Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 29
CHAP. XXIX.
Ver. 1. AND Jacob went on his journey.] Becauſe the Hebrew Phraſe, for went on, is lift up his Feet; ſome will have it that he proceeded moſt cheerfully in his Journey, after this Glorious Viſion. Which we may believe to be true, though not ſignified by this manner of ſpeaking.
To the People of the Eaſt.] To Meſopotamia, which lay Eaſtward from Canaan.
Ver. 2. A great Stone upon the Well's mouth.] To keep the Water clean and cool.
Ver. 5. Laban the Son of Nahor.] Grand-Son of Nahor: Who is mentioned rather than Bethuel; becauſe he was the Head of the Family.
Ver. 6. Rachel his Daughter.] Her Name in Hebrew ſignifies a Sheep. For it was anciently the manner to give Names, even unto Families, from Cattle both great and ſmall. So Varro tells us, Lib. II. de Re Ruſtica, c. 1.
Multa nomina habemus ab utroque pecore, &c. a minore PORCIƲS, OVILIƲS, CAPRILIƲS; a majore, EQƲITIƲS, TAƲRƲS, &c. See Bochart, P. I. Hierozoic. Lib. II. cap. 43.
Ver. 7. It is yet high day, &c.] A great deal of the Afternoon yet remains. It was the Cuſtom of thoſe Eaſtern Countries, where the Sun had great Power in Summer time, to bring their Flocks towards Noon into ſhady places, where there was Water to refreſh them: Otherwiſe the extream Heat would have killed them. There they reſted (it appears by many places of Scripture; particularly Cantic. I. 7.) till the Heat of the Day was over, and then having watered them again, they carried them out to feed till Sun ſet.
Ver. 9. For ſhe kept them.] It was a noble Employment in thoſe Days to keep Sheep: Whence God himſelf hath the Name of the Shepherd of Iſrael. She had thoſe under her, we are to ſuppoſe, who took the greateſt Pains about them; but ſhe was the Chief Shepherdeſs, who inſpected them all.
Ver. 10. Went near, and rolled the Stone.] He was ſtronger, or more dextrous at ſuch things, than any Body there: Or, the meaning is, he aſſiſted in this Work; and, perhaps, was the firſt that ſet to his Hand about.
Ver. 11. Jacob kiſſed Rachel.] Having told her who he was, and ſatisfied her of the Truth of it, then (after the Cuſtom uſed among near Relations, at their firſt meeting) he ſaluted her: And that with more than ordinary Affection, for he wept for Joy to ſee her. Laban in like manner kiſſed him.
Ver. 12. Her Father's Brother.] So all near Relations are called, verſe 15.
Ver. 13. He told Laban all theſe things.] Which are mentioned in the fore-going and this Chapter: The reaſon of his coming from home; God's Providence over him in his Journey; and his happy meeting with Rachel.
Ver. 14. Surely thou art my Bone and my Fleſh.] So very near of Kin to me, that I can deny thee nothing.
Ver. 15. Becauſe thou art.] Or, as de Dieu tranſlates the word Haci, (and gives many Inſtances of it) Art thou not my Brother? Is it fit then, that thou ſhouldſt ſerve me for nothing?
Ver. 17. Leah was tender-eyed.] Some tranſlate it, had delicate Eyes. So the Chaldee: And then the meaning is, All her Beauty lay in her Eyes.
Beautiful and well-favoured.] Was every way amiable: Being well ſhaped, having good Features, and a fine Complexion.
Ver. 18. I will ſerve thee ſeven Years for Rachel, &c.] He had not brought Money enough with him to purchaſe a Wife, (as the manner was in thoſe Days) and therefore offers his Service, for ſeven Years, inſtead of it.
Ver. 19. It is better that I give her thee, &c.] He ſeems to anſwer cunningly: And yet one cannot but take it for a Contract; as it appears to have been, by verſe 21.
Ver. 20. They ſeemed unto him but a few Days.] He valued Rachel ſo much, that the Price at which he purchaſed her ſeemed inconſiderable.
Ver. 21. Give me my Wife.] So ſhe had been by Contract, ever ſince it was made, (verſe 19.) and he doth not now demand that he might have her to Wife; but that he might enjoy her: Being already his Wife by that ſolemn Agreement made ſeven Years ago.
Ver. 22. Laban gathered together the Men of the place.] All ſuch private Contracts were compleated, by the Elders or Governors of the Place, in the preſence of all the People. We had an Inſtance of this before in Abraham's purchaſe of a Sepulchre for his Family, XXIII. 11, 18. Which was a Sacred and Religious thing, as well as the Rites of Marriage; and therefore both of them Publici Juris, as Cornel. Bertram ſpeaks, part of the Publick Care.
Ver. 23. In the Evening.] At Bed-time.
Brought her to him.] The Modeſty of thoſe Times made them bring the Bride to her Husband's Bed, veiled, and without lights: So that it was the eaſier for Laban to deceive Jacob by bringing Leah to him. Whom he could not hope ſo readily to diſpoſe in Marriage, as Rachel; becauſe ſhe was homely.
Ver. 24. Gave unto his Daughter, Zilpah his Maid, &c.] A very poor Portion: Yet all that he gave to Rachel afterward, verſe 29. which made them ſay, That he uſed them as Strangers, not as his Children; putting them off without any Portion, XXXI, 14, 15.
Ver. 26. It muſt not be ſo done in our Country, &c.] We do not read of any ſuch ancient Cuſtom: And therefore this ſeems a mere ſhift, or a jeſt. Or, if it had been true, he ſhould have told it Jacob before-hand.
Ver. 27. Fulfil her week, &c.] Perfect this Marriage with Leah by keeping a ſeven Days Feaſt, (as the Cuſtom was) and then thou ſhalt have Rachel alſo. For he doth not ſpeak of a Week of Years, but of Days; as Mr. Selden ſhows out of many Authors, L. V. de Jure N. & G. cap. 5. where he hath this plain Commentary upon theſe words.
Marriages are to be celebrated, according to Cuſtom, by a ſeven Day's Feaſt: Compleat this Marriage thou haſt begun with Leah, and then upon Condition of another ſeven Years Service, thou ſhalt marry Rachel alſo; and keep her Wedding-Feaſt ſeven Days.
Ver. 30. And ſerved with him yet other ſeven Years.] After he had ſolemnly married Rachel, and bedded her, (as we ſpeak) for that he did, ſeven Days after his Marriage with Leah was accompliſhed. So this Verſe begins, And he went in alſo unto Rachel, and then began his other ſeven Years Service. There was no poſitive Law, as yet, againſt ſuch Marriages as this, (with two Siſters) which were afterwards expreſly condemned: But at preſent indulged; as the Marriage of a Man's own Siſter was in the beginning of the World. Whence that ſaying of the Jews in the Gemara Hieroſol. upon the Title Sanhedrim, The World was built by Indulgence. And Jacob, it is very likely, thought there was an unavoidable neceſſity for his marrying theſe two Siſters. For Rachel was his true Wife; Leah being impoſed upon him by a Cheat. But, having known her, he concluded he could not honeſtly leave her; no more than he could Rachel, to whom he was firſt contracted.
Ver. 31. Leah was hated.] Comparatively, not abſolutely. For Leah having joyned with her Father to deceive him, he could not love her ſo well as Rachel; to whom he had engaged his firſt Affection.
Ver. 32. Reuben.] The Name of this Son, and of all the reſt that follow, are derived from the Hebrew Tongue: Which ſhows that Laban's Family ſpake the ſame Language with Abraham's; with ſome little variation, as appears afterward, XXXI. 47.