CHAPTER 29

29:1-9 And Jacob started and went to the land of the east to Laban, the son of Bathuel the Syrian, and the brother of Rebecca, mother of Jacob and Esau. 2And he looks, and behold! a well in the plain; and there were there three flocks of sheep resting at it, for out of that well they watered the flocks, but there was a great stone at the mouth of the well. 3And there were all the flocks gathered, and they used to roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, and water the flocks, and set the stone again in its place on the mouth of the well. 4And Jacob said to them, Brethren, whence are ye? and they said, We are of Charrhan. 5And he said to them, Know ye Laban, the son of Nachor? and they said, We do know him. 6And he said to them, Is he well? And they said, He is well. And behold Rachel his daughter came with the sheep. 7And Jacob said, it is yet high day, it is not yet time that the flocks be gathered together; water ye the flocks, and depart and feed them. 8And they said, We shall not be able, until all the shepherds be gathered together, and they shall roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, then we will water the flocks. 9While he was yet speaking to them, behold, Rachel the daughter of Laban came with her father's sheep, for she fed the sheep of her father.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 29:5) Jacob asks the shepherds: "Do you know Laban son of Nachor?” He should have said Bathuel. But we conclude from these words that the name of Nachor was better known, and that it is by honor for his dignity of head of the family that he prefers to name it. It is a very common phrase to call the son of an ancestor or a great-grandfather, or of any other ascendant farther away, the one who descends directly from it. This is why Isaac gave Abraham the name of father to his own son, as we have noticed just now.

(Gen. 29:7) Adhuc est dies multa, nondum est hora congregandi pecora (It's still a big day, and it's not yet time to bring the flocks back). [Locutions]

29:10-20 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. 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. 13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister’s son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. 14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. 15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? 16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. 18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 29:10) IT IS NECESSARY TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT THE SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY. — Concerning the fact that Rachel came with her father's sheep and that, as the Scripture says, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob came and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well; it must be noted that Scripture omits something that we must understand rather than arouse a problem. It is understood that those with whom Jacob spoke at the beginning, being questioned as to who came with the sheep, said that it was the daughter of Laban, whom Jacob evidently did not know. But the Scripture, while passing over in silence the request of the one and the reply of the others, has willed that we should supplement them. [Question 86]

(Gen. 29:11-12) ON THE KISS JACOB GIVES TO RACHEL. — Concerning the text that says: And Jacob kissed Rachel, and cried with a loud voice and wept. And he told Rachel that he was the near relative of her father, and the son of Rebecca. It was the custom, especially in the beautiful simplicity of ancient times, to kiss between parents and relatives, and even today this custom is practiced in many countries. But one can ask how Rachel accepts the kiss from a stranger, since Jacob revealed his kinship only after kissing her. One of these two assumptions must therefore be used: Thus, it is necessary to think that he, who had already heard who she was, rushed himself with all confidence to kiss her, or that the Scripture narrates later, as a recapitulation, what had happened before, that is, that Jacob had already said who he was. It is something similar to what happens with the story of Paradise. It tells how God, having already said before that He had planted it and had put in it the man who He had formed (Cf. Gen. 2:8). There are many other examples that must be interpreted as presented as a recapitulation. [Question 87]

(Gen. 29:20) A LONG TIME FELT BRIEF FOR JACOB IN HIS SERVICE TO RACHEL. — In relation to what is written: And Jacob worked for Rachel seven years, and they were like a few days to him, because he loved her. You may ask how the author could say that since time for lovers usually seems very long in a short time frame. It is, therefore, to signify that love made the fatigues of his service light and bearable to him. [Questions on Genesis, 88]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. God had said to him, 'Behold, I am with you, your guardian, wherever you go, and I will multiply your race, and I will bring you back to this land, and I will not leave you until I have accomplished. all my promises. (Gen. 29:15) I want to repeat what I said yesterday; consider the industrious wisdom of God; consider the constancy, the recognition of this just. He rose, having heard these promises, and went to Chanaan; and here he is again a traveler, wandering, but every hour experiencing the effects of divine grace; it is the God of love who prepares for him, everywhere, the way, and fulfills his promise. Indeed, he who said, I am with you; your guardian, wherever you go, he is the one who led the righteous to the well where the shepherds of this country went to fetch the water. He questioned them about Laban, his mother's brother; he learned from them all that concerned him; Then he saw Laban's daughter and her flocks. He saw the inhabitants of the land who could not remove the stone from the well to water their flocks. he ran up; and what these men did not have the strength to do, he did, thanks to the help of above; he foresaw the benefits of Laban, removed the stone, and watered the sheep, which Rachel was grazing. Then he kissed the girl, told him who he was, where he came from, and stayed by the fountain. But as it was God who disposed all things in favor of the righteous, God prompted the girl to run quickly to bring the news to her father, who was the uncle of Jacob, his mother's brother; she told him of the service the traveler had rendered, and to herself and her flock; she informed him that this traveler was neither a stranger nor a stranger, but the son of his sister.

Consider, my beloved, the care taken by the divine Scripture to make known to us all the details, one by one, to teach us the ancient mores, the ardor of ancient men to practice hospitality. Scripture wishes to show us the eagerness of the young girl, and the text is not limited to saying: She went to carry the news of what had happened; but she ran; that is to say, she was penetrated with great joy. (Gen. 29:12) And then, about Laban, who was the father of the girl, the text says, that on what she told him, he ran, too, to meet him. Jacob, and kissed him and brought him to his house. (Gen. 29:13)

When Laban. He had learned from him all that he wanted to know, Laban said to him: You are of my bones and my flesh (Gen. 29:14); that is to say, since you are the son of my sweat, you are of our flesh, you are our brother. And, says the text, he stayed with him a month; The righteous was there, as in his own house, in the midst of plenty, free from all kind of care. But as God disposed, all things in the interest of the righteous, and manifested to him, in all things, his favor and his grace, he excited for him the affection of Laban and he, seeing the honesty of the just, said to him: Because you are my brother, it is not a reason for you to serve me for free; Tell me what compensation is due to you. Consider that the right of himself, begging for nothing; it is Laban, who without any provocation, of his own motion, makes this proposal exactly; and consider again, when a man leans on his arm. high, as everything flows towards him, it is not a reason, says the text, for you to serve me for free; Tell me what compensation is due to you. However, this blessed loved Laban, and it was enough for him to find the food of every day; and for this benefit alone he showed him all his gratitude; but Laban, who has seen all his honesty, warns him, promising to subscribe to the retribution which he himself will fix. What is the right? Consider again here, his perfect wisdom, his perfect disinterestedness, a contempt for. money; it is not a mercenary who disputes with Laban, who claims anything; he thinks only of his mother, of the orders he has received from his father, and he shows the excellence of his wisdom; in his answer to Laban: I will serve you seven years, for Rachel, your second daughter. (Gen. 29:18) It was as soon as he had seen her near the well, he had loved her; and see the intelligence of Jacob; he fixes the interval of time; and, for a figure of seven years, he shows sufficiently the wisdom which inspires him. And why do you wonder, my beloved ones, to hear that he promised to serve seven years for the girl he loved? The Divine Scripture wanted to show us the excess of his love by fixing the length of the work and the time that he proposes: Jacob served him thus seven years, for Rachel, and these years appeared to him days in very small number, to the the price of the affection that she had for her. (Gen. 29:20)

This number of seven years, says the text, was only like a few days, because of his keen affection for the girl. It is because the man wounded by love sees nothing painful; all the dangers, all the trials, everything seems light to him, because his looks see only one thing, because he has only one thought, to satisfy his love.

Let us be attentive, all of us, who are cowardly and depressed, and who show the Lord only our ingratitude. If this righteous, because he loved this young girl, subjected herself to serve for seven years, endured the fatigues of the shepherds, and felt neither these fatigues nor the length of time; if everything seemed to him light and easy, because he had to support his courage, the expectation of happiness to come; if this long time seemed to him like a few days soon passed, what will be our excuse for us, who have not lias the same love for the God who loves us, who fills us with benefits, who surrounds us of his care, who gives himself to us? Is it one of those profits of the world? we are full of ardor, ready for anything, accepting the fatigues, although this good that we pursue, is all too often a heavy burden, an occasion, of shame and punishment, in the present and in the future. But if it is our salvation, if we must conciliate the favor from above, we are without energy, without courage, and our vigor goes away. What can be our excuse, what can we say to justify our nonchalance, we, heartless, who do not have for God the same love as this blessed for this girl, and that despite so many benefits long received, despite so many benefits that we still receive each day? Yes, we are ungrateful; Blessed Paul was not an ungrateful fellow, whose boiling love, whose ardent charity found words, cries, and accents truly worthy of his great soul: who will separate us from the love of Jesus Christ? (Rom. 8:35) See the warmth of the expression and the strength it holds, see the fervor of violent love, see the burning charity. Who will separate us, that is to say, what then can separate us from love for God, what then among visible things, what among the invisible?

Then he enumerates one by one all the particular misfortunes, in order to show everyone, that nothing can triumph over the love which possesses him, of his love for the Lord; he adds: The tribulation? the affliction? hunger? persecution? nudity? perils? the Glave? O delirious madness, mother of true wisdom! Of all that can happen to us, what will separate us from the love of God? The tribulations of each day? no; the afflictions? no; persecutions? no never. What then? hunger? no, not even hunger; but then perils? and what do I say? hunger and nakedness, and perils? Ah! the Glave? Well, he says, even death, basing on us, will not have this power; impossible, absolutely impossible. No one else, no, has ever deserved to feel love for the Lord, as much as this blessed soul; it was like a spirit freed from the body, staying in sublime spaces, no longer touching the earth, when he uttered such words; his love for God, the charity which inflamed him, carried his thought far from sensible things, towards pure truth; far from present things, towards future goods; far from visible things, towards those whom the eye does not see. That's what faith does, that's the love of God. And, understand the greatness of the feeling that penetrates him, see what love for the Lord; see what burning charity, in the flight, in the persecution, in the rods, in the innumerable trials that he endured, which he enumerated thus: I have suffered more works, more received blows: often, I have saw a thousand deaths; I received from Jews, five different times, thirty-nine lashes; I have been beaten three times; I was stoned once; I was shipwrecked three times; I spent one day and one night at the bottom of the sea; I have often been in travels, in perils on the rivers, in the perils of the thieves, in the perils of the false brothers, in pain and fatigue. (II Cor. 11 23-27)

And he who endured so many trials, rejoiced and shuddered with joy; he knew, he had in his heart the conviction that the present fatigues assured him the most glorious rewards; that his perils earned him crowns. If Jacob, in his love for Rachel, regarded as the short space of a few days a duration of seven years, much more so, this blessed despised all things present, burning that he was of his love for God, supporting everything for his beloved Christ. So let us also, I entreat you, to love Christ, for what does He ask of you, says the Evangelist? nothing else than to love him with all your heart, and to fulfill his commandments. (Mark 12: 30). It is evident that he who loves God, as it should be, will make every effort to fulfill his precepts; fraternal love does everything with ardor, to attract the love of the beloved; and we, too, if our heart sincerely cherishes the Lord, will hasten to fulfill His commandments; we will not do anything that can sour against the beloved. This is the kingship of heaven; here, real goods, true enjoyment; that is what contains the infinite goods, the sincerity, the perfection of love. And our love for God is sincere, when the affection we give him excites us to show, to our companions in slavery, the tenderness of ardent love. All the law of the prophets, says the Evangelist, are contained in these two commandments (Matt. 27:40), namely, That you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your minds. forces, and your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:30-31) That's the sum, that's the foundation of all the virtues. At the same time that the love of God enters into souls, there is also the love of neighbor; who loves God, do not despise his brother, do not prefer riches to him who is one of his members; On the contrary, it is love, it is goodness that manifests itself in the memory of this word: As many times as you have done to one of the least of my brothers, it is mine -even you did it. (Matt. 25:40) This thought that what one does to one's neighbor is done to God himself, who attributes it to us as a blessing, which he has received from us, gives to the true faithful the gladness of charity. From then on, with a generous hand, he spreads alms around him; he does not stop at the despicable exterior of the poor; he considers only the greatness of Him who has pro. that he would look upon himself as doing everything that was done to the poor. So let us not disdain, I conjure you, this profit of our souls, this remedy of our wounds. Here, indeed, there is, par excellence, the salutary remedy, which will make disappear the ulcers of our souls, until vestiges of all scars; which will produce a cure, impossible for the body. You may, according to the advice of the doctors, put poultices on poultices; the scar must remain on the body, and this is understandable; it is the body in fact that it is a question of healing; on the contrary, when it comes to healing the soul, the good. will produces a wonderful improvement; the wounds disappear, like the dust dissipated by the violence of the winds. The scriptures are full of examples that prove it. Thus Paul became a persecutor an apostle; and whoever first fought against the Church became engaged to divine grace.

Do you understand the change? do you understand the transformation? Thus the thief, who had committed so many murders, was able, for a few words that you know, in less than a moment, so thoroughly wash all his faults, that he heard, from the mouth of the Lord: Today you will be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43) In this way, the publican, having struck his breast for having confessed his faults, came down from the temple more justified than the Pharisee. (Luke 18:13) That all these sinners manifested the good disposition of their souls; they confessed their sins, they obtained forgiveness. Well! now, let us see the strength of this precept, the abundance which accompanies the largess of alms; let us learn what profit results for us, in order to practice it with ardor. Perhaps its power is so great that it not only purifies sins but disconcerts death. What do you mean? I will say it: And who, then, will I object, for having given alms, triumphed over death? Certainly, we can see that we are all enslaved to death. Stop troubling yourself, my beloved ones; learn, by the very reality of things, how alms triumph over the tyranny of death. There was a woman called Tabitha, a name that corresponds to the Greek Dorcas; every day this woman applied to amass the riches that come from alms. She gave clothes, said the text, to widows, and furnished them with all the other things which are necessary to them. It happened that she fell ill, and died. See here, my beloved, what a reward; the widows gave to this beneficent woman, who took care of her, who gave them clothes. They surrounded the apostle, said the text, and showed him these garments, and all the proofs of the goodness of Dorcas, and the virtues that she showed when she was still in their midst. These widows were begging for the one who fed them, and shed tears, and they deeply touched the compassion of the apostle. What did Blessed Peter do then? He kneeled down in prayer, and, turning to the body, said, "Tabitha, arise! she opened her eyes, saw Pierre, and sat up. He immediately gave her his hand and raised it; and having called the saints and the widows, he brought them alive. (Acts 9:40-41) Do you see the virtue of the apostle, say better, the virtue of the Lord, operating through him? Do you see the greatness of retribution which rewards charity towards widows, the greatness of remuneration, even in the present life? What! answer me, has this woman done for widows as much as widows have done for her? she gave them clothes and food, but the widows, in return, gave her back to life; they drove death away from her; Let's say it is not these widows who have repulsed death, it is in her clemency, Our Lord, who is jealous of rewarding the care of this benefactress.

Do you understand the power of this remedy, O my beloved ones? So let us apply it, all of us, to ourselves; it is not an expensive remedy; although it is so efficient, it costs little, it is procured at no cost; for the greatness of alms does not consist in the value of money, in the price of riches, but in the gladness of the charity that flows. That is why he who gives a glass of cold water is pleasing to the Lord; and, likewise, the poor woman who throws two little coins into the trunk. These examples teach us that it is, in all things, the purity of the intention which the Lord God asks of all beings. It can happen that the one who is not rich, shows a great liberality, if he has in his heart a great charity; it may happen that the rich man appears less generous than the poor, if this rich man has a sordid soul. Let us then, I beg you, what we possess in the hands of the poor; let us do it, with a charitable and magnificent soul, with the gifts we have from the Lord; what we have received from him, let us render him again, so that, in this way again, these goods become ours again, with more profit. This, indeed, is the generosity of the Lord; although he receives only what he himself has given us, he does not think, however, to receive from us that which belongs to him; but, in his great munificence, he promises to give us everything, on the sole condition that we do what depends on us; that we know well, when we give to the poor, that we make a deposit in the hands of the Lord; Let us be assured that, whatever may be the treasures deposited in his hands, he will not only return them to us, but will return them with usury, with a great profit, which will attest the glory of his incomparable magnificence. And what do I say? that God will give us our gifts with profit; not only does the divine hand render what is given to it, but to all these gifts it adds the gift of the kingdom of heaven, and the glory everywhere proclaimed, and the crowns, and goods which can not be reckoned; and that, on the simple condition, for us, to take, on so many benefits received from God, a very small share, which offers us our good will. Is this a heavy and unwelcome requirement? Of our superfluity, he wants to do what is necessary for us; of those treasures which we deposit, without any serious purpose, uselessly in coffers from which no profit is derived, he wants us to make a good use, which will enable him to bestow splendid crowns upon us. Because God is impatient, and he presses us, and he does everything, and he makes every effort, why? To make us worthy of all his promises.

So, please, do not deprive us of such precious goods; if the diligent farmer empties his granaries, entrusts the seeds to the land, expends what he has taken a long time to collect, and makes this advance with pleasure, hoping to collect larger goods, and that, whatever he is not ignorant of the bad weather of the seasons, the sterility, of which sometimes the earth is struck, a great number of other accidents; grasshoppers infesting the countryside; the niello, all the plagues which often deceive his expectation; if the hope that sustains him, makes him brave all and boldly entrust to the earth what he has put in reserve: much more, we, who have useless reserves, spend it usefully, for the poor, to feed the unfortunate; and this, since it is not to be feared that hope deceives us, nor that the earth here is sterile. Do you not know what the text says: He scattered, he gave to the poor, (Ps. 111:9) Listen to the following: His justice remains forever. O the admirable sower! he has, in a few moments, distributed it, and it is in the eternity of ages that his justice remains. Who has ever seen more happy operation? Therefore, I conjure you, let us also obtain the righteousness that comes from alms, so that we too may say: they scattered, they gave to the poor; their justice remains, eternally. When the text says: He scattered, he gave, you might believe that what was scattered, is lost; that is why the text immediately adds, Its justice remains eternally, that is to say, as a result of this dispersion, it is necessary that justice remain, of which nothing triumphs; a justice that extends throughout the centuries, without ever meeting an end. And, with alms, let us practice, as well, the other virtues; let us repress the passions of the flesh: banish from our soul all illegitimate concupiscence, all evil thought: anger, hatred, envy; parons, of all the ornaments, the beauty of our soul; by the brilliancy of this beauty, let us reconcile ourselves; the love of the God of heaven, and may he live with us! As soon as he sees the kind graces of our soul, he will quickly come to us; it is he who makes these words heard. On whom shall I cast my eyes, except on the man, gentle and peaceful, and humble, who listened to my words with trembling. (Isa. 66:2) Do you see how the prophet teaches us the spiritual colors that can bring out the beauty of the soul? On the gentle man, he says, and peaceful and humble. Then he adds the cause that produced this stay: And who listens to my words with trembling. What does it mean: who listens to my words with trembling? It is, obedience, that realizes in its conduct the commandments of God, as the Scripture says, in another place: Blessed is the man who is always in fear, because of piety (Prov. 14) We ourselves, when we see a servant carrying out our orders, with a care which is animated by the fear of displeasing us, a servant trembling before us, we show him an affection, a greater sympathy; This is much more true of the goodness of the Lord to us. From there, these words: I will cast my eyes on the gentle and peaceful man who hears my commandments with trembling. Let's tremble, I implore you too; and, penetrated with great fear, let us fulfill his words; for his words are the precepts they transmitted to us. Informed of what pleases him, what he approves of, let us set to work, and let us be pleasing to him; show a great love of peace, great leniency, great humility; fulfill all his precepts with respect and fear, so that he may approve the dispositions of our soul; so that, touched by our obedience, he still deigns to cast our eyes on us. If we have this happiness, we will enjoy perfect security; for these words: I will cast my eyes, want to say, I will surround my providence, I will give my hand, I will help, in all circumstances, I will spill the abundance of my liberality. Let us then practice in all things this conduct, I conjure you, that the Lord may look upon us; that we may pass the present life without sorrow, and that we may possess the good things to come by the grace and the goodness of our Lord. Jesus Christ, to whom belongs, as to the Father, as to the Holy Spirit, glory, empire, honor, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

And Jacob said to Laban; Give me my wife, for the days are done when I must be admitted to her. (Gen. 29:20-23) Yesterday we passed from the love that Jacob showed for Rachel, to the one that Paul showed for Jesus Christ, and considering the admirable charity of the Apostle, we were as driven by an impetuous torrent, and we were have not had the strength to resume our speech. Today, then, please, resuming our march, we will complete what we have yet to go through, so that we may again collect from this homily a sufficient advantage before entering our homes. When the number of the seven years was fulfilled, and, says the Scripture, this long time, was, in Jacob's eyes, nothing but days, because of the love he had for Rachel, he said to Laban: Do not hold me back my wife, because the days are done when I have to be admitted to her. And Laban gathered all the men of the land and celebrated the wedding. And when it was evening, Laban took Lia his daughter, and brought him to Jacob. (Gen. 29:20-23) [Homilies on Genesis]

29:21-26 And Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her. 22And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a marriage-feast. 23And it was even, and he took his daughter Lea, and brought her in to Jacob, and Jacob went in to her. 24And Laban gave to his daughter Lea, Zelpha his handmaid, as a handmaid for her. 25And it was morning, and behold it was Lea; and Jacob said to Laban, What is this that thou hast done to me? did I not serve thee for Rachel? and wherefore hast thou deceived me? 26And Laban answered, It is not done thus in our country, to give the younger before the elder.

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. And Laban gathered all the men of the land and celebrated the wedding. And when it was evening, Laban took Lia his daughter, and brought him to Jacob. (Gen. 29:20-23) Have you seen how serious antiquity celebrated the wedding? Listen, you who are dazzled by the pomp of Satan, and who, by the preludes of marriage, dishonor the august character. Are there flutes, cymbals, satanic dances? Why, then, tell me, do you introduce such a plague into your house so quickly? Why carry her home from the stage and the orchestra, so that this untimely prodigality alters the reserve of the girl and makes the young man more impudent? One should be glad that this age could, even in the absence of these causes of disorder, resist the tempest of passions; but when so many things come by sight and hearing, to render the furnace of passions more intense and ardent by burning, how could the soul of the young man escape his ruin? This is what loses and destroys everything; it is because the modesty of those who must unite is violently uprooted from the beginning; and indeed often, from the first day, this young man received in his soul a satanic trait; With the eyes and the ears, the girl has succumbed, and from this day, the wounds grow and cause an ache deeper and deeper. In the first place, in fact, mutual concord is ruined, love decays. For when the husband attaches his thought to another, his mind is divided, and overcome by the devil's stratagems, he will soon fill his house with sadness. If the wife is also guilty of a fault of the same kind, everything will be, so to speak, ruined by the base, and henceforth, full of concealment for each other, the woman will be subject to the suspicions of her husband. husband, the husband to his wife's suspicions. And those between whom the bond of concord would be indissoluble, those who must be one flesh (for, says the Scripture, they will be two in one flesh (Gen. 2: 2), will be divided as if they were separated by the iron. The devil, entering their homes, wreaks such havoc on them, that wars and daily battles ensue, and that their ills find no truce. And who could express the contempt of the servants, the laughter of the neighbors, the indignities that occur. As in the discord of the pilots, the passengers share the perils, and the ship must sink with all those that it carries, likewise here, when the husband and the wife. are struggling, the rest of the house must share their ills. These evils, I beseech you therefore to foresee them, so as not to let yourself be led by custom; because I know that many people make an excuse against us and can not stand our speeches; but we must, however, tell you what is salutary, to save you from future punishments. Where the soul experiences such damage why object to the custom? And I, too, object to a better custom, that of primitive times, in which, however, true religion was less widespread. And do not think I'm talking about just Jacob; think of Laban, still addicted to the worship of idols, ignorant of religion, and yet showing such wisdom. This commendable conduct, indeed, is not that of the future husband, but of the father who gives him his daughter. So in addressing this speech, I wanted to address myself less to the husband than to the parents, to the father of the husband and to the one who gives him his daughter. Is it not absurd that we, Christians, objects of such goodness on the part of God, we, called to fearsome and ineffable mysteries, be below Laban, who still served idols? Do not you hear Paul tell us that marriage is a mystery and the image of the charity that Christ has shown to his church? Do not degrade ourselves and do not blight the dignity of marriage. If my advice is good and useful, even if it is contrary to custom, follow it; if what you practice is harmful and disastrous, even if it is the custom, it disappears. If we yield to the authority of custom, the thief, the most infamous debauchee, the one who makes any profession of any vice would claim that authority. But no advantage will be derived from it, and no indulgence will be obtained; we will be severely reproached for failing to rise above a perverse custom.

If we want to watch over ourselves and care greatly for our salvation, we will be able to stay away from bad customs and acquire good ones. We will thus bequeath to those who will follow us a great facility to enter the same path, and we ourselves will receive a reward for their good deeds. He who opens the door to the right path will be the cause of the good done by others, and will receive double reward for the good he has done himself and for leading others to the practice of virtue. Do not oppose these cold and ridiculous speeches, that such is the law of the world and that it must be followed. This is not what makes a marriage legitimate; what does it is to unite, according to the divine laws, with modesty and dignity; it is to keep oneself bound by concord. Human laws do not ignore it; listen to those who are versed in this science to tell you that it is the usual community of life that constitutes marriage. Let us not violate both the laws of God and those of men; do not prefer these diabolical laws and this fatal custom; because this law is written by the one who is always happy about our loss. What is more ridiculous than this custom of subjecting the husband and his wife to jeers, to the endless taunts of servants and wretches, without anyone taking them back, but to give full license to everyone, during the wedding night, to say everything? and to overwhelm the new spouses with indecent pleasantries? Another day, if someone tried to insult them, there would be for him courts, prisons, judgments; but in a moment when modesty, decency, purity should above all be respected, it is then that immodesty reigns. all over; these are the wiles of the devil who produced this custom. But do not offend yourself, I conjure you. It is not without motive that I made this digression, it is by zeal for your salvation, and for decency; I want you to be the authors of a happy revolution, the introducers of a noble custom, That one gives only impulse and that the way is open; little by little, one being nobly and commendably jealous of the other, you will become the object of the praises of each, and not only the inhabitants of the city will imitate this happy novelty, but you will attract to your suite those who live far away, you will inspire them with the zeal to imitate you, and you will obtain from God many crowns, because by fear and obedience to His commandments you will have triumphed over this satanic custom. Yes, you will ardently embrace this advice which I give you, and you will put it into practice, I firmly believe it. When, indeed, I see you listening with so much pleasure to my words, I conjecture, according to your applause and your praises, that you will pursue an effective reform. I will not say more on this point and I resume my subject. And when it was evening, Laban took Lia his daughter and brought her to Jacob.

Do not go over these words too lightly; they teach us several things: first, the good faith of Jacob, and how, being a stranger to all mischief, he was wronged by Laban, then, that everything was done with great decency, without torches, nor dance choruses, nor luxury light, so that Laban's trick could succeed. One can also recognize Laban's attachment to Jacob; for he engineered this cunning to hold that just longer with him. Knowing that he was burning for Rachel and that, if he obtained the object of his wishes, he would not consent to serve later for Lia and to remain for this reason with him, Laban, who considered the virtue of this man and understood that he would not otherwise succeed in dominating and persuading him, used the trick and gave him Lia, with Zelpha as servant. When the righteous reproached him and asked him why he had cheated on him, he gave him a specious excuse. For Jacob said to him, Why have you done this to me? Is not it to Rachel that I served you? why did you cheat me? (Gen. 29:25) What did Laban answer him? It is not the rule in this country to marry the youngest before the eldest. So fulfill also seven years for her, and I will give her as a reward for the work that you have done for seven years. (Gen. 29:26-27) You see, his cunning succeeds him. [Homilies on Genesis]

29:27-35 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. 28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. 30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. 31 And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. 33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon. 34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi. 35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 29:27) WHEN DID JACOB MARRY RACHEL? — If little attention is paid to the account of this event it will be thought that Jacob, after marrying Leah, served another seven years for Rachel, and only then did he marry her. But the reality is not so, but Laban said to him, and fulfilled her sevens… and he worked for him seven other years. The words, fulfilled her sevens, refer to the celebration of the nuptials, which used to last seven days. The following is said: and fulfilled the sevens of marriage that correspond to her with whom you have married, and I will also give to the other for the service that you will lend me for another seven years. Then he continues: And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her sevens; that is, the seven days of marriage with Leah, And Laban gave his daughter Raquel his wife. And Laban gave his slave Bala as a bondwoman to his daughter Rachel. And Jacob also joined Rachel, and loved Rachel more than Leah, and served her uncle another seven years. It appears clearly that, after marrying Rachel, he served her another seven years. It would have been too hard and too unfair that, in addition to deceiving Jacob, Laban would delay the delivery by another seven years and only then deliver to whom he should have given from the first place. That the wedding used to be celebrated for seven days is also demonstrated by the book of Judges, when he speaks of Samson, who celebrated a banquet for seven days (Cf. Judg. 14:10). And Scripture adds that such was the custom of young men.  But Samson made this feast for his wedding. [Questions on Genesis, 89]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 29:27 SO SPEND THE SEVEN DAYS OF IT, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE OTHER AS WELL. After Jacob's betrayal was married to Lia instead of Rachel, his father-in-law Laban told him to spend seven days after his marriage to Lia, and then he would receive Rachel, for whom he was to serve another seven years. It was not seven years later, but seven days after his marriage with the eldest sister, that he was the youngest. In fact, we read: "He came to Rachel, whom he loved more than Lia, and he served Laban for another seven years." (Gen. 29:30)

29:32 SHE CONCEIVED AND BORE A SON WHO WAS CALLED RUBEN. I want, for the intelligence of reading, also to give the etymologies of the names of all the patriarchs. "A son whom she called by the name of Reuben, saying, The Lord has seen my humility." RUBEN, translates as the son of vision.

29:33 SHE CONCEIVED ANOTHER SON AND SAID: THE LORD ANSWERED ME, WHILE MY HUSBAND HATED ME, AND GAVE ME THIS ONE AGAIN. SHE CALLED HIM BY THE NAME OF SIMEON. She gave him that name because she had been answered; SIMEON means hearing. On the third, it says:

29:34 NOW THERE FOLLOWS CONCERNING THE THIRD SON: AND SHE CONCEIVED AGAIN AND BORE A SON, AND SAID: NOW MY HUSBAND SHALL BE WITH ME, BECAUSE I HAVE BORNE THREE SONS TO HIM: THEREFORE SHE CALLED HIS NAME LEVI. Where we read: My husband will be in my presence, Aquila explained it as meaning: My husband will be united to me. This is expressed in Hebrew as illave and rendered by the Hebrew teachers in another fashion, such that they say: My husband will accompany me. That is, I do not doubt the love of my husband for me; he shall be my companion in this life and his love will lead me down and accompany me even to death, since I have borne three sons for him.

29:35 SHE CONCEIVED AND BORE A SON, AND SAID, "NOW BY THIS I WILL CONFESS THE LORD; SO CALLED JUDAH. JUDA meaning confession, this name has become that of the confessor himself. Here confession is taken in the sense of thanksgiving or praise, as is often the case in the Psalms and the Gospel, (Matt. 11:25): "I will confess to you, Lord, father of heaven and of earth,” that is to say, I give you thanks, or I glorify you. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Do not think that I have wronged you. It is in our country the custom of first marrying the eldest; that's why it happened that way. You will get the one you want, if you serve me for it the same number of years. The righteous having heard this language accepted wholeheartedly, and after these seven years, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel for a wife. (Gen. 29:28)

3. You see that, here again, the marriage is accomplished with perfect propriety. Do not worry if you hear that he received the eldest, then the youngest, and do not judge what was happening then by what is happening today. So, in fact, at the beginning of the world, it was tolerated to have two or three wives and even more, in order to multiply the human race; but now, since, by the grace of God, it has multiplied, virtue has also received its growth. Christ has come; he implanted virtue among men; he has made them, in a way, men become angels, and he has abolished this ancient custom. Do you see now that one should not object to an old custom, but seek in all that is salutary? As you can see, we are abolishing an unfortunate custom: it is no longer permissible to object to it. So never stubbornly, I entreat you, to follow a custom, but seek what is salutary and do not harm your souls; that what is honest is practiced among you, when it would not be customary; and if there is something fatal, even if it is a custom, it must be turned away and run away from it.

And he gave Jacob Rachel with Balla for a maid. (Gen. 29:29) Have you understood this sublime simplicity of manners? There are no herds of slaves: no codicils, no contracts, no point in these ridiculous precautions: if such a thing happens, if such a thing happens. In our country, even before being united, those who do not know whether they will only live until the evening, hasten to record in writing what will be done in the very near future: if the spouse dies without children if he dies having children, and other similar stipulations. Nothing like it here: the father married his daughters, giving a servant to each one.

Now the Scripture says, Jacob loved Rachel more than Lia, and he served Laban seven more years. Because from the beginning he had loved her because of her beauty and because he had trouble getting the object of her wishes, he loved her more than Lia, because Scripture speaks of her beauty that had excited Jacob's love. Now consider here the ineffable goodness of the Sovereign Master, and how he accomplishes little by little what he has promised. He who said, I will be with you and keep you in all your journey (Gen. 28:15), and again: I will increase it and I will multiply you, it is he who has governed all this. And in order to learn it, listen to the divine Scripture itself, which clearly tells us: The Lord God, seeing that Jacob was averse to Lia, opened her breast, while Rachel remained sterile. Lia conceived, and bore a son to Jacob. (Gen. 29:31-32) Consider the wisdom of divine action. Because the one attracted by her beauty the love of her husband and that the one who was deprived appeared the object of his aversion, God makes fruitful this one and sterile his sweat, governing everything by his kindness, so that Lia would have some consolation, by the children who were born of her, thus attracting the love of her husband, and so that Rachel would not rise against her sweat, because of her beauty and her attractions. God opened his breast. Learn from there, my beloved, that the Author of all things governs them all; that he alone gives fertility, which can not occur without the help of above. Scripture says that God opened His bosom so that we might know that the Master Sovereign wanted to give him fertility to soften his sorrow, because it is he who forms the child in the womb of his mother, it is he who give life: as David expresses it, saying, You have welcomed me from the belly of my mother. (Ps. 137:13) And consider how Divine Scripture shows you the Author of nature producing at once two effects of his power, opening Lia's breast and holding Rachel's breast closed. As master of nature, he does everything with kindness.

Lia conceived and bore a son to Jacob, and she called him Reuben, saying, Because the Lord has looked upon my abasement, my husband will love me henceforth. (Gen. 29:32) Consider the recognition of this woman. The Sovereign Master, she said, looked at my lowering and gave me a son so that I might be loved because of him. And consider also how good God is jealous of His glory, and how liberal and beautiful He is, wanting at the same time to increase the race of righteousness and to make Lia loved by Jacob more than she was. She conceived again, and gave Jacob a second son, and said, The Lord hath heard that I am not loved, and hath given me another son, and she called him Simeon. (Gen. 29:33) Examine how she gives thanks to God for each of her children and is grateful for her blessings the Lord, she said, heard that I am not loved and he gave me another son. And that's why she called him Simeon.

Do you understand that she does not give names to her children without reason or adventure? She calls this Simeon, because the Lord has heard it, for that name means in Hebrew: It was understood: She conceived again and bore a son, and she said: Now my husband will be on my side, for I gave three sons, and she called him Levi. (Gen. 29:34) She seems to say that the birth of the first two was not enough to attract her husband to her, but that the inclination of him was still for Rachel; that's why she says Now more husband will be on my side. No doubt the birth of this third son will be worth my affection, for I have borne him three sons. She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, "Now I will glorify the Lord. therefore she gave him the name of Judah. (Gen. 29:35) What do these words mean: I will glorify the Lord? They signify here: I will give thanks to him, I will publish his praises, because he has given me a fourth son, and granted me so great a benefit. The beauty I lacked to win the love of my husband, the birth of the children whose God's goodness has given me has made up for it. He dispelled the excess of my despondency, consoling the one that was an object of aversion because of its ugliness, and carried off on my sweat the aversion of Jacob: Having given birth to Judah, says the text, she ceased to forth. (Gen. 29:35) [Homilies on Genesis]