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†. Gen 29:26 . . Laban said; It is not the practice in our place to
marry off the younger before the older.
Jacob lived in "our place" for seven years. I tend to think he knew full well
their customs.
Perhaps Jacob expected the locals would make an exception for him because
he was a rich boy from down south. But no; local custom was local custom,
and even Mr. Silver Spoon In Your Mouth was going to have to accept it.
Jacob may have had his way uncontested back at the well; but this time?
Nope.
†. Gen 29:27 . .Wait until the bridal week of this one is over and we
will give you that one too, provided you serve me another seven
years.
Serving Laban the first seven years for Rachel was Jacob's idea; except that
instead of getting Rachel; he got Leah. Now Laban's proviso is that Jacob
serve yet another seven years for Rachel; which will total fourteen for a girl
he was supposed to get in seven. I think most any normal red-blooded man
would have refused.
But Jacob was an Ethan Frome kind of guy. I don't think he wanted to hurt
Leah, and maybe even felt partially responsible for her predicament.
That's a crummy reason to marry a girl, but I don't think Jacob could have
lived with himself if he threw Leah back now. After all, Jacob was her first
love, and it's not like she was used goods or anything.
It's true that Jacob was not above fraud; but basically, he was a fairly
honorable man.
†. Gen 29:28-29 . . Jacob did so; he waited out the bridal week of the
one, and then he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife. Laban had
given his maidservant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.
Maidservants weren't just female commodities. They were actually a part of
the household, and often treated with a pretty fair degree of respect.
†. Gen 29:30 . . And Jacob cohabited with Rachel also; indeed, he
loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served him another seven
years.
I'm sure Jacob never mistreated Leah. But he wasn't crazy about her in a
romantic way. It's like the relationship between Robert Philip and his fiancé
Nancy Tremaine in the Disney movie Enchanted. Nancy is neither a bad girl
nor a bad choice-- the chemistry just isn't there.
Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, Jacob's situation probably led
to some favoritism. And in this case, I think Jacob began spending most of
his time with Rachel and leaving Leah out in the cold; so to speak; viz: she
was in the unenviable limbo of a burden to her husband. However, since
Jacob chose to keep Leah, he was morally obligated to treat her as if he was
infatuated with her, even if he really wasn't.
When you get right down to it; Leah didn't do any more to Jacob than what
he did to his dad; so all in all: what right had Jacob to complain? I've a
pretty strong feeling that after Leah's week was fulfilled, no more was said
about this incident.
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†. Gen 29:26 . . Laban said; It is not the practice in our place to
marry off the younger before the older.
Jacob lived in "our place" for seven years. I tend to think he knew full well
their customs.
Perhaps Jacob expected the locals would make an exception for him because
he was a rich boy from down south. But no; local custom was local custom,
and even Mr. Silver Spoon In Your Mouth was going to have to accept it.
Jacob may have had his way uncontested back at the well; but this time?
Nope.
†. Gen 29:27 . .Wait until the bridal week of this one is over and we
will give you that one too, provided you serve me another seven
years.
Serving Laban the first seven years for Rachel was Jacob's idea; except that
instead of getting Rachel; he got Leah. Now Laban's proviso is that Jacob
serve yet another seven years for Rachel; which will total fourteen for a girl
he was supposed to get in seven. I think most any normal red-blooded man
would have refused.
But Jacob was an Ethan Frome kind of guy. I don't think he wanted to hurt
Leah, and maybe even felt partially responsible for her predicament.
That's a crummy reason to marry a girl, but I don't think Jacob could have
lived with himself if he threw Leah back now. After all, Jacob was her first
love, and it's not like she was used goods or anything.
It's true that Jacob was not above fraud; but basically, he was a fairly
honorable man.
†. Gen 29:28-29 . . Jacob did so; he waited out the bridal week of the
one, and then he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife. Laban had
given his maidservant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.
Maidservants weren't just female commodities. They were actually a part of
the household, and often treated with a pretty fair degree of respect.
†. Gen 29:30 . . And Jacob cohabited with Rachel also; indeed, he
loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served him another seven
years.
I'm sure Jacob never mistreated Leah. But he wasn't crazy about her in a
romantic way. It's like the relationship between Robert Philip and his fiancé
Nancy Tremaine in the Disney movie Enchanted. Nancy is neither a bad girl
nor a bad choice-- the chemistry just isn't there.
Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, Jacob's situation probably led
to some favoritism. And in this case, I think Jacob began spending most of
his time with Rachel and leaving Leah out in the cold; so to speak; viz: she
was in the unenviable limbo of a burden to her husband. However, since
Jacob chose to keep Leah, he was morally obligated to treat her as if he was
infatuated with her, even if he really wasn't.
When you get right down to it; Leah didn't do any more to Jacob than what
he did to his dad; so all in all: what right had Jacob to complain? I've a
pretty strong feeling that after Leah's week was fulfilled, no more was said
about this incident.
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