Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 29:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The narrator introduces Laban's two daughters by birth order: Leah is older and Rachel younger. That distinction prepares both Jacob's choice and Laban's later firstborn defense.
Read It With
- Genesis 29:15–30
Read verses 16–18 and 25–27. The daughters' order precedes their descriptions and Jacob's love; the same order returns when Laban explains the substitution. Reading verse 16 alone can miss its role in the coming reversal.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The daughters' birth order supplies the distinction that controls Jacob's proposal and Laban's later defense.
Read Genesis 29:15–19 together
Why these verses belong together: Laban's wage question, the daughters' order and description, Jacob's love and seven-year offer, and Laban's indirect answer establish the agreement.
Verse 15. 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?
Verse 16. 16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Verse 17. 17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
Verse 18. 18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
Verse 19. 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.
What Remains True
A small family detail can govern a later argument, so interpretation must track repeated distinctions across the full scene.
How It Can Shape Life
- When an agreement involves family roles or priority, state the relevant conditions before commitment rather than revealing them after another person has performed.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 29:15–30 — Laban Reverses Jacob's ExpectationsSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, unit boundary, agreement, service, daughters, feast, substitution, accusation, custom defense, wedding week, second marriage, later family movement, and canonical comparisons.
Exact location: Genesis 29:15–30 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 27; 29:31–30:24; 31:7, 36–42; Leviticus 18:18; Deuteronomy 24:14–15; and Matthew 1
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Lexical range, literary repetition, agreement wording, deception, chronology, slavery language, and relational comparison.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 29:15–30; wording and morphology for wages, older and younger, rakkot eyes, beautiful form and appearance, love, service, deception, firstborn, fulfil the week, handmaid, and comparative love
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Translation alternatives, lexical uncertainty, agreement and chronology clarity, and restrained handling of historical reconstruction.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 29:15–30 and translator notes, especially notes on Leah's eyes, Jacob's service arrangement, the morning discovery, younger and firstborn, wedding week, and comparative love
Open NET Genesis 29 ↗