Genesis 29:1-14
Jacob Meets Rachel
1Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.
2He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.
3When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
4“My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered.
5“Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied.
6“Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.”
7“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.”
8But 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.”
9While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
10As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.
11Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud.
12He told Rachel that he was Rebekah’s son, a relative of her father, and she ran and told her father.
13When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, where Jacob told him all that had happened.
14Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
Berean Standard Bible
Jacob continues his journey and comes to the land of the eastern peoples. He sees a well in a field with three flocks of sheep lying beside it. A large stone covers the well's mouth, and the shepherds wait until all the flocks are gathered before rolling it away and watering the sheep.
Jacob asks the shepherds where they are from and whether they know Laban, son of Nahor. They say they do and point out Rachel, Laban's daughter, coming with her father's sheep. Jacob asks why they have not watered the sheep, but the shepherds say they must wait until all the flocks are gathered.
When Rachel arrives, Jacob rolls the stone from the well and waters Laban's flock. He kisses Rachel and weeps loudly. He tells her that he is a relative of her father and Rebekah's son. Rachel runs to tell Laban.
Laban hears the report, runs to meet Jacob, embraces him, and brings him home. Jacob stays with him for a month. Laban says that Jacob should not work for him for nothing simply because he is a relative, and asks what his wages should be.
The meeting begins with water, work, tears, and recognition. Jacob has arrived as a man fleeing his brother, but he is not lost to God or to his mother's family. The welcome is warm, though the question about wages hints that family and labor will soon become entangled.
Jacob's tears are a sign that this is more than a successful introduction. He has left a dangerous conflict and found people connected to his mother's family. The welcome gives him a place to breathe, while the coming discussion about wages will test whether family warmth can survive unequal power.
Questions
1 What was covering the well?
AnswerA large stone covered the mouth of the well.
2 Whom did Jacob see approaching with sheep?
AnswerHe saw Rachel, Laban’s daughter, approaching with her father’s sheep.
3 What did Jacob do when Rachel arrived?
AnswerHe rolled away the stone, watered the flock, greeted Rachel, and wept.
4 How did Laban welcome Jacob?
AnswerLaban ran to meet him, embraced him, and brought him home.
What This Means for Us
Welcome is often made of practical actions: showing someone where to find water, helping with work, introducing family, and offering a place to stay. Receive hospitality with gratitude, but keep agreements clear when family and work become connected. Warmth and wise boundaries can belong in the same relationship.
Prayer
God who leads travelers home, thank you for people who recognize and welcome us. Make our family attentive to practical needs and generous with hospitality. Give us wisdom when work and family overlap, so that affection is not used to hide unclear expectations or unfair agreements. Amen.