Genesis 29:1-8

2008.Nov.08 14:20

Jacob and the Shepherds

Read Genesis 29:1-8 | Full Chapter

Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well. Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they replied. He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?" "Yes, we know him," they answered. Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?" "Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep." "Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture." "We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."
(Genesis 29:1-8, NIV)

Jacob journeys until he arrives in the vicinity of his uncle, Laban. Here, he encounters some shepherds at a well, and there is a curious discussion. In the first part of the conversation, Jacob finds out that Laban is near and that his daughter, Rachel is approaching with her sheep. No biggee. Jacob has arrived, safely. This is good.

Now, the conversation turns to the curiosity of why there are three flocks and there shepherds sitting outside a covered well in the middle of the day. I wouldn’t personally have wondered a great deal about that, but Jacob–with more experience in these matters–does. The shepherds respond that they are waiting for the other shepherds and flocks, at which point, they will roll away the stone and water all sheep.

This implies to me that there some trouble going on, though I certainly don’t know what. But for there to be an agreement that all will water together implies that not all is well in Haran.

I can’t at this point, think of a reason why that particularly matters given the rest of Jacob’s history. Actually, come to think of it, I’m not sure what the point of this passage is. Maybe I will be enlightened in time. It does leave with the feeling that Jacob has perhaps moved from one set of troubles to another.