Laban does not object to Jacob’s offer for Rachel, but his reply is not a direct promise to give Jacob what he is asking for. It leaves the way open for the deception of Jacob that is described in verses 23-25.

It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man: Laban’s reasoning is based on a preference for marriage between cousins. Any other man has a restrictive sense in the Hebrew. It refers to someone who is not of the family or clan and therefore “an outsider,” as Speiser translates. It may be necessary to translate, for example, “I would rather give Rachel to you as a wife than have someone else marry her.” Another translation, which follows the local way of discussing marriage and betrothal, says “This would make me very happy. You are the right man for her.”

Stay with me may need a transition such as “therefore,” “so,” “for this reason.” By saying this Laban accepts Jacob’s offer. In some languages it may be necessary to say “I agree; so stay with me and work” or “I accept; now stay here and work for me.” In some languages words such as “I agree” come more naturally at the beginning of Laban’s speech.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This time I will praise the LORD: in the Hebrew the name Judah sounds like the verb for “praise.” See Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation footnotes.

Then she ceased bearing: she refers to Leah. Leah will again have children in 30.17-21. Accordingly Revised English Bible translates “Then for a while she bore no more children.” This is a suitable model for translators.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

So Jacob served seven years: in the Hebrew text both verse 20 and verse 21 begin with the normal connective, and there is no indication of a paragraph break. Some translations make verse 20 the conclusion of the negotiation and begin a new paragraph at verse 21 (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New International Version, Speiser). Most of these translations, including Revised Standard Version, begin with So; but translators may find that a conclusion marker is not required here.

Other translations regard verse 20 as beginning the next episode, which continues to verse 30, and they make verse 20 the beginning of the new paragraph. New Jerusalem Bible still indicates the link with verses 15-19 by beginning with “So Jacob worked….” Revised English Bible, however, joins verse 20 to verse 21 as a time clause: “When Jacob had worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like a few days…, he said to Laban, ‘I have served my time. Give me my wife….’ ” Translators may follow either of these models.

For Rachel may need to be expressed as “in order to marry Rachel” or “to get Rachel as his wife.”

They seemed to him but a few days: they refers to the seven years of work. They seemed … a few days may need to be expressed, for example, as “The seven years passed as quickly as a few days.”

Because of the love he had for her: or “because he loved Rachel so much.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

From this point in the story, Jacob enters into a new relationship with Laban. While Laban remains his uncle, he is now Jacob’s father-in-law; and in many cultures this new relationship overrides all other relationships. In some languages there is a special form of address that a man is required to use when speaking with his father-in-law, and that must be used from this point on. Likewise Laban must use the appropriate form of address for a son-in-law when addressing Jacob. In some languages this also extends to the way a narrator tells a story, so that, for example, the narrator will not say “Jacob said to Laban” but “Jacob said to his father-in-law.”

Give me my wife that I may go in to her: Jacob refers to Rachel as my wife, although the marriage celebration has not yet taken place. In some languages the same term is used for a woman who is formally engaged or betrothed to a man, as for a woman who is actually married. However, in other languages it will be more acceptable to say “Give me your daughter.” Go in to her refers to having sex; however, in this context it is better expressed as “marry her.” We may translate “Give me your daughter to be my wife,” “Let me marry your daughter.”

For my time is completed: Jacob refers to the end of the seven-year work contract. Translators may find it better to place this information at the beginning of the verse; for example, “My seven years are finished, so let me marry your daughter” or “I have worked for you for seven years. Give me my woman so I can marry her.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

So Laban gathered together all the men of the place: So marks the result of Jacob’s demand in verse 21. Gathered together in the context of giving a feast means “invited,” “brought together.” Men refers here to people generally and not just to the males. Feast is literally “drinking party.” It is based on the verb to drink and refers to a celebration in which wine is drunk as well as food being eaten. For further discussion and translation suggestions, see 21.8. In some languages this feast may be described as “a wedding feast,” “marriage party,” or “the big eating and drinking time when people get married.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

In order to understand the way in which Laban deceives Jacob, it is necessary to assume, as supported by 24.65, that the bride remained veiled throughout the wedding feast. But even with this understanding, we may agree with Driver when he says “it is still difficult to understand how the disguise could be carried successfully through.”

But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob: evening probably refers in this case to some time after dark. Since Jacob is expecting to be united with Rachel, it may be necessary to say, as does Good News Translation, “instead of Rachel,” which makes clear that Laban is deceiving Jacob. In some cases this may need to be made even stronger; for example, “Instead of bringing Rachel, he waited until dark and then brought Leah to Jacob” or “… brought Leah to Jacob’s room.” Another way of expressing this is to say “But that night he did not take his second daughter to Jacob, he took his first daughter to him.” In some translations the deception is stated directly: “But when the sun went down and it was dark, he tricked Jacob and brought … Leah.”

And he went in to her means that Jacob had sex with Leah. Translators must be careful to express this thought in a manner that can be read in public. Many languages say “he slept with her,” “he lay down with her,” or “they slept together.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Verse 24 interrupts the sequence of events to say that (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid). This was probably done before the wedding, and in English we may say “Laban had given his maid….” This information is placed between parentheses in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation to show that it is not part of the story line. See also verse 29. Zilpah is a slave girl who is given to Leah to serve her. For further information see the case of Hagar and Sarah in 16.1.

It may be desirable in some languages to move this verse so that it does not interrupt the main story line. One way of doing this is to move verse 24 back to the middle of verse 23 to give the same sequence of information as in the parallel verses 28-30. Another way is to move both verses 24 and 29 and place them together after verse 30.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

And in the morning, behold, it was Leah: the text does not make clear that it is Jacob who discovers that he has been tricked, but this is certainly the intended sense. In the morning refers to “The next morning,” “When daylight came,” or “When it was light.” Behold expresses the element of shock or surprise in Jacob’s discovery. We may translate, for example, “The next morning he saw that it was not Rachel but Leah!” “In the morning he looked at her and exclaimed, ‘Leah!’ ” In some languages an exclamation is probably required to express the element of shock and surprise: “In the morning … and said, ‘Hey! This is Leah!’ ” In other languages a word or expression may be used to describe what Jacob felt: “In the morning Jacob was shocked to see that the woman sleeping with him was not Rachel. It was Leah.”

And Jacob said to Laban: in some languages a word or expression stronger than just the word said may be required here to express the force of Jacob’s words; for example, “… went and accused Laban” or “… spoke angrily to Laban.”

What is this you have done to me?: Jacob’s question is rhetorical. He is not asking what happened but is using this form of the question to express his anger and surprise that Laban could do such a thing. Good News Translation shifts to “Why did you do this to me?” In languages that have different words for “Why?” the use of the word that expresses anger will be most appropriate here.

Did I not serve with you for Rachel? is another rhetorical question that may also be translated as a statement: “I worked for you to get Rachel,” “I served you in order to marry Rachel.”

Why then have you deceived me?: this is the climax of Jacob’s angry speech, “Why [angry] have you tricked me?” It is expressed idiomatically in some languages as “Why did you speak to me with two tongues?” or “Why did you deal with me with two hearts?”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .