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Genesis 29

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Part of Isaac and Jacob📖 Genesis introduction

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1Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. ✦ 2He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well’s mouth was large. ✦ 3There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well’s mouth in its place. 4Jacob said to them, “My relatives, where are you from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” ✦ 5He said to them, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” ✦ 6He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep.” ✦ 7He said, “Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.” ✦ 8They said, “We can’t, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth. Then we water the sheep.” ✦ 9While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them. ✦ 10When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. ✦ 11Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. ✦ 12Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father. ✦ 13When Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things. ✦ 14Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” He lived with him for a month. ✦ 15Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?” ✦ 16Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. ✦ 17Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive. ✦ 18Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.” ✦ 19Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.” ✦ 20Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her. ✦ 21Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” ✦ 22Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. ✦ 23In the evening, he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her. ✦ 24Laban gave Zilpah his servant to his daughter Leah for a servant. ✦ 25In the morning, behold, it was Leah. He said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” ✦ 26Laban said, “It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years.” ✦ 28Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife. 29Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his servant, to be her servant. ✦ 30He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. ✦ 31Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. ✦ 32Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me.” ✦ 33She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, “Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also.” She named him Simeon. ✦ 34She conceived again, and bore a son. Said, “Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. ✦ 35She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, “This time will I praise Yahweh.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing. ✦

Tap any verse for its study page. Underlined terms mark a concept, person, or place; ✦ marks verses with cross-references.

Where this chapter connects

Gen 29 ·17Gen 30 ·14Gen 24 ·13Gen 35 ·9Gen 31 ·8Gen 46 ·6Gen 34 ·5Exod 2 ·5

Christ at the center

From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.

How Genesis 29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Resources, by level

Lay

  • ★ Start hereDocumentaryExpedition BibleJoel Kramer · Free · evangelical

    On-location biblical archaeology from a credentialed archaeologist (M.A., excavated in Israel) — the best free place to start on "did it really happen?"

  • ★ Start hereAudioThrough the WordThrough the Word · ~10 min/chapter · Free · evangelical

    A clear ~10-minute audio teaching for every one of the Bible's 1,189 chapters — the most systematic free way to study chapter by chapter.

  • ★ Start hereVideoOverview: Genesis 1–11BibleProject · 9 min · Free

    The single best free starting point for Genesis 1–11 — clear, visual, and faithful to the literary design.

  • VideoSpoken GospelSpoken Gospel · Free · evangelical

    Short, gospel-centered videos and spoken-word poems showing how each passage points to Jesus — especially strong on the Old Testament.

  • ReferenceBook of Genesis — Visual GuideBibleProject · Free

    A free structured guide to the whole book — outline, themes, and links to each video.

  • DocumentaryIs Genesis History?Del Tackett · Free · evangelical

    A young-earth-creationist case for a literal Genesis, free on YouTube. (YEC is one view held by faithful Christians; others read Genesis differently — see the genre guide on how to read it.)

Pastoral

  • SermonChuck Smith — C2000 SeriesChuck Smith · Free · evangelical

    Free verse-by-verse audio through the entire Bible from the founder of Calvary Chapel.

Seminary

  • ★ Start hereCommentaryGenesis (Word Biblical Commentary)Gordon J. Wenham · Paid · evangelical

    For decades the gold-standard commentary on Genesis — technical but rich. (See the ranked list for alternatives like Hamilton, NICOT.)

  • BookThe Pentateuch as NarrativeJohn H. Sailhamer · ~560 pp · Library · evangelical

    A literary-theological reading that makes Genesis's design visible.

Commentaries & study tools

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