Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
- KJV And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
- NKJV Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
- NASB Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”
- NLT Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jacob, in love with Rachel, offers to serve Laban seven years to marry her.
Overview
Lacking a bride-price to offer, Jacob pledges seven years of labor as the cost for Rachel. His generous offer testifies to the depth of his love. This bargain becomes the framework within which Laban will deceive him and extend his service.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Hos 12:12Jacob fled to the land of Aram and Israel worked for a wife—for a wife he tended sheep.
- Exod 22:16–17If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and sleeps with her, he must pay the full dowry for her to be his wife.
- Gen 34:12Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”
- Gen 29:30Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.
- Hos 3:2So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.
- Gen 29:20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her.
- Gen 31:41Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!
- 2 Sam 3:14Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
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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 29:18 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.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.