it; he was afraid he would not keep to it.
Genesis 30:35
Ver. 35. And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted,.... That had strakes of a different colour from the rest on their shoulders, thighs, logs, or feet, or in any part of the body: the word here used stands in the room of that before translated "speckled"; this Laban did, as the context shows; he went about it immediately at the motion of Jacob, with which he was pleased:
and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted; so that there might be neither male nor female of those mixed colours; this he did to prevent any generation of them:
[and] everyone that had [some] white in it; any white spot in it, as the Targum of Jonathan; that is, everyone of the brown or black colour, that had any white in it:
and all the brown among the sheep: that were entirely so:
and, gave [them] into the hands of his sons; not the sons of Jacob, as some in Aben Ezra; for they were not fit for the care of a flock, the eldest son, Reuben, not being seven years of age; but the sons of Laban, who were now grown up and fit for such service.
Genesis 30:36
Ver. 36. And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob,.... Not three days' journey for a man, but for cattle; this distance there was between the place where Laban and his sons kept the spotted, speckled, and brown cattle, and that in which Jacob kept the flock only consisting of white sheep; and this was done, that the flocks might not be mixed, and that there might be no opportunity to take any of the spotted ones, and that they might not stray into Jacob's flock; or lest any of his seeing them might bring forth the like, such precaution was used:
and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flock; those that remained after the spotted, speckled, and brown were taken out; and Jacob having none but white sheep, there was no great likelihood, according to the course of nature, of his having much for his hire; since he was only to have the spotted, speckled, and brown ones that came from them, and generally like begets like; and, according to the Jewish writers {p}, those that were committed to his care were old and barren, and sick, and infirm, that so he might have no profit from them.
{p} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 73. fol. 64. 1. Targum Jon. & Jarchi in loc.
Genesis 30:37
Ver. 37. And Jacob took him rods of green poplar,.... Of the white poplar tree, called green, not from the colour, but from the moisture, being such as were cut off of the tree:
and of the hazel and chestnut tree; the former some take to be the almond tree, as Saadiah Gaon, and others; and the latter to be the plantain or plane tree, so Ainsworth, and others:
and pilled white strakes in them; took off the bark of them in some places, and left it on in others, which made white strakes:
and made the white appear which [was] in the rods; that part of the rods which was stripped of the bark appeared white; and it appeared the whiter for the bark that was left on in other parts; and both made the rods to appear to have various colours, which was the design of Jacob in pilling them.
Genesis 30:38
Ver. 38. And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks,.... Opposite them, in the view of them:
in the gutters in the watering troughs, when the flocks came to drink; that is, in places of water, where troughs or vessels were made, into which the water ran convenient for the cattle to drink out of; and here he placed his party coloured rods right over against the flocks:
that they should conceive when they came to drink; as it was most likely they should when they were together at the water, and had refreshed themselves with it; and being "heated" {q}, as the word signifies, with a desire of copulation, might conceive in sight of the above rods; which were set to move upon their imagination at the time of their conception, in order to produce cattle of different colours; to which no doubt he was directed of God, and it had, through his blessing, the wished for success, as follows:
{q} hnmxy "incalescebant", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius; "ut incalescerent", Junius & Tremellius.
Genesis 30:39
Ver. 39. And the flocks conceived before the rods,.... At them, and in sight of them; which had such influence upon them through thee force of imagination, and a divine power and providence so directing and succeeding this device, that they
brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted; such as Jacob was to have for his hire; and, though there was no doubt a more than ordinary concourse of divine Providence attending this affair; yet there have been many strange things brought about in a natural way by the strength of imagination, as may be observed in those marks which women are said to mark their children with, while with child of them; as also in conceiving and bearing such like unto them they have fancied, as the woman that bore a blackamoor, through often looking at the picture of one in her chamber; and an Ethiopian queen, who by the same means bore a white child, fair and beautiful, which she exposed, lest she should be thought an adulteress {r}: and what comes nearer to the case here, Jerom reports {s} the like things done in Spain among horses and mares, by placing beautiful horses before mares at the time of leaping; and the Apis, or Egyptian ox, which had peculiar spots in it, was produced in like manner, so that there was always in succession one of the same form and colour, as Austin asserts {t}; and it may be observed, what is affirmed by some writers {u}, that sheep will change their colours according to the different waters they drink of at the time of their being covered; and that some rivers drank of will make white sheep black, and black white, and others red and yellow. But as Jacob was directed of God to take this method, this is sufficient to justify him, and upon his blessing and providence the success depended, whatever there may be in nature to bring about such an effect; and as it was to do himself justice, who had been greatly injured by Laban, it was equally as just and righteous a thing to take this course, as it was for the Israelites by a divine direction to borrow jewels, &c. of the Egyptians, whereby they were repaid for their hard service.
(This was written over one hundred years before the laws of genetics were discovered. We know that the result was from God not of Jacob's schemes. Ed.)
{r} Heliodor. Ethiopic. l. 4. c. 8. {s} Quaest. Heb. in Gen. fol. 70. L. M. {t} De Civit. Dei, l. 18. c. 5. {u} Aelian. de Animal. l. 8. c. 21. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 2. c. 103.
Genesis 30:40
Ver. 40. And Jacob did separate the lambs,.... The ringstraked, speckled, and spotted;
and set the faces of the flocks, that were all white,
towards the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; either to go before those that were all white, that they by looking at them might conceive and bring forth such, which was another artifice of Jacob's to increase his own sheep; or else he set at the water troughs the white sheep on one side of them, and on the opposite side the speckled ones, &c. that the same effect might also be produced the more successfully both by the rods and by the speckled lambs:
and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle; partly that they might not be mixed together, but kept distinct, that what was his property might be discerned from Laban's; and partly, lest his spotted ones, being mixed with Laban's white sheep, by continual looking at them, should conceive and bring forth such likewise, and so his flocks be lessened.
Genesis 30:41
Ver. 41. And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive,.... Whose limbs were well compact, and were strong and healthy:
that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters,
that they might conceive among the rods; and bring forth party coloured ones, and such as were robust and strong like themselves; and this was another device of Jacob's to get the best of the flock. Aben Ezra thinks this refers to the two seasons of the year, when the flocks conceived; the one was in Nisan, in the spring, and such as were brought on that conception were strong, and therefore Jacob chose to lay the rods in the gutters at that time, that he might have the best cattle; and so the Targum of Jonathan calls these here the forward ones, as it does those in Ge 30:42 we render feeble, the latter ones; which, according to Aben Ezra, conceived in Tisri or September, and what they brought were weak and feeble.
(Based on the laws of genetics, Jacob's breeding of the best of the flock would produce higher quality offspring. Ed.)
Genesis 30:42
Ver. 42. And when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in,.... Or "when covered", as Menachem, that is, with wool, and so not so desirous of copulation with the males, nor so fit and strong for generation; and therefore he put not in the rods into the gutters, partly that he might have none feeble in his flock, and partly that he might not spoil Laban of his whole flock, strong and weak:
so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's; not only his flocks became more numerous than Laban's, but were a better quality.
Genesis 30:43
Ver. 43. And the man increased exceedingly,.... Jacob grew very rich:
and had much cattle; the greater part of Laban's flocks brought forth speckled, spotted, and brown cattle, which, according to agreement, were Jacob's:
and maidservants, and menservants; which he got to take care of his household affairs, and to assist him in keeping his flocks:
and camels, and asses; for his flocks increasing so very much, he sold many of his sheep at a good price, as Jarchi observes, and with it bought camels and asses; and these were very fit for his use, when he should be obliged or think fit to remove into his own country, and which he was meditating, and had a direction from the Lord for, as in the following chapter.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.