1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.
3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.
4 And Jacob said unto them, “My brethren, whence be ye?” And they said, “Of Haran are we.”
5 And he said unto them, “Know ye Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.”
6 And he said unto them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep.”
7 And he said, “Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.”
8 And they said, “We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.”
9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep; for she kept them.
10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother, and that he was Rebekah’s son: and she ran and told her father.
13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.
14 And Laban said to him, “Surely thou art my bone and my flesh.” And he abode with him the space of a month.
15 And Laban said unto Jacob, “Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?”

16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, “I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.”
19 And Laban said, “It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.”
20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
21 And Jacob said unto Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.”
22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, “What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?”
26 And Laban said, “It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.”
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

31 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, “Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.”
33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, “Because the Lord hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also:” and she called his name Simeon.
34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, “Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons:” therefore was his name called Levi.
35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, “Now will I praise the Lord:” therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

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Introduction

After fleeing from Esau, Jacob arrives in Haran—Rebekah’s homeland. The journey was long and arduous, but a new challenge awaits him: serving his uncle Laban. In this chapter, Jacob falls in love with Rachel and works seven years for her—only to be deceived on his wedding night. The deception he once practiced now falls upon him. Meanwhile, his marriages to Leah and Rachel lay the groundwork for a fractured family, from which the twelve tribes of Israel will later emerge. Genesis 29 is a story of love, labor, betrayal, and the God who works behind the scenes even amid human deceit and suffering.

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Commentary

1. Jacob’s Arrival and Meeting Rachel (vv. 1–14)
   Jacob reaches Haran and finds shepherds at a well. He inquires about Laban—revealing his clear purpose. When Rachel appears, Jacob instinctively rolls away the heavy stone to water her father’s sheep, just as Rebekah once served at a well. Overcome with emotion, he kisses and weeps. In the midst of familial tension and the solitude of exile, Jacob finds hope in Rachel.

2. Seven Years of Service for Love (vv. 15–20)
   Laban offers Jacob unpaid service. Jacob proposes seven years of work in exchange for Rachel’s hand—a testament to his deep love. Those years “seemed unto him but a few days,” illustrating one of the Bible’s most poignant depictions of love. Yet, a harsh test lies ahead.

3. Deceived by Deception (vv. 21–27)
   On the wedding night, Laban substitutes Leah for Rachel. Jacob doesn’t notice until morning. The deceiver is deceived: Laban claims it is an ancestral custom to marry the older daughter first. Jacob must serve another seven years to marry Rachel. Out of love, he accepts, but the marriage is marred by manipulation.

4. Marriage to Rachel and Family Tension (vv. 28–30)
   After a week, Jacob finally marries Rachel, but in a household fraught with rivalry: two sisters as wives and two maidservants as handmaids. Favoritism sows bitterness, foreshadowing the family strife that will shape Israel’s history.

5. Leah’s Womb Opens (vv. 31–35)
   God sees Leah’s pain and enables her to bear children, while Rachel remains barren. Leah names her first four sons—Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah—as expressions of her yearning for love and acceptance. Judah, the fourth, becomes the line through which David and ultimately Jesus are born. God often uses those overlooked and rejected to carry His promises.

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Summary

Genesis 29 shows Jacob arriving in Haran, laboring for love, and being deceived in turn. The manipulator becomes the manipulated. Two sisters become his wives, igniting family discord. Yet God’s grace persists: Leah, the unloved one, bears sons who become ancestral pillars. Through hardship, Jacob’s journey toward becoming the patriarch of Israel unfolds by divine design.

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Message for Today

• You reap what you sow. Jacob experiences the pain of deception he once inflicted.

• God notices the overlooked. Leah, unloved, becomes the mother of key tribes in God’s plan.

• Love alone doesn’t prevent suffering. Jacob’s deep love for Rachel brought joy and pain. Wisdom and fairness are also needed in relationships.

• Patience in suffering. Jacob served fourteen years before receiving what he longed for—God works through perseverance.

• God builds His kingdom through broken hearts. The patriarchs emerged from a fractured family, yet God’s faithfulness shone through. Even our broken stories can bear His blessing.