Perhaps you can research and find todays values for a worker. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. We can, however, follow the chronology and the geography to know within about a year how long Jacob and Rachel were married. At 147 years of age he called his sons together in Egypt to bless them, and he was still thinking about her. Glen : It is a very good answer +1, Seven years wages and most likely a 12 hour day, the then wages amounted to 50 shekels of silver. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Laban agreed on the deal again and gave Rachel to be Jacobs wife. Hollywood has given us some good evidence for that thesis. According to Gensis 29:16-18,He worked 7 years for Rachel, and was deceived and was given Leah. Review Activity BibleWise has a great activity to do with your kids to help them retain the Bible Story. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her. She could not fully enjoy his love. The answer may be simply that the seven years totaled up to a reasonable value of Jacob's labor which he was willing to "pay" eventually for Rachel and ultimately The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Big-hearted Laban offered to give Rachel to Jacob as well if he would work for seven more years. He loved her to the end of his life. He also rips off an arm to use as a sword. Sly, deceitful old trickster that he was, he substituted Leah for Rachel on Jacobs wedding night. We have seen Jacobs love at first sight and his love under great stress. Is there a generic term for these trajectories? She was envious, selfish, peevish, fretful, discontented, and demanding. But do you know what? Axolotls and capybaras are TikTok famousis that a problem? Forced to serve Rachels father, Laban, for seven years to win her, Jacob was tricked at the end of that time into marrying her sister, Leah. He was then allowed to marry Rachel as well, in return for seven more years of labour. At first childless, Rachel eventually gave birth to Joseph and died giving birth to Benjamin. The annual wage for a shepherd in the Bronze Age was about 10 shekels; hence, seven years of labor was a stiff demand. 18 "Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, I will serve you seven years In the pressure of that bigamous relationship, Rachels true character began to surface. When Rachel was near, his heart pounded faster and a wonderful feeling swept over him. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Time travel in this animation through the history of the Bible. Why the obscure but specific description of Jane Doe II in the original complaint for Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity? Yet he still kept on deceiving, until he ultimately repented and was welcomed and blessed by God. The history of book bansand their changing targetsin the U.S. Should you get tested for a BRCA gene mutation? While traveling south, close to the Jabbok River, Jacob came upon a stranger who challenged him to a struggle. 14 YEARS! Now Rachel was the most beautiful woman Jacob had ever seen. Now Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel, both sisters, one he loved and one he did not. This is to be understood, as C. a Lapide observes, "not affective, but appretiative," i.e., in comparison with the reward to be obtained for his service. In fact, there are indications that he maintained his devotion to her to the very end of her life. The "seven" years may have been more reflective of how much Jacobs ability to work was worth. Even though it was so many years, it felt like a couple of days for Jacob because he loved Rachel so much. They whine and scold because the men dont pay enough attention to them, dont spend enough time with the children, wont do little jobs around the house, stay out too late, or think more of their jobs, their cars, their hobbies, television, or sports than they think of them. Isnt this a crazy story??? Armed with that precious promise of Gods presence, Jacob headed for Haran, the land of his mothers family. How Can I Recognize and Understand the Holy Spirit Better? Jacob worked a total of 20 years for Laban (Gen 31:38). At the end of this, Joseph is 6 years old. At the end of 20 years, Jacob had to deceive Laban (Gen 31:20) and flee for his life and left to return to Beersheba but actually settled in Shechem (Gen 33:18). 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, Ill work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.. So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her (Gen. 29:20). What characteristics bother you the most? First off, Jacob worked for 7 years before he was able to get Rachel as his wife. She always seemed to want what somebody else had. It depends. So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years (Gen. 29:30). When you get a chance, please take the, from your pastor, priest, or other trustworthy counselor, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. In desperation over her barrenness, Rachel begged Jacob to lie with her servant, Bilhah, and thereby give her sons through this union (Genesis 30). and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her; for though to lovers time seems long ere they enjoy the object beloved; yet Jacob here respects not so much the time as the toil and labour of service he endured in it; he thought that seven years' service was a trifle, like the service of so many days, in comparison of the lovely and worthy person he obtained thereby; all that he endured was nothing in comparison of her, and through the love he bore to her: besides, the many pleasant hours he spent in conversation with her made the time slide on insensibly, so that it seemed to be quickly gone; which shows that his love was pure and constant. The fourteen years of service for Leah and Rachel must have been fulfilled shortly after the birth of Joseph. He worked the What is the symbol (which looks similar to an equals sign) called? As we are reminded in Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the goodof those who love him, who have been calledaccording to his purpose.. Their story comprises a large portion of the Old Testament, and while on the surface it might not be easy to understand the deeper truth behind their complicated romance, it teaches us much about the vast and merciful love God has for each of us. After stealing his older brother's inheritance, Jacob feared his brother's wrath and fled to Harran. Read over Genesis 29 to familiarize yourself with the story of Jacob and Rachel. Webster's Bible Translation And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and Those 12 sons went on to become the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacobs overt favoritism toward Rachel had prompted God to keep Rachels womb closed, but Rachels love was ultimately redeemed when she gave birth to a boy named Joseph, Jacobs favorite (Genesis 30:24-25). By this time, these women had borne him 11 sons and a daughter. Can corresponding author withdraw a paper after it has accepted without permission/acceptance of first author. No matter how hard some wives try, they can never please their husbands. When Joseph was 17 years old, he went to check on his brothers, and they sold him into slavery. 8. Is "I didn't think it was serious" usually a good defence against "duty to rescue"? Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at jessicabrodie.com. When Jacob confronted Laban, Laban was resolutein their culture, the younger daughter never marries before the older daughter. Song of Solomon 8:6,7 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. The physical attraction was still there, but he could not live in such close contact with her through a seven-year engagement period and not learn a great deal about her, both good and bad. Give me children or Ill die, she exclaimed to Jacob. How many years Jacob lived in Egypt? Hosea 12:12 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep. A man may also trap a woman by promising wealth, or trick a woman by pretending to be something he is not, masking his faults until after the ceremony. What's the cheapest way to buy out a sibling's share of our parents house if I have no cash and want to pay less than the appraised value? One of these men kept their promise and the other didnt. It will not change as long as we think satisfaction can be found in any material possession or improved circumstance. He had nothing to offer Laban for his daughter, so his labor was promised in lieu of a dowry. Some husbands are discontented with their wives. The child lived. FINALLY, Jacob decides to work ANOTHER 7 YEARS for the woman that he loves so much, Rachel. That was enough for him. Except for the one time that Jacob got angry with her for blaming her childlessness on him, there is no indication that he ever loved her any less for her faults. 25 The next morning, Jacob realized that it was Leah! In fact, Jesus said, There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent (Luke 15:7). The uncertainty arises from the unknown time between Jacob leaving Paddan-aram and arriving in Ephrath which was presumably at least 2 years (with Bethel in between) and when Joseph was 17 years old. What are the teraphim (household gods) Rachel stole from Laban? This stone has a mysterious past beyond British coronations, Ultimate Italy: 14 ways to see the country in a new light, 6 unforgettable Italy hotels, from Lake Como to Rome, A taste of Rioja, from crispy croquettas to piquillo peppers, Trek through this stunning European wilderness, Land of the lemurs: the race to save Madagascar's sacred forests, When Jacob met Rachel he kissed her and lifted up his voice, and wept (Genesis 29:11). Seven years is a long time to wait, and I think Jacob really did grow to love Rachel during those years. Some commentators insist that he should have rejected Leah since he did not take her willingly. This isn't such a straightforward task, though, since the chronology of Genesis is confusing. Genesis 29:15-30. 20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel. Jacob promised to work 7 years in order to get his wife. Rachel was the favorite wife of Jacob, who had been earlier tricked into marrying Rachels older sister, Leah, after working for Laban for seven years as a contract for the marriage. What should I follow, if two altimeters show different altitudes? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. To approach a question 400 million years in the making, researchers turned to mudskippers, blinking fish that live partially out of water. One month is hardly sufficient time for us to get to know someone well enough to make a lifelong commitment, and it surely is not enough time to learn whether or not we are in love. For various reasons, I've always wondered how long Jacob and Rachel were married before her death. Jacob's flocks grazed as far south as Hebron, because. Some of these things are important and need to be talked out. His anger was not right in Gods sight, but his evaluation of the situation surely was. (D), 21Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife. Jacob worked for his uncle Laban 7 years, then married Leah & Rachel, He worked the next 6 years for his uncle's flocks, then he left Haran, Jacob stayed in Succoth, built shelters for his livestock, then he built a house there and settled down to raise his 12 kids, As Jacob's sons got older they worked with the flocks. Their complicated union ultimately produced 12 sons who went on to be the 12 tribes of Israel, who God claimed as His own people.