GEN 29

Genesis 29:7

WEB

He said, “Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.”

BSB

“Look,” said Jacob, “it is still broad daylight; it is not yet time to gather the livestock. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

KJV

And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go and feed them.

Matthew Henry

Verses 1–8

Genesis 29:1–8

All the stages Israel's march to Canaan are distinctly noticed, but no particular journal is kept of Jacob's expedition further than Beth-el; no, he had no more such happy nights as he had at Beth-el, no more such visions of the Almighty. That was intended for a feast; he must not expect it to be his daily bread. But, 1. We are here told how cheerfully he proceeded in his journey after the sweet communion he had with God at Beth-el: Then Jacob lifted up his feet; so the margin reads it, Gen 29:1. Then he went on with cheerfulness and alacrity, not burdened with his cares, nor cramped with his fears, being assured of God's gracious presence with him. Note, After the visions we have had of God, and the vows we have made to him in solemn ordinances, we should run the way of his commandments with enlarged hearts, Heb 12:1. 2. How happily he arrived at his journey's end. Providence brought him to the very field where his uncle's flocks were to be watered, and there he met with Rachel, who was to be his wife. Observe, (1.) The divine Providence is to be acknowledged in all the little circumstances which concur to make a journey, or other undertaking, comfortable and successful. If, when we are at a loss, we meet seasonably with those that can direct us - if we meet with a disaster, and those are at hand that will help us - we must not say that it was by chance, nor that fortune therein favoured us, but that it was by Providence, and that God therein favoured us. Our ways are ways of pleasantness, if we continually acknowledge God in them. (2.) Those that have flocks must look well to them, and be diligent to know their state, Pro 27:23. What is here said of the constant care of the shepherds concerning their sheep (Gen 29:2, Gen 29:3, Gen 29:7, Gen 29:8) may serve to illustrate the tender concern which our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, has for his flock, the church; for he is the good Shepherd, that knows his sheep, and is known of them, Joh 10:14. The stone at the well's mouth, which is so often mentioned here, was either to secure their property in it (for water was scarce, it was not there usus communis aquarum - for every one's use), or it was to save the well from receiving damage from the heat of the sun, or from any spiteful hand, or to prevent the lambs of the flock from being drowned in it. (3.) Separate interests should not take us from joint and mutual help; when all the shepherds came together with their flocks, then, like loving neighbours, at watering-time, they watered their flocks together. (4.) It becomes us to speak civilly and respectfully to strangers. Though Jacob was no courtier, but a plain man, dwelling in tents, and a stranger to compliment, yet he addresses himself very obligingly to the people he met with, and calls them his brethren, Gen 29:4. The law of kindness in the tongue has a commanding power, Pro 31:26. Some think he calls them brethren because they were of the same trade, shepherds like him. Though he was now upon his preferment, he was not ashamed of his occupation. (5.) Those that show respect have usually respect shown to them. As Jacob was civil to these strangers, so he found them civil to him. When he undertook to teach them how to despatch their business (Gen 29:7), they did not bid him meddle with his own concerns and let them alone; but, though he was a stranger, they gave him the reason of their delay, Gen 29:8. Those that are neighbourly and friendly shall have neighbourly and friendly usage.

Cross-references: Gen 29:1 · Heb 12:1 · Prov 27:23 · Gen 29:2 · Gen 29:3 · Gen 29:7 · Gen 29:8 · John 10:14 · Gen 29:4 · Prov 31:26

Hebrew interlinear

H559

אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/

v — say

Derivation: a primitive root;

to say (used with great latitude)

KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.

אָמַר

vb — utter

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

1. Say

2. Say in the heart (= think)

3. Promise

4. Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

H2005

הֵןhên/hane/

prt — lo!, if

Derivation: a primitive particle;

lo!; also (as expressing surprise) if

KJV: behold, if, lo, though.

הֵן

demonstr.adv — lo!

הֵן 100 demonstr.adv. or interj. lo!, behold (on etym. v. הִנֵּה), less widely used than הִנֵּה, and in prose mostly confined to calling attention to some fact upon which action is to be taken, or a conclusion based

H5750

עוֹדʻôwd/ode/

adv — iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

Derivation: or עֹד; from 5749;

properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more

KJV: again, × all life long, at all, besides, but, else, further(-more), henceforth, (any) longer, (any) more(-over), × once, since, (be) still, when, (good, the) while (having being), (as, because, whether, while) yet (within).

עוֹד

subst — a going round

עוֹד and (14 t.) עֹד subst. a going round, continuance, but used mostly as adv. acc. still, yet, again, besides

H3117

יוֹםyôwm/yome/

n-m — day

Derivation: from an unused root meaning to be hot;

a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)

KJV: age, always, chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), elder, × end, evening, (for) ever(-lasting, -more), × full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, old, outlived, perpetually, presently, remaineth, × required, season, × since, space, then, (process of) time, as at other times, in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), × whole ( age), (full) year(-ly), younger.

יוֹם

n.m — day

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

1. day, opp. night

2. Day as division of time

3. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

4. Pl. days of anyone

5. Days

6. יוֹם = time

7. Phrases

H1419

גָּדוֹלgâdôwl/gaw-dole'/

a n-pr-m — great, older, insolent

Derivation: or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from 1431;

great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent

KJV: aloud, elder(-est), exceeding(-ly), far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, × sore, (×) very.

גָּדוֹל

adj — great

גָּדוֹל 622 adj. great

1. in magnitude and extent

2. in number

3. in intensity

4. in sound, loud

5. in age

6. in importance

7. in phrases

8. cstr.

9. as subst. concr. do great things

10. † as subst. neut. greatness of arm

הַגְּדוֹלִים

n.pr.m — aloud

הַגְּדוֹלִים n.pr.m. father of Zabdiel Ne 11:14 (RV & so most; but 𝔊 RVm al. the great).

H3808

לֹאlôʼ/lo/

adv — not, no

Derivation: or לוֹא; or לֹה; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

KJV: × before, or else, ere, except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, surely, as truly as, of a truth, verily, for want, whether, without.

לֹא

adv — not

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

H6256

עֵתʻêth/ayth/

n-f — time, now, when

Derivation: from 5703;

time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.

KJV: after, (al-) ways, × certain, continually, evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.

עֵת

n.f — time

עֵת 297 n.f. time

1. time of an event

2.

a. = usual time

b. proper, suitable time

c. appointed time

d. as uncertain

3. = experience, fortunes

4. occurrence, occasion

H622

אָסַףʼâçaph/aw-saf'/

v — gather, receive, take away, remove

Derivation: a primitive root;

to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.)

KJV: assemble, bring, consume, destroy, felch, gather (in, together, up again), × generally, get (him), lose, put all together, receive, recover (another from leprosy), (be) rereward, × surely, take (away, into, up), × utterly, withdraw.

אָסַף

vb — gather

אָסַף 209 vb. gather, remove

Qal

1. gather, collect

2. gather an individual into company of others

3. bring up the rear of

4. gather and take away, remove, withdraw

Niph.

1. assemble, be gathered, reflex.

2. pass. of Qal 2

3. Pass. of Qal 4; be taken away, removed, perish

Pi.

1. gather harvest

2. take in, receive into

3. as subst. rearguard, rearward

Pu. be gathered, of men

Hithp. gather themselves

H4735

מִקְנֶהmiqneh/mik-neh'/

n-m — bought, property, stock, acquisition

Derivation: from 7069;

something bought, i.e. property, but only live stock; abstractly, acquisition

KJV: cattle, flock, herd, possession, purchase, substance.

מִקְנֶה

n.m — cattle

מִקְנֶה 76 n.m. cattle

H8248

שָׁקָהshâqâh/shaw-kaw'/

v — quaff, irrigate, furnish a potion to

Derivation: a primitive root;

to quaff, i.e. (causatively) to irrigate or furnish a potion to

KJV: cause to (give, give to, let, make to) drink, drown, moisten, water. See 7937, 8354.

שָׁקָה

vb — cause to drink water

[שָׁקָה] vb. Hiph. cause to drink water, give to drink

Hiph.

1. water, irrigate, ground

2. water, give drink to

Pu. the marrow of his bones is watered, (refreshed, invigorated).

H6629

צֹאןtsôʼn/tsone/

n-f — flock

Derivation: or צאוֹן; (Psalm 144:13), from an unused root meaning to migrate;

a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)

KJV: (small) cattle, flock ( -s), lamb ( -s), sheep(-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds).

צֹאן

n.coll.f — small cattle

צֹאן 273 n.coll.f. small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks

H3212

יָלַךְyâlak/yaw-lak'/

v — walk, carry

Derivation: a primitive root (compare 1980);

to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)

KJV: × again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, × be weak.

הָלַךְ

vb — go

הָלַךְ 1546 vb. go, come, walk

Qal Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך

I. lit.

1. of persons

2. Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations

3. in like manner of inanimate things

4. The inf. abs. is often used

a. as in other vbs., quite independently

b. to intensify meaning of finite form

c. most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs.

(1). with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance

(2). with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)

(3). in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. adj. denoting progress, advance

(4). twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion

(5). quite by itself

(6). 13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.

d. akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.

5. In combination with other verbal forms

II. Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident:

1. pass away, die

2. live (‘walk’), in general

3. of moral and religious life

4. other fig. uses

Pi. (chiefly poet. and late)

1. walk in or with a throng

2. also of walking about = living

3. depart, go entirely away

4. fig. of mode of life, action, etc.

Hithp. walk, walk about, move to and fro

Hiph.

1. lead, bring

2. lead away

3. carry, bring

4. fig. of influence on character

5.

a. cause to walk, go

b. cause to flow, run

c. cause to depart, retire, go back

H7462

רָעָהrâʻâh/raw-aw'/

v — tend, pasture, graze, rule, associate

Derivation: a primitive root;

to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend)

KJV: × break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep) (-er), pastor, shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.

בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים

n.pr.loc — shearing house

בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים perh. n.pr.loc. (binding-house of the shepherds) 2 K 10:12

רָעָה

vb. denom — be a special friend

[רָעָה] vb. denom. Pi. be a special friend;—Ju 14:20

רָעָה

vb — associate with

[רָעָה] vb. prob. associate with

Qal cherish faithfulness

Hithp. do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man

רָעָה

vb — pasture

רָעָה 167 vb. pasture, tend, graze

Qal

1. trans.

2. intrans.

Niph. poss.

Hiph. v.

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