Day 20

II The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.

D. Jacob ~ cont.

4. Jacob and Esau both leave ~ cont.

Parallel Passages ~ cont.

Jacob's History ~ cont.

f. Twelve children born as he works additional years for Rachael and cattle ~ cont. Genesis 30:1-6; 29:35; 30:9, 7-8, 10-11, 14-18, 12-13, 19-24

Notable children included

(1) Levi 

(2) Judah

(3) Joseph

(4) Dinah (only daughter)

Esau's History ~ cont.

b. Esau's future ~ cont.

(2) Kings of Edom

(a) Bela - 1st King - Genesis 36:31-33; 1 Chronicles 1:43-44

(b) Other kings following - Genesis 36:34-39; 1 Chronicles 1:45-50

(3) Dukes of Edom - Genesis 36:40-43; 1 Chronicles 1:51-54

END Parallel Passages

5. Jacob's closing days with Laban

a. Increased material blessings - Genesis 30:25-43; 31:1-16

And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes.  And he lay with her that night.  (Genesis 30:16)

I chuckled over this verse.  It appears to be the first biblically recorded incidence of paying for sex, and by the woman no less!  Hopefully that does not come across as being sacrilegious.  Jacob apparently had no choice in the matter?

Exploring a few of the words in the verse:

hired - H7936 - The second form by permutation and used in Ezr_4:5; a primitive root (apparently akin (by prosthesis) to H3739 through the idea of temporary purchase; compare H7937); to hire.

This word is doubled when used in this verse.  This word is used 21 times in 18 verses.  First usage is in Genesis 30:16, most of the verses translate the word as hired, except in Proverbs 26:10 where it is translated, twice, as rewardeth.  The last usage in Haggai 1:6, also used twice, it is translated as wages (put into a bag with holes).

mandrakes - H1736 - From H1731; a boiler or basket; also the mandrake (as aphrodisiac).

• H1731 - From the same as H1730; a pot (for boiling); also (by resemblance of shape) a basket.
• H1730 - From an unused root meaning properly to boil, that is, (figuratively) to love; by implication a love token, lover, friend; specifically an uncle.

Used only 7 times in 5 verse, primarily in the Genesis passage, also in Song of Solomon and Jeremiah.  Since this was not enough information, I went on a hunt.  Not much on mandrakes, and what is out there is, well, odd.  This site seemed decent.

I thought Gill's commentary on the passage interesting:

And Jacob came out of the field in the evening,.... From feeding his flocks:

and Leah went out to meet him; knowing full well the time he used to come home:

and said, thou must come in unto me; into her tent, for the women had separate tents from the men; as Sarah from Abraham; and so these wives of Jacob had not only tents separate from his, but from one another:

for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes: that is, she had hired that night's lodging with him of Rachel, with the mandrakes her son Reuben had brought out of the field. Jacob made no objection to it; but consented, being willing to please both his wives, who he perceived had made this agreement between themselves:

and he lay with her that night; and that only, for the present: for, by the way of speaking, it looks as if he did not continue with her more nights together at that time, but went, as before that evening, to Rachel's tent.

Another interesting observation is Leah's motive - not so much to one up Rachel, but to acquire a good dowry ~ of children.  Which in our day and age is looked upon with disdain or outright scoffing.  People have been so brainwashed into thinking that children are a burden, when in reality they are a blessing from the Lord.

Psalm 127:3  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Day 19

II The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.

D. Jacob ~ cont.

4. Jacob and Esau both leave - 

Begin Parallel Passages

Jacob's History

a. Sent to Laban's House - Genesis 28:1-5

b. Dream at Bethel - Genesis 28:10-22

c. Arrives at Haran - Genesis 29:1-14

d. Works seven years for Rachel - Genesis 29:15-20

e. Marriage to Leah and then to Rachael one week later - Genesis 29:21-31

f. Twelve children born as he works additional years for Rachael and cattle - Genesis 29:32-34

Esau's History

a. Esau marries Mahalath - Genesis 28:6-9

b. Esau's future

(1) Marriages and Descendants - Genesis 36:1-30; 1 Chronicles 1:35-42

My heart weeps for Leah ~ there was no other recourse for women, marrying a man who could and would protect, defend and provide was the only means of insuring provision for oneself. To be thrust into such a situation :-( where she is forced to marry a man that she knows loves her sister. To be treated so contemptuously by her father and now husband. Browsing commentaries, sharing Gill's:


Gen 29:25 And it came to pass, that, in the morning, behold, it was Leah,.... The morning light discovered her, and her veil being off, her tender eyes showed who she was: it is much her voice had not betrayed her; but perhaps there might be a likeness of voice in her and her sister; or she might keep silence, and so not be discovered in that way; but to excuse her from sin is not easy, even the sin of adultery and incest. Manythings may be said indeed in her favour, as obedience to her father, and, being the eldest daughter, might be desirous of having an husband first, and especially of having the promised seed, which God promised to Abraham, and was to be in the line of Jacob: and it may be, as Schmidt observes, that Laban had persuaded her to believe, that the matrimonial contract he had made with Jacob was on her account, and that she was truly his spouse; and the same he might say to Rachel, which made her easy, or otherwise it is difficult to account for it that she should acquiesce in it; for it can hardly be thought to be done without her knowledge, when it was for the solemnity of her marriage that the men of the city were called together, and a feast made for them; for that she should deliver up to her sister the things or signs that Jacob had given her to carry on the fraud, as the Jewish writers (r) say, is beyond belief:

and he said to Laban; when he arose in the morning, and at first meeting with him:

what is this that thou hast done unto me? what a wicked thing is it? as it was, to put another woman to bed to him that was not his wife, and in the room of his lawful wife; or why hast thou done this to me? what reason was there for it? what have I done, that could induce thee to do me such an injury? for Jacob knew what he had done, of that he does not inquire, but of the reason of it, and expostulates with him about the crime, as it was a sin against God, and an injury to him:

did I not serve thee, for Rachel? even seven years, according to agreement? was not this the covenant I made with thee, that she should be my wife at the end of them?

wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? by giving Leah instead of her: though Laban is not to be justified in this action, yet here appears in Providence a righteous retaliation of Jacob; he beguiled his own father, pretending he was his brother Esau; and now his father-in-law beguiles him, giving him blear eyed Leah instead of beautiful Rachel.