Easter Musings on Genesis 29

Easter Musings on Genesis 29 April 13, 2006

1) Jacob goes to Paddan-Aram fleeing from his father’s house; in that far country, he endures abuse and treachery, yet returns with brides and numerous flocks and herds. When he goes out from his father’s house, he has nothing – a staff (32:10) – but he returns to his father’s house with plunder. Like the Son, Jacob goes from his father’s house to a far country to receive his inheritance.

2) The country is the land of the “sons of the east.” He goes east of Eden, into the land of exile, the land of Cain (4:16), the place of Babel (11:2). Jacob is the new Abel, who deftly eludes his murderous brother and his shifty uncle, and rules the both. Through him will be built the true tower that rises to heaven (cf. 28:17), and a true city, the city of God.


3) As Robert Alter points out, there is a “stone” theme running through the Jacob narratives. He places a stone under his head at Bethel (ch 28), removes a stone from a well (ch 29), and later sets up pillars as places of worship (31:45-46; 35:14). From the first use, the stone is a “house of God,” Beth-El, the true form of the “gate of God” (Babel), which was also built with stones. The stone of chapter 29 is a weighty well-stone, which Jacob removes without help. As Waltke suggests, the stone on the well keeps the water clean and prevents accidents, but also “restricts the use of the well to a select group of shepherds who together move it.” But in a foreign land, Jacob opens a well on his own; a man with only a staff brings water from the rock.

4) The contrast with the shepherds of the area is odd. Flocks are gathered at the well but are not being watered or pastured (v 7-8). As soon as Rachel arrives with her sheep, however, Jacob removes the stone and waters her sheep (v 10). He is the good shepherd who removes a stone for the sheep to receive living water. This is part of the flock theme in the Jacob narrative (again an Abel, 4:2); Jacob multiplies flocks and sons in exile. And Rachel, importantly, is introduced as a shepherdess (the only woman so designated in Scripture, so far as I can find). Shepherd-shepherdess-flock = King-queen-subjects = Christ-church leaders-church members. Pastors are Rachel, bride-shepherds who minister in the name of the Chief Shepherd. All ordination is female ordination.

5) Despite his insights, Waltke’s commentary on this passage is aggravating. He misses no opportunity to insult Jacob. The stone at Bethel is a memorial, but “the stone in this scene [chapter 29] is not connected to God either by Jacob or the narrator. The contrast suggests that Jacob is unaware of obvious Providence.” This seems pretty absurd; at the beginning of Gen 25 we learn that Abraham had children by Keturah, but these children are not “connected to God” in any way. Are we to understand that Abraham did not see these as a fulfillment of a promise to be a father of nations? Is this a sign of Abraham’s obliviousness to God’s Providence?

6) The sequence of wives in intriguing. Jacob meets Rachel first, and waters her flock and falls in love with her. But he marries Leah first. The double bride points to a double people: Does this sequence typify Yahweh’s love for Israel, His marriage to Leah-Gentiles, and then His marriage to Israel? Is this a provocation to jealousy story?

7) Wenham points out that the whole of chapters 29-31 is chiastically organized, Jacob’s meeting Rachel at the well corresponding to his departure at night in chapter 31. He came empty to the well, but he is made full; he came alone to the well, but he leaves with two wives and 12 sons; he came to the well without herds or flocks, but leaves with two companies. The man who opened the well and offered water to the flock has become a great nation.


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