Genesis 29:9

And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep; for she kept them.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
yet	עוֹדֶ֖נּוּ o.De.nu	H5750	properly · cardinal number, masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
spake	מְדַבֵּ֣ר me.da.Ber	H1696	perhaps properly · verb, piel active participle, masculine singular absolute
Rachel	וְרָחֵ֣ל ve.ra.Chel	H7354	Rachel · conjunction + proper noun, a woman's name
came	בָּ֗אָה Ba.'ah	H935	to go or come (in a wide variety of applications) · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person feminine singular
father’s	לְאָבִ֔יהָ le.'a.Vi.ha	H1	father · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person feminine singular
sheep	הַצֹּאן֙ ha.tzoN	H6629	a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats) · definite article + noun, common both genders singular absolute
them	רֹעָ֖ה ro.'Ah	H7462	to tend a flock · verb, qal active participle, feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Exodus 2:15-16 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he…
Exodus 2:21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Song of Solomon 1:7-8 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turnet…
Genesis 24:15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor,…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 29:9-14

Here we see, 1. Rachel's humility and industry: She kept her father's sheep (Gen 29:9), that is, she took the care of them, having servants under her that were employed about them. Rachel's name signifies a sheep. Note, Honest useful labour is that which nobody needs be ashamed of, nor ought it to be a hindrance to any one's preferment. 2. Jacob's tenderness and affection. When he understood that this was his kinswoman (probably he had heard of her name before), knowing what his errand was into that country, we may suppose it struck his mind immediately that his must be his wife. Being already smitten with her ingenuous comely face (though it was probably sun-burnt, and she was in the homely…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 29:9

While he yet spake with them, Rachel came--Among the pastoral tribes the young unmarried daughters of the greatest sheiks tend the flocks, going out at sunrise and continuing to watch their fleecy charges till sunset. Watering them, which is done twice a day, is a work of time and labor, and Jacob rendered no small service in volunteering his aid to the young shepherdess. The interview was affecting, the reception welcome, and Jacob forgot all his toils in the society of his Mesopotamian relatives. Can we doubt that he returned thanks to God for His goodness by the way?

Adam Clarke on Genesis 29:9

Rachel came with her father's sheep - So we find that young women were not kept concealed in the house till the time they were married, which is the common gloss put on עלמה almah, a virgin, one concealed. Nor was it beneath the dignity of the daughters of the most opulent chiefs to carry water from the well, as in the case of Rebekah; or tend sheep, as in the case of Rachel. The chief property in those times consisted in flocks: and who so proper to take care of them as those who were interested in their safety and increase? Honest labor, far from being a discredit, is an honor both to high and low. The king himself is served by the field; and without it, and the labor necessary for its cul…

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Dictionary and topics

Cattle — Abounded in the Holy Land. To the rearing and management of them the inhabitants chiefly devoted themselves (Deut. 8:13; 12:21; 1 Sam. 11:5; 12:3; Ps. 144:14; Jer. 3:24). They may be classified as,…
Herdsman — In Egypt herdsmen were probably of the lowest caste. Some of Joseph’s brethren were made rulers over Pharaoh’s cattle (Gen. 47:6, 17). The Israelites were known in Egypt as “keepers of cattle;” and…
Industry · Exemplified: Rachel — Exemplified: Rachel
Rachel · at a well — at a well
Sheep · Flocks of: Attended by members of the family — Flocks of: Attended by members of the family
Shepherd · Waters the flocks — Waters the flocks
Woman · Often engaged in: Tending sheep — Often engaged in: Tending sheep

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Genesis 29:9

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 29:9-14

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 29:9

Adam Clarke on Genesis 29:9

Dictionary and topics

Genesis 29:9

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 29:9-14

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 29:9

Adam Clarke on Genesis 29:9

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Genesis 29:9

John Calvin on Genesis 29:4-12

Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 29:5-14

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 29:2-12

Rashi on Genesis 29:8