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Genesis
29:1-35. THE WELL
OF HARAN.
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Verse 1. Then Jacob went,
&c.--Hebrew, "lifted up his feet." He resumed
his way next morning with a light heart and elastic step
after the vision of the ladder; for tokens of the divine
favor tend to quicken the discharge of duty (Ne
8:10).
and came into the
land, &c.--Mesopotamia and the whole region
beyond the Euphrates are by the sacred writers
designated "the East" (Jud
6:3; 1Ki 4:30; Job 1:3). Between the first and the
second clause of this verse is included a journey of
four hundred miles.
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Verse 2. And he looked,
&c.--As he approached the place of his destination,
he, according to custom, repaired to the well adjoining
the town where he would obtain an easy introduction to
his relatives.
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Verse 3. thither were all the
flocks gathered; and a stone, &c.--In Arabia,
owing to the shifting sands and in other places, owing
to the strong evaporation, the mouth of a well is
generally covered, especially when it is private
property. Over many is laid a broad, thick, flat stone,
with a round hole cut in the middle, forming the mouth
of the cistern. This hole is covered with a heavy stone
which it would require two or three men to roll away.
Such was the description of the well at Haran.
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Verse 4. Jacob said, My
brethren--Finding from the shepherds who were
reposing there with flocks and who all belonged to
Haran, that his relatives in Haran were well and that
one of the family was shortly expected, he enquired why
they were idling the best part of the day there instead
of watering their flocks and sending them back to
pasture.
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Verse 8. They said, We cannot,
until all the flocks be gathered--In order to
prevent the consequences of too frequent exposure in
places where water is scarce, the well is not only
covered, but it is customary to have all the flocks
collected round it before the covering is removed in
presence of the owner or one of his representatives; and
it was for this reason that those who were reposing at
the well of Haran with the three flocks were waiting the
arrival of Rachel.
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Verse 9-11. While he yet spake with
them, Rachel came--Among the pastoral tribes the
young unmarried daughters of the greatest sheiks tend
the flocks, going out at sunrise and continuing to watch
their fleecy charges till sunset. Watering them, which
is done twice a day, is a work of time and labor, and
Jacob rendered no small service in volunteering his aid
to the young shepherdess. The interview was affecting,
the reception welcome, and Jacob forgot all his toils in
the society of his Mesopotamian relatives. Can we doubt
that he returned thanks to God for His goodness by the
way?
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Verse 12. Jacob told Rachel,
&c.--According to the practice of the East, the term
"brother" is extended to remote degrees of relationship,
as uncle, cousin, or nephew.
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Verse 14-20. he abode a
month--Among pastoral people a stranger is freely
entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is
expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs
his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work
in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule
obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for
which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment
was the hand of Rachel.
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Verse 17. Leah
tender-eyed--that is, soft blue eyes--thought a
blemish.
Rachel beautiful
and well-favored--that is, comely and handsome in
form. The latter was Jacob's choice.
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Verse 18. I will serve thee seven
years for Rachel thy daughter--A proposal of
marriage is made to the father without the daughter
being consulted, and the match is effected by the suitor
either bestowing costly presents on the family, or by
giving cattle to the value the father sets upon his
daughter, or else by giving personal services for a
specified period. The last was the course necessity
imposed on Jacob; and there for seven years he submitted
to the drudgery of a hired shepherd, with the view of
obtaining Rachel. The time went rapidly away; for even
severe and difficult duties become light when love is
the spring of action.
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Verse 21. Jacob said, Give me my
wife--At the expiry of the stipulated term the
marriage festivities were held. But an infamous fraud
was practised on Jacob, and on his showing a righteous
indignation, the usage of the country was pleaded in
excuse. No plea of kindred should ever be allowed to
come in opposition to the claim of justice. But this is
often overlooked by the selfish mind of man, and fashion
or custom rules instead of the will of God. This was
what Laban did, as he said, "It must not be so done in
our country, to give the younger before the first-born."
But, then, if that were the prevailing custom of society
at Haran, he should have apprized his nephew of it at an
early period in an honorable manner. This, however, is
too much the way with the people of the East still. The
duty of marrying an elder daughter before a younger, the
tricks which parents take to get off an elder daughter
that is plain or deformed and in which they are favored
by the long bridal veil that entirely conceals her
features all the wedding day, and the prolongation for a
week of the marriage festivities among the greater
sheiks, are accordant with the habits of the people in
Arabia and Armenia in the present day.
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Verse 28. gave him Rachel
also--It is evident that the marriage of both
sisters took place nearly about the same time, and that
such a connection was then allowed, though afterwards
prohibited (Le
18:18).
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Verse 29. gave to Rachel his
daughter Bilhah to be her maid--A father in good
circumstances still gives his daughter from his
household a female slave, over whom the young wife,
independently of her husband, has the absolute
control.
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Verse 31. Leah . . .
hated--that is, not loved so much as she ought to
have been. Her becoming a mother ensured her rising in
the estimation both of her husband and of society.
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Verse 32-35. son . . .
his name Reuben--Names were also significant; and
those which Leah gave to her sons were expressive of her
varying feelings of thankfulness or joy, or allusive to
circumstances in the history of the family. There was
piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to names,
as it tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his
duty and the claims of God.
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Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic
edition prepared from text scanned by Woodside Bible
Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-Brown
Commentary is in the public domain and may be freely
used and distributed.
Bibliography
Information
Jamieson, Robert,
D.D. "Commentary on Genesis 29". "Commentary Critical and
Explanatory
on the Whole Bible".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/jfb/view.cgi?book=ge&chapter=29>.
1871.
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