9. While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10. When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep.
11. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.
12. He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
13. As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.
14. Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood." After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month,
15. Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."
16. Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.
18. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."
19. Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."
20. So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
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2 comments:
Laban appears to be a very generous man in verse 15 when he voluntarily asks how Jacob would like to be compensated for his labors despite Jacob's familial obligations. I don't know how long seven years was considered in those times but Jacob answers Laban with his own "generous" offer of seven years of labor. Of course, like almost men, Jacob was lovestruck and willing to commit to anything as a result. However, I was struck by Laban's reply in accepting Jacob's offer. Laban makes no comment at all on the terms of the deal "value" (seven years labor in return for his beautiful youngest daughter) which is what most people pay attention to in transactions. Instead, Laban accepts Jacob's offer quietly but with what seems like a backhanded compliment by choosing Jacob as a result of rejecting alternate candidates.
Btw, I don't understand why Jacob wept aloud in verse 11 after kissing Rachel.
7 years at that time were the same 7 years of today I believe. I don't know why he said 7 years. Why not 7 days? hahahah Why not for money and still ask to marry Rachel.
What does "weak eyes" mean? KJV uses "tender" oppose to "weak" which means tender/timid... I guess Leah basically wasn't attractive to Jacob.
The key of today's verses seems to be the last one. 7 years seemed like few days to Jacob. I guess his love for Rachel and having that hope he'll be able to marry her in 7 years made the time fly by despite the various difficulties he may had to face.
As for us, we await for the Lord. Perhaps our lives, more specifically during the periods of trials, should feel like few days oppose to feeling that this dreadful time will never end.
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