Gen 29:16-30:24 | TNotes

29:18 ^a Seven years of service was a high bride-price in the ancient world, but Rachel was beautiful (like Sarah and Rebekah), and Jacob was in love with her.
Summary for Gen 29:23-26: 29:23-26 ^b Like Isaac, Jacob was plied with food and wine (cp. 27:25 ^c), deprived of sight in the darkness (cp. 27:1 ^d), baffled by clothing (cp. 27:15 ^e), and misled by touch (cp. 27:23 ^f). The marriage had been consummated (29:23 ^g; see 2:24 ^h), so Jacob was bound to Leah.

• It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn: Laban’s words are a reminder of what Jacob did when he, the younger son, pretended to be his older brother to gain the blessing (ch 27 ⁱ). Now Leah, the older sister, pretended to be the younger sister to get a husband. God gave the deceiver a dose of his own deception as a discipline in his life.
Summary for Gen 29:28-30: 29:28-30 ^j After the bridal week ended (29:27 ^k), Jacob also received Rachel as his wife, though he then would have to work an additional seven years (cp. 31:41 ^l). Laban seemed to have gained the upper hand.
29:30 ^m Jacob loved Rachel much more than Leah: Favoritism was an ongoing cause of dysfunction in Jacob’s family (cp. 25:28 ⁿ; 37:3 ^o). Jacob’s favoritism had lasting effects: his family was never together, and their descendants, the tribes of Israel, were rarely unified.
Summary for Gen 29:31-30:24: 29:31–30:24 ^p The rivalry between these sisters explains much of the later rivalry among their sons, and then among the tribes, just as the rivalry between Jacob and Laban foreshadowed conflict between Israel and the Arameans of Damascus (2 Sam 8:5-6 ^q; 10:8-19 ^r; 1 Kgs 20:1-34 ^s; 2 Kgs 5:1–8:29 ^t; 13:1-25 ^u; Isa 7:1-9 ^v).

• God champions the cause of the poor and oppressed; he exalted Leah, the despised first wife, as the first to become a mother. Judah’s kingly tribe and Levi’s priestly line came through her despite Jacob’s favoritism for Rachel and her children. Despite the tension and jealousy resulting from Laban’s treachery and Jacob’s favoritism, God still built Jacob’s family and brought about the births of the tribal ancestors.
Summary for Gen 29:31-35: 29:31-35 ^w Leah’s first four sons were born in rapid succession, but Rachel could not conceive. She was barren, like Sarah and Rebekah (cp. 16:1 ^x; 25:21 ^y; see also 1 Sam 1:1-28 ^z; Luke 1:5-25 ^aa).

• Each name is a memorable wordplay on Leah’s experience and hopes.
29:32 ^ab Reuben (Hebrew re’uben) sounds like the Hebrew for “He has seen my misery” (ra‘ah be‘onyi). His birth gave Leah consolation from God and hope for Jacob’s love. Jacob seems not to have seen her misery, but God did (cp. 16:14 ^ac; 24:62 ^ad; 25:11 ^ae). The name was a reminder of God’s intervention.
29:33 ^af Leah named her second son Simeon. The name suggests that she had cried out to the Lord and was heard (cp. 16:11 ^ag).
29:34 ^ah Leah named her third son Levi, hoping that her husband would become “attached” to her since she had given him three sons. This hope was not fulfilled.
29:35 ^ai Leah reconciled herself to the reality that nothing would turn Jacob’s affections toward her. She named her fourth son Judah with the sentiment, “I will praise the Lord.” She seems to have given up on Jacob, taking her consolation from the Lord.

‏ Genesis 30:1-24

Summary for Gen 30:1-8: 30:1-8 ^aj Rachel’s naming of sons through Bilhah does not reflect faith as Leah’s namings had. Rachel felt wronged over the marriage and her barrenness. The names of Bilhah’s sons reflect Rachel’s bitter struggle with her sister and her feeling of some victory.
Summary for Gen 30:1-2: 30:1-2 ^ak In that culture, it was like death for a woman not to have children (cp. 1 Sam 1 ^al); only God could open Rachel’s womb.
Summary for Gen 30:3-4: 30:3-4 ^am Rachel’s decision to have children through her servant, and Jacob’s compliance, recall Sarai’s use of Hagar (16:1-4 ^an).
Summary for Gen 30:5-6: 30:5-6 ^ao Dan means “he judged” or “he vindicated.” Rachel felt vindicated (Hebrew dananni) by Dan’s birth.
Summary for Gen 30:7-8: 30:7-8 ^ap The name Naphtali is related to the clause I have struggled hard (Hebrew naptule ’elohim niptalti, “I have struggled the struggles of God”).
30:9 ^aq When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she countered Rachel’s effort by giving her servant ... to Jacob as a wife even though she already had four sons.
Summary for Gen 30:10-13: 30:10-13 ^ar Gad was the name of a god of fortune. Asher was the name of a god of luck. These names reflect Leah’s pagan background, but there is no indication that she believed in these gods.
Summary for Gen 30:14-17: 30:14-17 ^as Mandrakes were considered an aphrodisiac and aid to procreation (see Song 7:13 ^at). Rachel thought they would help her get pregnant, so she traded Jacob for a night to get them. In the process, Leah got pregnant, not Rachel.
30:18 ^au The name Issachar captures the sense of Jacob’s being hired (30:16 ^av) and of the Lord’s rewarding Leah (Hebrew sekari, “my hire”).
Summary for Gen 30:19-20: 30:19-20 ^aw Zebulun means “honor” or “gift,” as in a dowry or tribute. Leah thought that God gave her Zebulun so that her husband would honor her. This hope never fully left her.
30:21 ^ax Dinah was Jacob’s only daughter. See ch 34 ^ay.
Summary for Gen 30:22-24: 30:22-24 ^az Rachel finally gave birth to her own son, Joseph. His birth was brought about by God’s intervention, not by superstitious practices (30:14-16 ^ba) or the social custom of giving servants as wives.

• Removed (Hebrew ’asap, “take away”) sounds similar to Joseph (Hebrew yosep, “may he add”). Rachel rejoiced over Joseph’s birth, yet she prayed that the Lord would add yet another son to her family.