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Genesis 29

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Part of Isaac and Jacob📖 Genesis introduction

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1Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. ✦ 2He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well. ✦ 3When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. 4“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered. ✦ 5“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied. ✦ 6“Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.” ✦ 7“Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.” ✦ 8But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.” ✦ 9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. ✦ 10As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. ✦ 11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. ✦ 12He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father. ✦ 13When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened. ✦ 14Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month, ✦ 15Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” ✦ 16Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. ✦ 17Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. ✦ 18Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” ✦ 19Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.” ✦ 20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her. ✦ 21Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.” ✦ 22So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast. ✦ 23But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. ✦ 24And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant. ✦ 25When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?” ✦ 26Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older. 27Finish this week’s celebration, and we will give you the younger one in return for another seven years of work.” ✦ 28And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. ✦ 30Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years. ✦ 31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. ✦ 32And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.” ✦ 33Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon. ✦ 34Once again Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi. ✦ 35And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children. ✦

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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