Genesis 29:22 kjv

And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

Genesis 29:22 nkjv

And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.

Genesis 29:22 niv

So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.

Genesis 29:22 esv

So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast.

Genesis 29:22 nlt

So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast.

Genesis 29 verses

Genesis 29 22 Meaning

Genesis 29:22 describes Laban's public action of gathering the local community and preparing a wedding feast for Jacob. This verse marks the pivotal moment just before Laban executes his deceptive plan to substitute Leah for Rachel as Jacob's wife, cloaking his treachery within a joyous, communal celebration that would traditionally solemnize a marriage covenant. The feast serves as both a public declaration of the union and a convenient cover for his hidden intentions.

Genesis 29 22 Context

Genesis 29:22 is set within the narrative of Jacob's flight from Esau to Haran, seeking refuge with his uncle Laban. Jacob has just completed his initial seven years of labor for Rachel (Gen 29:20), fulfilling his agreement with Laban. He has now formally requested his bride (Gen 29:21), making this feast the anticipated culmination of their agreement and the public ceremony for his marriage to Rachel. Unbeknownst to Jacob, Laban's intention is not to honor this agreement but to exploit Jacob's labor further by substituting Leah. The customary "wedding week" or celebratory period would often follow such a feast, and in the darkness and festive atmosphere, Laban would carry out his scheme.

Genesis 29 22 Word analysis

• And Laban (וַיֶּאֱסֹף לָבָן, wayye'ĕsōf Lavān): Laban is Jacob's maternal uncle. The immediate inclusion of his name highlights his active role as the central figure orchestrating this event. He is characterized throughout the narrative by his cunning and self-interest. The conjunction "And" ("וַ", wa-) connects this action directly to Jacob's demand for his wife, signaling an immediate response.
• gathered together (וַיֶּאֱסֹף, wayye'ĕsōf): This is a verb indicating intentional assembly or collection. It emphasizes Laban's deliberate action in calling the people. It implies organization and purpose, preparing the stage for his elaborate deception.
• all the men (אֶת-כָּל-אַנְשֵׁי, et-kol-'anshê): The inclusion of "all" underscores the public, communal nature of the event. It was not just a private family affair but a widely witnessed celebration involving the local inhabitants. These "men of the place" would later serve as witnesses, witting or unwitting, to the subsequent events.
• of the place (הַמָּקוֹם, hammāqōm): Refers to the local community in Paddan-Aram or Haran, Laban's residence. This phrase highlights the embeddedness of the event within local custom and social structures.
• and made (וַיַּעַשׂ, wayya'as): From the verb עשׂה ('asa), meaning "to do, make, perform." It implies preparation and execution, emphasizing Laban's active role in putting on the feast.
• a feast (מִשְׁתֶּה, mishteh): This Hebrew term refers to a banquet or a drinking party. Feasts in the ancient Near East were significant social occasions, often accompanying major life events like weddings. They were typically joyous, public, and often lasted for several days, characterized by food, drink, and celebration. In this specific context, the feast is ironically a prelude to and cover for a deeply deceptive act.
• Word Group Analysis:
  • "Laban gathered together all the men of the place": This phrase establishes the communal and public aspect of Laban's actions. It signifies a significant event sanctioned by the local community's presence, lending an air of legitimacy to what follows. The large number of witnesses would have made Jacob's eventual protest of deception more difficult.
  • "and made a feast": This phrase directly describes the celebratory nature of the event. It highlights the customary practice of a wedding banquet. However, in this narrative, it takes on a darker significance as the very means by which Laban plans to obscure his deceit from Jacob, aided by the atmosphere of revelry and perhaps the darkness of the night typical for such gatherings.

Genesis 29 22 Bonus section

• Divine Justice and Irony: Many scholars see Laban's deception here as a form of divine poetic justice or corrective for Jacob's own earlier deceit of his father Isaac and brother Esau (Gen 27). Jacob's "stolen blessing" is mirrored by his "stolen bride," demonstrating that "what one sows, that will he also reap" (Gal 6:7). This experience shapes Jacob, moving him towards greater dependence on God's covenant promises.
• The "Wedding Week": The narrative implies a customary wedding celebration lasting seven days, which is explicitly mentioned by Laban in the following verse (Gen 29:27). This tradition, often involving extensive feasting, created the prolonged atmosphere that further blurred the lines for Jacob, delaying his discovery of the switch.
• The Bride's Veil: Cultural practices likely included the bride being heavily veiled, particularly during the ceremony and leading up to the consummation, making visual identification in the darkness extremely difficult. This custom combined with the feast atmosphere and potential intoxication facilitated Laban's deception.

Genesis 29 22 Commentary

Genesis 29:22 depicts the solemn public setting Laban created for Jacob's wedding, a common and essential practice in ancient Near Eastern society. A feast was not merely a casual gathering but a communal affirmation of the impending union, involving the broader local population beyond just the immediate families. This grand public display, however, serves as a cunning façade for Laban's manipulative intentions. He leverages the festive atmosphere—possibly including revelry that would make discerning a bride in the darkness difficult—to facilitate his plan to switch Rachel for Leah. The irony is stark: a traditional occasion of covenantal joy becomes the backdrop for a severe act of deceit. This episode underscores the pervasive theme of trickery and its consequences, notably for Jacob himself, who had previously deceived his own father and brother, now finding himself on the receiving end of a similar act by a close relative. The "men of the place" are crucial; their presence legitimizes the "marriage" from the community's perspective, binding Jacob to the arrangement even under false pretenses. This act highlights the importance of truthfulness, especially in covenantal relationships like marriage.