Genesis 29:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her.

NIV: But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her.

NASB: Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her.

CSB: That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.

NLT: But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her.

Laban's betrayal of Jacob and, arguably, of his own daughter Rachel, takes place in this verse. Jacob had offered to work for seven years, free of wages, in order to marry Rachel (Genesis 29:18–19). When the appointed time came, however, Laban finds a way to substitute Leah, the older daughter, instead!

For the modern reader, it's difficult to understand exactly how Jacob could have missed this key detail on his wedding night. Clearly, this supports the idea that he and Rachel had not been intimate before this point (Genesis 29:21). Somehow, Laban switched Rachel for Leah in Jacob's chambers before they had consummated their marriage. The fact that Jacob slept with Leah without realizing she was not Rachel may be explained by wedding customs that would have involved the veiling of the bride. Likewise, cultural attitudes towards modesty might have meant her identity was unclear during the night. Also, a celebration involving wine can sometimes lead to a lack of judgment.

All of these are speculation, however. All we know for sure is that Laban successfully tricks Jacob into consummating—and therefore, by that culture's customs, marrying—someone other than the woman he had worked seven years for. As painful as this would have been to Jacob, his own past was one of deception and trickery (Genesis 27:33–41). Like it or not, Jacob is now learning what it feels like to be cheated.

Genesis 29:1–30 describes Jacob's arrival at his uncle's household. Laban is happy to see his nephew, likely for the first time. Jacob falls in love with Laban's more attractive daughter, Rachel, and agrees to work for Laban seven years to marry her. On the wedding night, however, Laban treacherously switches Rachel for her older sister Leah. Jacob agrees to marry Rachel the next week, but now must work another seven years.

Jacob's journey from his home brings him to his uncle's household in Haran. He falls in love with Laban's younger daughter Rachel and agrees to work for Laban for seven years to marry her. When the time comes, Laban switches out Rachel for her older, less attractive sister Leah. Jacob is surprised to find he has consummated the marriage with the wrong sister. Manipulative Laban assures Jacob he can still marry Rachel the next week, as long as he will work another seven years. Jacob loves Rachel more than Leah, but with the Lord's help, unloved Leah bears Jacob his first four sons.

The previous chapter described Jacob fleeing from home to seek his uncle in Mesopotamia. This was both to escape the rage of his brother, Esau, and to look for a suitable wife. Now Jacob arrives and falls in love with his uncle's daughter Rachel. After working seven years to marry her, Jacob is tricked by his uncle into marrying the older daughter, Leah, instead. Laban allows Jacob to marry Rachel, as well, in exchange for another seven years' work. Though she is unloved by Jacob, the Lord notices Leah's heartbreak and allows her to bear four sons. In the next chapter, Rachel's jealousy sets off something of a birth war, as she and Leah compete to obtain children.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.