How does Jacob’s agreement to serve for Rachel lead to marriages with both Lia and Rachel?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

After seven years of service for Rachel, Jacob discovers that Laban has given him Lia instead. Laban appeals to the local marriage custom and offers Rachel after the wedding week in exchange for another seven years of service; Jacob agrees.

Chapter breakdown

Jacob continues his journey into the east country. He sees a well in a field with three flocks of sheep lying beside it. The animals drink from the well, whose opening is covered by a large stone. The custom is to gather all the sheep, remove the stone, water them and replace it. Jacob asks the shepherds where they are from, and they answer Haran. He asks whether they know Laban, whom he calls the son of Nachor, and whether he is well. They say they know him, that he is well, and that his daughter Rachel is approaching with his flock. Jacob says there is still much daylight and it is too early to bring the flocks back into their pens: they should water them and return them to feed. The shepherds answer that they cannot do so until all the animals gather and the stone is removed.

While they speak, Rachel arrives with her father’s sheep, which she tends. Jacob recognises her as his first cousin and the sheep as belonging to his uncle Laban. He removes the stone, waters the flock, kisses Rachel and weeps aloud. He tells her he is her father’s brother and Rebecca’s son; the account also identifies him as Laban’s sister’s son. Rachel hurries to tell her father. Hearing that his nephew has arrived, Laban runs to meet Jacob, embraces and kisses him warmly, and brings him home. After hearing the reasons for the journey, he calls Jacob his own bone and flesh. Jacob stays a month.

Laban asks whether Jacob should serve him without wages just because they are relatives, and asks what wages he wants. Laban has two daughters: Lia is the elder, Rachel the younger. Lia is described as blear-eyed, with unclear eyes, while Rachel has a beautiful appearance. Jacob loves Rachel and offers to serve seven years for her. Laban says it is better to give her to Jacob than to another man and asks him to stay. Jacob serves the seven years, which seem only a few days because of his great love.

When the time is complete, Jacob asks Laban for his wife so that they can begin married life together. Laban invites many friends to the marriage feast. At night he brings his daughter Lia to Jacob and gives her a servant named Zelpha. Jacob has relations with Lia according to the marriage custom, and in the morning sees that she is Lia. He asks Laban what he meant to do, reminds him that he served for Rachel, and asks why he deceived him. Laban answers that the local custom does not allow the younger daughter to be married first.

Laban tells Jacob to complete the week of this wedding. He will then give him Rachel too, in return for another seven years of service. Jacob agrees, and after the week he marries Rachel. Her father gives her Bala as a servant. Having obtained the marriage he wanted, Jacob loves Rachel more than Lia and serves Laban for the additional seven years.

The Lord sees that Jacob despises Lia and opens her womb, while Rachel remains unable to conceive. Lia bears Ruben, saying the Lord saw her affliction and that now her husband will love her. She then bears Simeon, saying the Lord heard she was despised and gave her this son too. At the birth of her third son she says her husband will now be joined to her because she has borne him three sons, and she names him Levi. With her fourth son she says she will now praise the Lord and names him Juda. She then stops bearing children at this point in the account.

The story inside

The chapter begins with Jacob being welcomed as a relative and moves into an agreement about paid service. His love for Rachel explains both the seven-year offer and why the years seem short to him. The marriage scene changes the outcome of that agreement: Lia is brought to him at night, and he discovers her identity in the morning. Laban answers the accusation of deception with a statement about local custom and a new agreement. Rachel’s marriage follows the wedding week, while another seven years of work follow. The final births focus on Lia, whom Jacob despises. Each naming statement records what she says about affliction, being heard, hoped-for closeness to her husband, and praise of the Lord. The passage does not state how Laban concealed Lia’s identity or whether Jacob’s affection for her later changed.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The two periods of service should not obscure the wedding sequence. Jacob serves seven years expecting Rachel, receives Lia, completes the wedding week and then marries Rachel under an agreement for seven more years. Rachel’s marriage does not wait until the end of all fourteen years.
2
The narrative states love and deception without inventing their mechanism. Jacob’s love makes the first seven years seem like a few days, and his discovery leads to a direct question about Laban deceiving him. Night and morning are recorded, but no veil, dark chamber or trick involving clothing is described.
3
Lia’s four sons have distinct naming statements. Ruben is linked to the Lord seeing her affliction, Simeon to hearing that she is despised, Levi to her hope for closeness after three sons, and Juda to praise of the Lord. These statements belong to Lia; the chapter does not say that her husband’s response fulfils her hopes.

Test your recall

Why does Jacob agree to another seven years, and when does he marry Rachel?

Show answer

After discovering Lia in the morning, he challenges Laban about the deception. Laban cites the custom of marrying the elder first and offers Rachel after the wedding week in return for another seven years of service. Jacob accepts, marries Rachel after the week, and completes the additional service.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 3186–3217
Genesis Chapter 29 Jacob serveth Laban seven years for Rachel: but is deceived with Lia: he afterwards marrieth Rachel. Lia bears him four sons. 29:1. Then Jacob went on in his journey, and came into the east country. 29:2. And he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying by it: for the beasts were watered out of it, and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone. 29:3. And the custom was, when all the sheep were gathered together, to roll away the stone, and after the sheep were watered, to put it on the mouth of the well again. 29:4. And he said to the shepherds: Brethren, whence are you? They answered: Of Haran. 29:5. And he asked them, saying: Know you Laban, the son of Nachor? They said: We know him. 29:6. He said: Is he in health? He is in health, say they: and behold, Rachel, his daughter, cometh with his flock. 29:7. And Jacob said: There is yet much day remaining, neither is it time to bring the flocks into the folds again: first give the sheep drink, and so lead them back to feed. 29:8. They answered: We cannot, till all the cattle be gathered together, and we remove the stone from the well’s mouth, that we may water the flocks.
Lines 3218–3237
29:9. They were yet speaking, and behold Rachel came with her father’s sheep; for she fed the flock. 29:10. And when Jacob saw her, and knew her to be his cousin german, and that they were the sheep of Laban, his uncle: he removed the stone wherewith the well was closed. 29:11. And having watered the flock, he kissed her: and lifting up his voice wept. 29:12. And he told her that he was her father’s brother, and the son of Rebecca: but she went in haste and told her father. 29:13. Who, when he heard that Jacob his sister’s son was come, ran forth to meet him: and embracing him, and heartily kissing him, brought him into his house. And when he had heard the causes of his journey, 29:14. He answered: Thou art my bone and my flesh. And after the days of one month were expired,
Lines 3238–3255
29:15. He said to him: Because thou art my brother, shalt thou serve me without wages? Tell me what wages thou wilt have. 29:16. Now he had two daughters, the name of the elder was Lia; and the younger was called Rachel. 29:17. But Lia was blear-eyed: Rachel was well favoured, and of a beautiful countenance. 29:18. And Jacob being in love with her, said: I will serve thee seven years for Rachel, thy younger daughter. 29:19. Laban answered: It is better that I give her to thee than to another man; stay with me. 29:20. So Jacob served seven years for Rachel: and they seemed but a few days, because of the greatness of his love.
Lines 3256–3273
29:21. And he said to Laban: Give me my wife; for now the time is fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 29:22. And he, having invited a great number of his friends to the feast, made the marriage. 29:23. And at night he brought in Lia, his daughter, to him, 29:24. Giving his daughter a handmaid, named Zelpha. Now when Jacob had gone in to her according to custom, when morning was come he saw it was Lia. 29:25. And he said to his father-in-law: What is it that thou didst mean to do? did not I serve thee for Rachel? why hast thou deceived me? 29:26. Laban answered: It is not the custom in this place, to give the younger in marriage first.
Lines 3274–3285
29:27. Make up the week of days of this match: and I will give thee her also, for the service that thou shalt render me other seven years. 29:28. He yielded to his pleasure: and after the week was past, he married Rachel: 29:29. To whom her father gave Bala, for her servant. 29:30. And having at length obtained the marriage he wished for, he preferred the love of the latter before the former, and served with him other seven years.
Lines 3286–3305
29:31. And the Lord seeing that he despised Lia, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren. 29:32. And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Ruben, saying: The Lord saw my affliction: now my husband will love me. 29:33. And again she conceived and bore a son, and said: Because the Lord heard that I was despised, he hath given this also to me: and she called his name Simeon. 29:34. And she conceived the third time, and bore another son, and said: Now also my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons: and therefore she called his name Levi. 29:35. The fourth time she conceived and bore a son, and said: Now will I praise the Lord: and for this she called him Juda. And she left bearing.