Lesson date: 07/25/5858AA

Sometimes, as we read through Scripture, we notice new words and phrases in English and/or Hebrew and, wonder how they arrived at that translation. Verse 1 of Chapter 29 is a case of that very thing:

Verse 1 – The ISR version puts the verse into a more modern parlance, “And Ya’aqob moved on,” and we understand it. Look at the KJV for its translation, “Then Jacob went on his journey,” and I think most of us get that as well. But when you look at the Hebrew you get more detail and I think it is fun when you consider it:

H5375 – נָסָה   נָשָׂא – nâśâ’   nâsâh – naw-saw’, naw-saw’ – A primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, absolutely and relatively:

H7272 – רֶגֶל – regel – reh’-gel– From H7270; a foot ((Plus many other definitions. Remember our studies of Revelation 19:16 about a tattoo on Yeshua’ thigh? This is the same word.))

This “lifting up his feet” means more than just walking. It means to pick up your feet and walk in a rejoicing attitude. In our modern English it means the exact opposite of “dragging your feet”. Ya’aqob is on his way to find a wife, to get married and return to his parents tent. Can’t you just imagine the kind of woman that Ya’aqob is imagining to be his wife? Don’t you think that maybe he was stepping pretty briskly toward that goal? Was she going to have red or blonde hair with blue or green eyes? Or, was she going to be a raven haired beauty whose eyes were dark mysterious and infathomably deep pools of love. As he imagined the face and form of his future wife he may have caught himself in a trot and had to slow himself down somewhat.

You may say, “That is fine but what does that have to do with me today?” Examine Ya’aqob’s situation. He is leaving the tent of his father and mother, his inherited ties to his land and all that he knows and, is now moving on expectantly to an unknown, uncertain future. Now, compare that to where you are: you are leaving behind all of those inherited lies and now embarking on a journey of exploration in YHVH’s Word not knowing what you will find but you are spurred on by the nuggets of truth that you have found so far, often catching yourself in a trot rather than a walk, having to slow yourself down a little so you can take in and relish in the Truth for the first time, tryng to imagine, will the Truth appear blonde or brunette, blue-eyed or those mysterious dark pools unfathomably deep?

Jer 16:19 O יהוה, my strength and my stronghold and my refuge, in the day of distress the nations shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers have inherited only falsehood, futility, and there is no value in them.”

Jer 6:16 Thus said יהוה, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and find rest for yourselves. But they said, ‘We do not walk in it.’

The word used in Jer. 6:16 is “balak” – H1980 – which means – to walk speedily, to walk as exercise..

Sorry OCD kicked in again.

Verses 2-3  – Look at the picture that Ya’aqob came across in his journey; there was a well in a field and 3 flocks of sheep were sitting, like Sha’ul at the feet of Gamaliel,(Acts 22:3) sitting on the well and protecting the well and the sheep was a large stone, cut from a mountain without hands(Dan. 2:34) , resting upon the mounth of the well: (KJV) Joh 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

Can you believe that there was no Aleph Tav in this verse? Sometimes the allusion is so obvious we don’t need any help, right?

Please notice in Verse 3 that it is only after all the flocks are gathered there, that the (H853)stone is rolled and the sheep (H853)watered from the well(of Truth). It is not just the sheep of one tribe or clan but of all clans that, once they have arrived to drink in the life giving water that the (H853)stone is rolled into position and all the sheep are watered at once. Remember, some of the flocks(folks) were at the well first but they are all watered at once: Rom_1:16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Messiah, for it is the power of Elohim for deliverance to everyone who believes, to the Yehuḏi first and also to the Greek.

Rom 2:10 but esteem, respect, and peace to everyone working what is good, to the Yehuḏi first and also to the Greek.

Verse 4 – Ya’aqob was very fortunate that I was not around the well that day because when he asked the men present, “Where are you from,” I would have answered him, “we’re from here, where the heck are you from?” Actually, what Ya’aqob is asking is “where are we?” and they answer “we are in Haran.”

Verses 5-6 – Ya’aqob is trying to give the men that he is speaking to, an introduction as to why he is there by inquiring about Laban, without being too obvious.

Verse 7 – This explains Ya’aqob’s lack of understanding about the local custom of watering all the sheep at once negating the need to remove and reset the stone from its appointed position.

Verse 8 – It makes it obvious once again that all the sheep must be gathered together in unison before the (H853) stone is moved to make it possible to water the sheep together, not individually, not one receiving more than another. Here is another thought you might want to consider, if all the various herds are watered when they arrived then the (H853)stone  would have to be positioned and repositioned numerous times during the day. Each time the (H853) stone is moved there is a danger of contaminating the water in the well with dirt, leaves, dust or sand. We don’t want our water (of Truth) contaminated or diluted, we want it protected to ensure that we get the best tasting, purest water possible.

Verses 9-10 – Ya’aqob got one look at Rahel and he was in love. Had the stone been as big as a Volkswagen he would have rolled it out of the way for her. Remembering that first kiss of your future husband or wife, afterward you could have broken a telephone pole over your knee and used it for kindling in the fireplace.

Verse 11 – No Ya’aqob is not being presemptious. The word used here has several connotations for kiss. If you were to take your hand and softly touch your loved one’s face, this would also fall into the meaning of the word but I suspect that he either kissed her hand or her neck, maybe even her forehead but I do not think this was a quote, “liplock”. I would say that how he kissed her is unimportant and really it is to me but what is really important is what followed: and lifted up (H853) his voice and wept.

Can anyone see the Bridegroom rejoicing over having found his True Bride, waiting for Him, at the well (of Truth)?

Verses 12-14 – Ya’aqob explains to Rahel that he is Ribqah’s son and she is so excited to hear this that she ran and told her father who was excited to hear (Shema) the “good news”(tidings) ran to Ya’aqob and embraced him, brought him into his hame and afterward Ya’aqob – Then he told Laḇan (H853) all these matters.(Debarim = Words – hint, hint).

In Verse 14 Laban basically tells Ya’aqob the same thing Adam told Havvah you are my bone and my flesh. Ya’aqob stayed with them for a month.

Verse 15 – Obviously, based on the language used, Ya’aqob is helping with the chores around Laban’s home by telling him basically, “you are family so you shouldn’t have to work for free”.

Verse 16 – I would like to clarify something, I believe that Leah and Rachel were twins just like Ya’aqob and Esau, with Leah being the elder just like Esau was the elder. Some deuterocanonical books state it explictly and other imply it.

Verse 17 – This does not mean Leah was cross-eyed. This is how I see it personally: when Ya’aqob looked into Rahel’s eyes he saw a fire, a warmth, a deeply held conviction, passion and when he looked at Leah he did not see these things. The word H7390 – רַךְ – rak –  rak – From H7401; tender (literally or figuratively); by implication weak: – faint [-hearted], soft, tender ([-hearted], one), weak. ((Please think of the word mollify and the meaning behind it.))

Verse 18 – And Ya‛aqoḇ loved (H853) Raḥěl. I think we can understand the meaning of this phrase, “Rahel was His true Bride.

Verses 19-21 – Sly Laban sees an opportunity and so does Ya’aqob. Ya’aqob is so in love with Rahel he offers to work for Laban 7 years, the maximum number of years you can be held in servitude, in exchange for Rahel’s hand in marriage. He works 7 years and then requests his wife. This is where things get interesting.

Verses 22-23 – There is no mention of alcohol involved but I believe there had to have been. My wife has six sisters and none of them have the same smell as my wife, especially her hair. Darkness was not the only thing working here. So, Laban switches Leah for Rahel and Ya’aqob consumates their marriage.

Verses 24-26 – It is the custom, in many parts of the world, that the younger can only get married after the older one is married. This part is true but after that I believe that the supplanter got supplanted.

Verse 27-28 – “Finish the week with this one”: can anyone say Sukkot? The marriage, as you know lasts a week. After that initial week Laban will give will give Rahel to Ya’aqob for another 7 years of servitude.

Verses 24, 29-30 – We see in Verses 24 & 29 that Laban also gives female servants with each of his daughters. We see that Ya’aqob agreed to the terms and served his father-in-law 7 more years.

Verses 31-35 – I believe our Elohim is an Elohim of Right-Ruling and He saw that an injustice was being done to Leah by Ya’aqob because he loved Rahel more than he did Leah. I believe that YHVH will make His displeasure manifested in some way and that is exactly what He did with Leah by making her more fruitful than her sister.

1 – Re’uḇĕn – רְּאוּבֵּןָּ – Strong’s H7205 – ‘behold a son’

2 – Shim’on – שִמְּעוֹן – Strong’s H8095 – ‘heard’

3 – Lĕwi – לֵּוִיָּ – Strong’s H3878 meaning, ‘joined to’.

4 – Yehuḏah – יְּהוּדָה – Strong’s H3063 – ‘praised’

Ahavah vberakhot