Who was Laban's God?
Genesis 31 portrays Jacob and Laban swearing by their respective ancestral gods: Jacob by the god(s) of Abraham and Laban by the god(s) of Nahor.
Was Zilpah Laban's daughter?
Zilpah is given to Leah as a handmaid by Leah's father, Laban, upon Leah's marriage to Jacob (see Genesis 29:24, 46:18). According to the early rabbinical commentary Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, Zilpah and Bilhah, the handmaids of Leah and Rachel, respectively, were actually younger daughters of Laban.
Who is Jacob's wife?
LeahJacob / WifeRachel, in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible, one of the two wives of the patriarch Jacob. Forced to serve Rachel's father, Laban, for seven years to win her, Jacob was tricked at the end of that time into marrying her sister, Leah.
Who were Jacob's 4 wives?
At the end of 20 years in Haran, Jacob's wealth was extensive. He had four wives: Leah, Rachel, and their handmaidens Bilhah and Zilpah. From these wives, the long-awaited promise of seed began to be fulfilled. Sons were born to each woman.
Who were Laban's wives in the Bible?
AdinahLaban's wife and the mother of Leah and Rachel was Adinah.
Was Jacob married to Zilpah?
Zilpah was given as a wedding gift to Leah by her father Laban on the occasion of Leah's marriage to Jacob. Through the initiative of Leah, Zilpah became a secondary wife to Jacob and bore him two sons, Gad and Asher. Zilpah's role would be comparable to what contemporary society refers to as surrogate motherhood.
How many wives Jacob had?
four wivesThe latter third of the book of Genesis relates the complex and vola- tile relationship of the patriarch Jacob, his four wives, and their thirteen children (twelve sons, one daughter).
Who is the only female judge in the Bible?
DeborahDeborah is one of the major judges (charismatic military leaders, not juridical figures) in the story of how Israel takes the land of Canaan. She is the only female judge, the only one to be called a prophet, and the only one described as performing a judicial function.
Did Jacob have two wives?
Jacob had twelve sons through four women, his wives, Leah and Rachel, and his concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, who were, in order of their birth, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin, all of whom became the heads of their own family groups, later known as the ...
Is polygamy a sin?
"In the case of polygamy, there is a universal standard – it is understood to be a sin, therefore polygamists are not admitted to positions of leadership including Holy Orders, nor after acceptance of the Gospel can a convert take another wife, nor, in some areas, are they admitted to Holy Communion."
Is polygamy considered adultery?
Adultery refers to sexual relations which are not officially legitimized; for example it does not refer to having sexual intercourse with multiple partners in the case of polygamy (when a man is married to more than one wife at a time, called polygyny; or when a woman is married to more than one husband at a time, ...
Who died first Leah or Rachel?
Rabbah 37:1). According to another tradition, Rachel died before Leah because she spoke before her sister. When Jacob wanted to leave Haran, he summoned his wives to the field and told them of his plans.
Who was Jacob's favorite wife?
RachelRachel (Hebrew: רָחֵל, romanized: Rāḥēl, lit. 'ewe') was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife.
Was Leah in the lineage of Jesus?
Leah was the mother of six of Jacob's sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, and Judah; Judah was the ancestor of King David and, according to the New Testament, of Jesus.
How many tribes of Israel were in Jacob?
twelve tribes of IsraelIn the Bible, the twelve tribes of Israel are sons of a man called Jacob or Israel, as Edom or Esau is the brother of Jacob, and Ishmael and Isaac are the sons of Abraham.
Who's who in Genesis?
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Who did Laban promise his daughter to marry?
Laban promised his younger daughter Rachel to Jacob in return for seven years' service, only to trick him into marrying his elder daughter Leah instead. Jacob then served another seven years in exchange for the right to marry his choice, Rachel, as well ( Genesis 29 ). Laban's flocks and fortunes increased under Jacob's skilled care, but there was much further trickery between them. Six years after his promised service has ended, Jacob, having prospered largely by proving more cunning than his father-in-law, finally left. Laban pursued him, but they eventually parted on good terms ( Genesis 31 ). Laban's wife and the mother of Leah and Rachel was Adinah.
Where did Laban live?
Laban and his family were described as dwelling in Paddan Aram, in Mesopotamia. Though the biblical text itself does not attest to this, rabbinic sources also identify him as the father of Bilhah and Zilpah, the two concubines with whom Jacob also has children ( Midrash Rabba, Gen. 24 ).
What is the story of Jacob and Laban?
Devora Steinmetz, assistant professor of Talmud at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, says that the story of Jacob and Laban also resonates with the covenant with Abraham, more frequently interpreted as applying to the Exodus: " your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them and they shall afflict them ... Afterward they shall come out with great wealth " ( Genesis 15:13–16). Jacob lived in the strange land of Aram, served Laban, and was afflicted by him; then he left with great wealth and returned to the Promised Land. The story thus serves to reinforce one of the central messages of the Passover Haggadah; that the Old Testament cycle of exile, persecution and return recurs again and again, and links the observant Jew in the Diaspora to the Land of Israel.
What did Laban the Aramean seek to do?
Come and learn what Laban the Aramean sought to do our father Jacob. For Pharaoh issued his edict against only the males, but Laban sought to uproot all, as it is said, 'An Aramean would have destroyed my father, and he went down to Egypt and he became there a nation, great, mighty and populous.'
What does Laban mean?
Laban can be seen as symbolizing those whose concern for the welfare of their immediate family, nominally a virtue, is taken to the point where it has lasting negative ramifications. Laban's urge to ensure his older daughter not be left unmarried can be interpreted as leading to the Exile in Egypt; his anxiety over seeing his son-in-law throw away his family's comfortable position in Aram in search of a risky new beginning back in Canaan leads him to oppose the return of the Children of Israel to the Promised Land. His name can also be seen as symbolic in this matter: it means "white", the visual representation of purity, without visible stain, symbolizing those without apparent evil motives whose actions nevertheless result in undesirable outcomes.
Where in the Bible is Laban?
Laban first appears in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 24:29–60 as the grown spokesman for his father Bethuel 's house; he was impressed by the gold jewelry given to his sister on behalf of Isaac, and played a key part in arranging their marriage. Twenty years later, Laban's nephew Jacob was born to Isaac and Rebekah.
Who tricked Jacob into marrying his daughter?
Laban welcomed his nephew as a young man, and set him the stipulation of seven years' labour before he permitted him to marry his daughter Rachel. Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his elder daughter Leah instead. Jacob then took Rachel as his second wife, on condition of serving an additional seven years' labour.
Who was Laban related to?
In addition, Laban was thrice related by marriage to Abraham 's family: his sister Rebecca married Isaac, and his two daughters, Leah and Rachel, both married Jacob. Thus Laban was Abraham's great-nephew, Isaac 's cousin and brother-in-law, and Jacob 's uncle and father-in-law. Laban lived in the city of Charan in Mesopotamia ( Aram Naharaiim, ...
Where did Laban live?
Laban lived in the city of Charan in Mesopotamia ( Aram Naharaiim, the area between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers in modern-day Iraq/Syria/Turkey), where Abraham's father and brother and their families settled after accompanying him on the first leg of his journey from Ur Casdim to the Holy Land. We first encounter Laban welcoming Abraham's servant Eliezer when the latter comes to Charan to find a bride for Isaac. A generation later, Isaac and Rebecca send their younger son Jacob to Charan to "take a wife from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother."
What is the wall against which Balaam crushed the prophet's leg?
Indeed, says the Midrash, the "wall" against which Balaam 's ass crushed the prophet's leg on his journey to the Plains of Moab to course the Israelites (see Numbers 22:25) is the very mound of stones erected by Laban and Jacob on Mount Galed to attest to the vow which Balaam was now violating with his journey.
How old is Laban in the Torah?
If Rebecca was three when Eliezer came to bring her to Isaac (as Rashi comments), the oldest Laban could be was two. Because Betuel died, he married off his sister when he was only two. Reply
What does the name Laban mean?
The name Laban means "white". According to the Kabbalah, Laban represents loben ha-elyon, the "supernal whiteness" that transcends all "color" and classification. Thus "Laban" embodies the power of transformation — because it is beyond classification, it bridges opposites and can transform a thing into its very extreme. This is how Balaam's divine gift of prophecy (our sages go so far as to equate his prophetic power with that of Moses !) could reside within such an evil person, and how, on the other hand, his virulent curses could be transformed in his very mouth into blessings, and this arch enemy of Israel even ends up issuing the most important of the Torah 's prophecies ( Numbers 24:15 -25) — the promise of the future redemption by Moshiach.
Why did Isaac and Rebecca send Jacob to Charan?
A generation later, Isaac and Rebecca send their younger son Jacob to Charan to "take a wife from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.". Jacob falls in love with Rachel, the younger of Laban's daughters, and works for seven years tending Laban's flocks to earn her hand. But Laban replaces Rachel with her older sister Leah on ...
Who is Laban HaRamai?
For the many deceptions that accompany this incident, as well as numerous other ways in which Laban attempts to swindle Jacob in the twenty years that his son-in-law is in his employ (Jacob works for an additional six years to earn flocks of his own), Laban is known in Midrashic literature as Laban HaRamai, "Laban the Deceiver".
Who is Laban in the Bible?
Who was Laban in the Bible? Laban was Rebekah's brother, grandson of Abraham's brother Nahor, and father to Leah and Rachel. He lived in Haran and owned flocks of goats and sheep. When Abraham's servant arrived in Haran to find a wife for Isaac, Laban and his father Bethuel welcomed him. Abraham's servant had given Rebekah a ring and bracelets.
Who did Laban covenant with?
Ultimately, Laban covenanted with Jacob not to further pursue or harm one another ( Genesis 31:43–45 ). Laban said, "The LORD watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight.
What did Jacob's flock grow?
However, God blessed the flock under Jacob's experienced care and his flock grew spotted, speckled, and black lambs and goats that were bigger and stronger than the flocks remaining with Laban's sons. Then "Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, 'Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all ...
What animals did Jacob take away from Laban?
When Jacob was ready to move away and Laban tried to persuade him to stay, asking him to name wages, the men agreed that Jacob could take any spotted, speckled, or black lamb or goat under his care. He would separate those animals from the others, keeping them as his flock and also tending to Laban's flock.
What did Abraham's servant say to his father?
When Abraham's servant arrived to find a wife, Laban and his father said, "The thing has come from the LORD… let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken" ( Genesis 24:50–51 ). Later Laban recognized God's blessing in the material success he experienced by having Jacob live and work with him.
What did Jacob hear from the sons of Laban?
Then "Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, 'Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth. '. And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before.
What did Abraham's servant give Rebekah?
Abraham's servant had given Rebekah a ring and bracelets. When he found out whose daughter she was, he blessed the Lord and told Rebekah that God had led him there. When Laban heard of this, saw the jewelry on his sister's arms, and heard from Rebekah what the servant had said, Laban "said, 'Come in, O blessed of the LORD.
How many daughters did Laban have?
Laban had two daughters – an older daughter, Leah, who had “weak” eyes, and a younger daughter, Rachel, who was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel so he told Laban, “I will work for you for seven years in return for marriage to your daughter Rachel.”. Laban agreed that Rachel would be a good wife for Jacob and accepted Jacob’s proposal.
What did Jacob say to Laban?
29:21 Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. I want to have marital relations with her.” 29:22 So Laban invited all the people of that place and prepared a feast. 29:23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and Jacob had marital relations with her. 29:24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.)
What is Laban's exchange of Leah and Rachel?
Laban’s exchange of Leah for Rachel appears in direct contrast when Laban insists that it is not right to marry the younger before the older. In other words, it is not right to steal the rights of the older sibling from the younger – the very act Jacob is guilty of.
What is Laban's trickery?
Laban’s trickery seems just in light of Jacob’s past deeds. The perpetrator of deceit is now the victim of a similar deception. Jacob deceived his father and brother and now the tables have been turned by the brother of Jacob’s mother (who in the past, partnered with Jacob and his schemes). Note the irony in Jacob’s situation. Jacob’s schemes were directed toward taking rights, provided in ancient Eastern culture to the older sibling, away from his brother Esau. Laban’s exchange of Leah for Rachel appears in direct contrast when Laban insists that it is not right to marry the younger before the older. In other words, it is not right to steal the rights of the older sibling from the younger – the very act Jacob is guilty of.
How many sons does Leah have?
Ultimately, Leah will bear six sons and a daughter. Half of the tribes of Israel, including the tribe of Levi, will trace their ancestry back to Leah. Lest you doubt the marriage of Jacob to Leah bore purpose, we will discover in the New Testament that while Rachel remains barren, Leah will produce several offspring including a son named Judah, through whom the line of Jesus will run. Still, after many years Rachel will give birth to Benjamin and Joseph, both key participants in the stories to come.
What was Jacob's preference for Rachel?
Jacob’s preference for Rachel over Leah. The Bible pointedly tells us that Jacob’s love for Rachel “was greater than his love for Leah”. Even given our modern-day distaste for polygamy, to hear a husband favor one wife over another is distasteful and hurtful.
Who gave Bilhah to Rachel?
He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. The New International Version.
What is Laban's wife's name?
Scripture does not tell us the name of Laban’s wife, the mother of Rachel and Leah, but tradition tells us that her name was Adina , which can be translated as “refined.” 4
Who was Jacob's first wife?
She Was Jacob’s First Wife, But Not His First Choice. As soon as Jacob lay eyes on Rachel, he wished to marry her. However, Laban, the girls’ father, was not keen on Leah being overlooked. After Jacob tended Laban’s sheep for seven (!) years for the right to marry Rachel, Laban sneaked Leah under the wedding canopy.
Why did Rachel give Leah the code word?
The chumash tells that Rachel was also part of Laban's scheme, as Rashi indicates that Rachel gave Leah the "secret code word" between herself and Yaacov, because Yaacov suspected that Laban would do the switcheroo. Rachel wanted Leah's dignity kept intact and to be protected from Eisav. They were both tzaddikim.
How does the Zohar know that Leah was not actually hated?
How does the Zohar know that Leah was not actually hated? It’s very simple. There is a rabbinic principle that children born out of hate tend to turn out less than stellar. Yet, “all the good sons came from Leah,” 15 indicating that she could not have been hated as one may think. Indeed, her son Levi was the progenitor of the priestly clan, and from Judah came the royal Davidic dynasty.
How many sons did Leah have?
Leah was blessed with four sons in a row ( Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Judah ), 9 Rachel’s maid bore two sons ( Dan and Naftali ), Leah’s maid gave birth to two sons ( Gad and Asher ), and Leah then had two more sons ( Issachar and Zebulun ), and fell pregnant yet again.
How many sisters are there in Rachel and Leah?
Rachel and Leah, two sisters, two wives, two paths. At first Leah appears to be negative, weak and pale. But the more we dig, the more we learn and come to appreciate Leah, her strength, her quiet inspiration and her unending devotion.
Why did Rachel give her handmaiden to her husband?
When Rachel saw Leah having sons while she remained barren, she gave her maid to her husband, hoping that the deed would cause G‑d to bless her with sons of her own. 16 Leah then did the same, and G‑d blessed her with two more sons.
What is the marriage of Rachel in the Bible?
The marriage of Rachel in the Bible was one of the most captivating episodes recorded in the book of Genesis, a story of love triumphing over lies. Isaac, the father of Jacob, wanted his son to marry from among their own people, so he sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to find a wife among the daughters of Laban, ...
How many children did Bilhah have?
Bilhah bore children to Jacob, causing Leah to give her servant Zilpah to Jacob, who had children with her. Altogether, the four women bore 12 sons and one daughter, Dinah. Those sons became the founders of the 12 tribes of Israel. Rachel bore Joseph, then the entire clan left Laban's country to return to Isaac.
What did Rachel steal from her father?
Unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachel stole her father's household gods or teraphim. When Laban caught up with them, he searched for the idols, but Rachel had hidden the statues under her camel's saddle. She told her father she was having her period, making her ceremonially unclean, so he did not search near her.
Why was Rachel jealous of her sister?
Rachel was jealous of her sister Leah. She was manipulative to try to gain Jacob's favor. She also stole her father's idols; the reason was unclear.
What are the accomplishments of Rachel in the Bible?
Accomplishments of Rachel in the Bible. Rachel gave birth to Joseph, one of the most important figures of the Old Testament, who saved the nation of Israel during a famine. She also bore Benjamin and was a faithful wife to Jacob.
Who did Jacob marry in the Bible?
Jacob then married Rachel and worked for Laban another seven years for her. Jacob loved Rachel but was indifferent toward Leah. God took pity on Leah and allowed her to bear children, while Rachel was barren. Jealous of her sister, Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife.
Who were the sons of Rachel in the Bible?
Genesis 30:22. Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb. (NIV) Genesis 35:24. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. (NIV). Jack Zavada, a career writer, and contributor for Dotdash and is host to a Christian website for singles. Never married, Jack feels that the hard-won lessons he has learned may help other Christian ...
How many sons did Laban have?
According to the "Sefer ha-Yashar" ( l.c. ), Laban had three sons, Beor (comp. Num. R. l.c. ), Alub, and Murash, whom his wife Adinah bore. It was Beor, according to the same authority, who was sent by his father to inform Esau of Jacob's departure and to urge him to pursue his brother ( see Jacob ). S. S. M. Sel. 2.
What does the name Laban mean?
The name "Laban" is interpreted as "glowing with wickedness" ( ib. lx. 8), and the surname "Arammi" (= "the Aramean"; see Laban, Biblical Data) as an anagram of "ramma'ah" (= "impostor"; ib. lxx. 17). Laban is called also "the master of impostors" ( ib. lxxv. 6).
What did Laban do before Jacob arrived?
Before Jacob's arrival Laban's flocks were scanty, as they had always decreased through pestilence (Pirḳe R.El. xxxvi.). When Jacob had completed his seven years of service, Laban assembled his countrymen and consulted them as to the best means to retain him; "for," said he, "ye know that formerly we had a scarcity of water, and it is only through this righteous man that we are now blessed with an abundance of it." His countrymen advised him to substitute Leah for Rachel (Targ. pseudo-Jonathan and Yerushalmi to Gen. xxix. 22; Gen. R. lxx. 17). Laban took pledges of his countrymen that they would not divulge his design, and then pawned the pledges for wine which he served to their owners, who were his guests. Laban took the precaution to extinguish the light in the banqueting-room, lest Jacob should at once see that it was Leah. On Jacob inquiring the reason, Laban answered that it was a custom of his country. The guests, drunk with wine, sang "ha Lia" (= "she is Leah"); but Jacob did not understand the real meaning of the exclamation (Gen. R. l.c.; "Sefer ha-Yashar," section "Wayeẓe"). According to Pirḳe R. El. ( l.c. ), Bilhah and Zilpah were daughters of Laban by his concubines (comp. Gen. R. lxxiv. 11).
Why did Laban prompt Jacob to meet him?
xxiv. 50). His promptness in meeting Jacob (Gen. xxix. 13) was due to his eagerness for wealth; for he thought that if Eliezer, a servant of Abraham, brought with him ten camels loaded with the goods of his master, Jacob, being Abraham's grandson, ...
What is Laban's first mention of Eliezer?
Mention is first made of him on the occasion of the marriage of his sister Rebekah. Attracted by the ring and bracelets which Eliezer had given her, Laban comes out to meet him, brings him into the house, and takes the lead in the negotiations concerning the departure of Rebekah.
Where is Padan Aram?
Son of Bethuel, grandnephew of Abraham, and maternal uncle and father in-law of Jacob. His home being in Aram-naharaim (Mesopotamia; Gen. xxiv. 10), otherwise known as Padan-aram ( ib. xxviii. 5), he is called "the Aramean" ( ib. xxv. 20, xxxi. 20, 24 [A. V. "Syrian"]). Mention is first made of him on the occasion of the marriage ...