Genesis 29:16
in Genesis 29Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
KJV
And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
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This verse in Genesis 29
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd Laban had two daughters,.... Grown up and marriageable: and the name of the elder was Leah; which signifies labour or weariness: and the name of the younger was Rachel; before mentioned, whom Jacob met with at the well, Gen 29:10; and whose name signifies a sheep, as before observed; see Gill on Gen 29:9.
This site's exposition
should you work for nothing
on Genesis 29:15-17
Laban calls Jacob his relative, then asks him to name his wages. The next verse gives the daughters in birth order, Leah the older and Rachel the younger. Verse 17 says Leah had weak eyes and Rachel was shapely and beautiful, and birth order decides the rest of the chapter.
This site's exposition
the older was named Leah
John Gill gives Leah's name the sense of labour or weariness. The order of older and younger is the order Jacob himself upset when he took the firstborn's blessing from Esau. Laban will hold him to it at verse 26.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
he abode a month--Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּלְלָבָ֖ן | ulelavan | and [belonged] to Laban | H3837 → | 55 times |
| שְׁתֵּ֣י | shetei | two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| בָנ֑וֹת | vanot | daughters | H1323 → | 588 times |
| שֵׁ֤ם | shem | [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| הַגְּדֹלָה֙ | hagedolah | the old [one] | H1419 → | 526 times |
| לֵאָ֔ה | leah | [was] Leah | H3812 → | 34 times |
| וְשֵׁ֥ם | veshem | and [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| הַקְּטַנָּ֖ה | haketanah | the young [one] | H6996 → | 101 times |
| רָחֵֽל׃ | rachel | [was] Rachel | H7354 → | 47 times |
וּלְלָבָ֖ןand [belonged] to Laban
ulelavanH3837 →55 times
שְׁתֵּ֣יtwo
sheteiH8147 →768 times
בָנ֑וֹתdaughters
vanotH1323 →588 times
שֵׁ֤ם[the] name of
shemH8034 →864 times
הַגְּדֹלָה֙the old [one]
hagedolahH1419 →526 times
לֵאָ֔ה[was] Leah
leahH3812 →34 times
וְשֵׁ֥םand [the] name of
veshemH8034 →864 times
הַקְּטַנָּ֖הthe young [one]
haketanahH6996 →101 times
רָחֵֽל׃[was] Rachel
rachelH7354 →47 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ruth 4:11“We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.…
it leads to
- Genesis 29:32
And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
- Matthew 2:6
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people…
- Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- Psalms 127:3–5
Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.
- Ruth 1:2
The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah, and they entered the land of…
- Genesis 29:32
Through
Genesis 49:31There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah.
it leads to
- Genesis 25:9
His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.
- Genesis 35:29
Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
- Genesis 25:9
Through
Genesis 46:15These are the sons of Leah born to Jacob in Paddan-aram, in addition to his daughter Dinah. The total number of sons and daughters was thirty-three.
it leads to
- Genesis 29:32–35
And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
- Genesis 29:32–35
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsLeahJacob's unloved first wife, on whom the LORD's eye fell — the mother of Judah, the messianic tribe, and of Levi, the priestly trib…
- PersonPatriarchsRachelJacob's beloved wife; mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who dies on the road to Bethlehem — later wept for in the prophets (Jer 31:15…
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.