The Bible — notes and cross-references in Genesis | Interpretation and commentary to chapter 29

29:1¹ went

Lit., lifted up his feet.
29:12^1a relative

Gen. 22:23; 24:15

Lit., brother. So also in v. 15.
29:12^b told

cf. Gen. 24:28-29
29:13¹ Jacob

Lit., he.
29:17¹ dull

Or, tender, weak.
29:18^a serve

Gen. 29:30; 30:26; 31:41; Hosea 12:12
29:24^a Zilpah

Gen. 35:26
29:25¹ Leah

Jacob was a crafty supplanter, but Laban was more subtle than Jacob. This was sovereignly arranged by God. Everything Laban did to cheat and to “squeeze” Jacob (Gen. 31:7, 40-42), plus the competition, envy, and wrestling between Jacob’s wives in their bearing children (Gen. 29:31-35; 30:1-24), were sovereignly used by God to deal with Jacob’s natural disposition so that God could transform him. Jacob’s history shows that God sovereignly arranges each aspect of the environment of His chosen ones so that He may carry out His work of transformation in them (Rom. 8:28-30).
29:29^a Bilhah

Gen. 35:25
29:30^a served

Gen. 29:18, 20; 31:41
29:30¹ Laban

Lit., him.
29:31^a hated

cf. Deut. 21:15
29:31^b barren

cf. Gen. 30:22
29:32^1a Reuben

Gen. 49:3-4

Meaning see, a son.
29:33^1a Simeon

Gen. 49:5-7

Meaning hearing.
29:34^1a Levi

Gen. 49:5-7

Meaning joined.
29:35^1a Judah

Gen. 37:26; 38:1-26; 43:8; 44:14-18; 46:28; 49:8-12; Matt. 1:2

Meaning praise.