Genesis 29:8
in Genesis 29But they replied, “We cannot, until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
KJV
And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
⋯
This verse in Genesis 29
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
it is still broad daylight
on Genesis 29:7-8
Jacob tells working men their business on his first day in the country. They answer that every flock must gather, and that the stone comes off the well before any sheep drink. Their rule says the stone waits for all of them, and he is told what moving it takes.
This site's exposition
We cannot, until all the flocks
The shepherds keep a rule of the well. Adam Clarke thinks the stone came off only when every flock with a right to the well had arrived, and Laban's flock was the last. Rachel's arrival completes the count.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And they said, we cannot,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together - It is a rule that the stone shall not be removed till all the shepherds and the flocks which have a right to this well be gathered together; then, and not before, we may water the sheep. See note on Gen 29:3.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּאמְרוּ֮ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נוּכַל֒ | nukhal | we are able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| עַ֣ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ | yeasefu | they will be gathered | H622 → | 200 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָ֣עֲדָרִ֔ים | haadarim | the flocks | H5739 → | 38 times |
| וְגָֽלֲלוּ֙ | vegalalu | and people will roll | H1556 → | 18 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאֶ֔בֶן | haeven | the stone | H68 → | 273 times |
| מֵעַ֖ל | meal | from over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פִּ֣י | pi | [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| הַבְּאֵ֑ר | habeer | the well | H875 → | 38 times |
| וְהִשְׁקִ֖ינוּ | vehishkinu | and we will water | H8248 → | 61 times |
| הַצֹּֽאן׃ | hatzon | the sheep | H6629 → | 274 times |
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֮and they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
נוּכַל֒we are able
nukhalH3201 →194 times
עַ֣דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙they will be gathered
yeasefuH622 →200 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָ֣עֲדָרִ֔יםthe flocks
haadarimH5739 →38 times
וְגָֽלֲלוּ֙and people will roll
vegalaluH1556 →18 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאֶ֔בֶןthe stone
haevenH68 →273 times
מֵעַ֖לfrom over
mealH5921 →5755 times
פִּ֣י[the] mouth of
piH6310 →498 times
הַבְּאֵ֑רthe well
habeerH875 →38 times
וְהִשְׁקִ֖ינוּand we will water
vehishkinuH8248 →61 times
הַצֹּֽאן׃the sheep
hatzonH6629 →274 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
Mark 16:3They were asking one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb?”
it leads to
- Mark 15:46–47
So Joseph bought a linen cloth, took down the body of Jesus, wrapped it in the cloth, and placed it in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. Then he rolled…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 27:60–66
and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 15:46–47
Through
Genesis 43:32They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
it leads to
- Genesis 46:34
you are to say, ‘Your servants have raised livestock ever since our youth—both we and our fathers.’ Then you will be allowed to settle in the land of Goshen, since all shepherds are detestable…
- Exodus 8:26
But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable…
- Genesis 46:34
Through
Genesis 34:14“We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us.
it leads to
- Matthew 23:1–39
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
- 1 Kings 21:9
In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
- Genesis 17:11
You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
- 2 Samuel 15:7
After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.
- Matthew 23:1–39
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.