{
  "apiVersion": "v1",
  "kind": "Chapter",
  "metadata": {
    "generated": "2026-08-22T14:14:13Z",
    "language": "en",
    "book": "genesis-woh",
    "chapter": 29
  },
  "data": {
    "n": 29,
    "bookSlug": "genesis-woh",
    "bookCode": "GEN-WOH",
    "refId": "",
    "title": "Genesis 29 — Ya'aqov at the well, the deception of Lavan, and the first sons of Le'ah",
    "translation": {"track":"translation","version":"1.0.0","sourceText":"Tanach with Ta'amei Hamikra (Westminster Leningrad)","sourceLicense":"Public Domain","sourceUrl":"http://www.tanach.us/Tanach.xml","sourceAccessedVia":"sefaria.org/api/v3/texts/Genesis.29","glossaryVersion":"2.27.0","modelDrafts":["claude-opus-4-7 (translator)","claude-opus-4-7 (editor)"],"reviewer":"zarazinsfuss","reviewedAt":"2026-05-25T14:30:00+00:00","status":"stable","reviewerReport":{"reviewer":"claude-opus-4-7 acting as woh-reviewer","reviewedAt":"2026-05-25T11:55:44Z","verdicts":[{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:1","status":"approve","citations":["Alter 2004 p. 152","BDB s.v. nasa p. 669"],"reasoning":"Literal 'lifted up his feet' matches ASV/Alter preservation of the editorially-marked nasa+raglav hapax variant; the smoothing to 'went on his journey' (KJV) is the deviation, not the WoH choice. Hebrew parses cleanly."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:2","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. be'er, even"],"reasoning":"Routine narrative rendering; he'evahn gedolah / pi ha-be'er correctly preserved as 'great stone' / 'well's mouth'."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:3","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. galal, shavah"],"reasoning":"Verbal sequence rolled-watered-returned accurately rendered; perfect-consecutive forms preserved as iterative."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:4","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. ach"],"reasoning":"achai (my brothers) literally rendered; me-ayin (from where) standard."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:5","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. yada"],"reasoning":"Routine; ha-yda'tem rendered idiomatically as 'do you know'."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:6","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. shalom"],"reasoning":"ha-shalom lo / shalom rendered 'is it well with him / it is well' — ASV-baseline."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:7","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. asaf, raah (II)"],"reasoning":"hen od ha-yom gadol / lo et he'asef — 'lo, it is still high day; not the time the cattle should be gathered' — accurate."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:8","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. yakol"],"reasoning":"lo nukhal ad asher ye'asfu — 'we cannot until... are gathered' — literal and accurate."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:9","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. raah I (shepherd)","Westermann 1985 p. 466"],"reasoning":"ro'ah hi rendered 'she was a shepherdess' — feminine participle of ra'ah (shepherd) correctly distinguished from ra'ah (see); a small but real philological win."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:10","status":"approve","citations":["Alter 1981 p. 56"],"reasoning":"Triple repetition of 'Lavan his mother's brother' preserved (the Hebrew's editorially-marked emphasis); va-yigash / va-yagel sequence accurate."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:11","status":"approve","citations":["Alter 1981 p. 58","Sarna JPS 1989 p. 203"],"reasoning":"va-yishaq va-yisa et-kolo va-yevk literal: 'kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept'; commentary correctly flags the inverted kiss-before-introduction type-scene editorial-move."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:12","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. nagad"],"reasoning":"va-yaged ... va-tarotz va-tagged — 'told... and she ran and told' — accurate."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:13","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. chavak, nashaq"],"reasoning":"va-yarotz...va-ychabek...va-ynashek — 'ran...embraced...kissed' — fully literal."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:14","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. etzem p. 782","HALOT s.v. etzem","Sarna JPS p. 203","Alter 2004 p. 152"],"reasoning":"atzmi u-vsari preserved literally as 'my bone and my flesh' (ASV); the NRSV/NJPS smoothing to 'flesh and blood' would dissolve the etzem-va-basar cross-corpus formula. Defensible and correctly chosen."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:15","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. ach, chinnam, maskoret"],"reasoning":"ha-khi achi atah / chinnam — 'because you are my kinsman / for nothing' — accurate."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:16","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. gadol, qatan"],"reasoning":"ha-gedolah / ha-qetannah rendered 'elder / younger' — ASV-baseline, accurate."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:17","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. rakh p. 940","HALOT s.v. rakh","Alter 2004 p. 153","ASV"],"reasoning":"rakkot rendered 'tender' (ASV/Alter) preserves the Hebrew's contested semantic range between weak (LXX astheneis, Rashi, NJPS) and lovely (Speiser, Onkelos). The choice is philologically-honest; commentary correctly surfaces all four readings. yefat to'ar v-yefat mar'eh accurately rendered as the doubled-construct beauty-formula."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:18","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. ahav, avad"],"reasoning":"va-ye'ehav / e'evadkha — 'loved / I will serve' — literal."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:19","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. tov, natan"],"reasoning":"tov titti otah lakh mi-titti — comparative-construction 'better that I give... than that I give' — accurate."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:20","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. echad p. 25","Alter 2004 p. 153","Fokkelman 1975 p. 127"],"reasoning":"k-yamim achadim b-ahavato otah rendered 'as a few days, for the love he had to her' — ASV-baseline preserving b-einav perception-formula and b-ahavato causal-clause. The Gen 11:1 / Gen 29:20 achadim verbal-echo is correctly identified in commentary."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:21","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. male, bo"],"reasoning":"havah et-ishti ki male'u yamai v-avo'ah eleha — 'give me my wife... that I may go in to her' — accurate; the va-avo'ah cohortative correctly rendered."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:22","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. asaf, mishteh"],"reasoning":"va-ye'esof... va-ya'as mishteh — 'gathered... made a feast' — literal."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:23","status":"approve","citations":["Alter 2004 p. 153"],"reasoning":"va-yhi va-erev va-yiqach...va-yave...va-yavo — the terse three-verb sequence preserved without elaboration; matches the Hebrew's editorial-economy."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:24","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. shifchah"],"reasoning":"Zilpah-as-shifchah accurately rendered as 'maidservant'."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:25","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. ramah","Alter 1981 p. 45","Sarna JPS p. 205"],"reasoning":"va-lamah rimitani rendered 'why have you deceived me' — verb ramah (deceive) correctly identified; commentary correctly flags the lexical-rhyme with Gen 27:35 b-mirmah (Ya'aqov's own deception of Yitzchaq). Editorially-essential observation."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:26","status":"approve","citations":["Alter 1981 pp. 45-46","Sarna JPS p. 205","Fokkelman 1975 pp. 128-129","Greenspahn 1994"],"reasoning":"ha-tze'irah / ha-bekhirah preserved literally as 'the younger / the firstborn' (against NJPS 'older'); the bekhir- root-link to Gen 27's bekhorah is essential for the editorial-irony and is correctly preserved. The chapter's narrative-structural pivot; commentary is exemplary."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:27","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. shavua p. 988","HALOT s.v. shavua","Greengus JCS 20 (1969)","de Vaux 1961 pp. 32-38"],"reasoning":"male shvua zot rendered 'fulfill the week of this one' (ASV) — preserves the lexical-link to the broader shavua root; the bridal-week sense is conveyed by context and surfaced in commentary."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:28","status":"approve","citations":["Judg 14:12, 17"],"reasoning":"va-ya'as Ya'aqov ken va-ymalle shvua zot — 'did so and fulfilled her week' — literal; the seven-day-feast is correctly distinguished from the seven-year service-periods."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:29","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. shifchah"],"reasoning":"Bilhah-as-shifchah parallel to v 24."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:30","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. ahav"],"reasoning":"va-ye'ehav gam et-Rachel mi-Le'ah rendered 'loved Rachel more than Le'ah' — the comparative-min construction correctly rendered."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:31","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. patach p. 834","HALOT s.v. patach, rechem","Sarna JPS pp. 205-207","Westermann 1985 pp. 471-473"],"reasoning":"va-yiftach et-rachmah rendered 'he opened her womb' — consensus formula. s'nu'ah rendered 'hated' (ASV-literal) is defensible; the comparative-construction reading (Deut 21:15; NRSV/NJPS 'unloved') is correctly flagged in commentary. The patach-rechem / atzar-rechem counter-pattern is correctly identified."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:32","status":"approve","citations":["Sarna JPS pp. 207-208","Fokkelman 1975 pp. 130-135","BDB s.v. raah"],"reasoning":"Re'uven aetiology: ki ra'ah YHWH b-onyi ('YHWH has looked upon my affliction') — wordplay on ra'ah + ben correctly surfaced in commentary; ASV-baseline phrasing accurate."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:33","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. shama p. 1033","Sarna JPS p. 208"],"reasoning":"Shim'on aetiology: shama YHWH ki s'nu'ah anokhi ('YHWH has heard that I am hated') — wordplay shama + -on suffix correctly surfaced; the s'nu'ah re-deployment from v 31 correctly noted."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:34","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. lavah p. 530","Hamilton NICOT 1995 p. 264"],"reasoning":"Levi aetiology: yilaveh ishi elai ('will my husband be joined to me') — wordplay on l-v-h root correctly identified; the woman-centered original vs cultic-deployment Num 18:2-4 correctly distinguished in commentary."},{"refId":"GEN-WOH-29:35","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. yadah p. 392","Fokkelman 1975 pp. 130-135","Alter 2004 pp. 154-155"],"reasoning":"Yehudah aetiology: ha-pa'am odeh et-YHWH ('this time I will praise YHWH') — hiphil yadah → Yehudah correctly identified; the Y-H-W-D-H theophoric observation is sound (Y-H-W consonants visibly embedded); the verb-progression ra'ah→shama→lavah→yadah is verifiable. va-ta'amod mi-ledet closing-formula accurately rendered."}],"glossaryReview":[{"glossary_id":"well-betrothal-type-scene","status":"approve","citations":["Alter 1981 *The Art of Biblical Narrative* ch. 3","Sternberg 1985 *Poetics of Biblical Narrative* pp. 134-138","Sarna JPS 1989 pp. 202-203","Fokkelman 1975 pp. 123-130"],"reasoning":"The three-instance type-scene (Gen 24 / Gen 29 / Exod 2) is critical-consensus since Alter 1981; the fixed components and per-instance variations are grammatically explicit at each locus. claim_type=direct is defensible — the convention is observable, not interpreted. AppliesTo correctly spans the three-corpus."},{"glossary_id":"atzmi-u-vsari-kinship-formula","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. etzem p. 782","HALOT s.v. etzem, basar","Sarna JPS 1989 pp. 23, 203","Westermann 1985 pp. 467-468"],"reasoning":"Cross-corpus distribution (Gen 2:23, Gen 29:14, Judg 9:2, 2 Sam 5:1, 19:13-14, 1 Chr 11:1) is verifiable by lexical search. The editorial-irony reading at Gen 29:14 — set-up for v 26 deception — is mainstream Alter/Sarna. claim_type=direct is appropriate; the formula's force is lexical, not interpreted."},{"glossary_id":"einayim-rakot-leah-eyes-dispute","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. rakh p. 940","HALOT s.v. rakh","LXX Wevers 1974 ad loc.","Alter 2004 p. 153","Sarna JPS 1989 p. 204"],"reasoning":"All four readings (weak/tender/lovely/neutral-soft) are correctly attested and sourced; the WoH choice 'tender' (ASV/Alter) is the philologically-conservative middle position that preserves the Hebrew's semantic range. claim_type=direct is appropriate because the dispute itself, not a resolution, is the entry's content."},{"glossary_id":"yamim-achadim-jacob-love-for-rachel","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. echad p. 25","Alter 2004 pp. 53, 153","Westermann 1985 p. 468","Fokkelman 1975 pp. 11-45, 127-129"],"reasoning":"The achadim adjectival-plural at Gen 11:1 and Gen 29:20 is grammatically explicit and the verbal-echo is verifiable by lexical search. The b-einav perception-formula and b-ahavato causal-clause are unambiguous. The narrator-intervention reading is mainstream Alter/Sarna. claim_type=direct supported."},{"glossary_id":"firstborn-priority-reversal-irony","status":"approve","citations":["Alter 1981 pp. 45-46","Alter 2004 p. 154","Sarna JPS 1989 p. 205","Fokkelman 1975 pp. 127-130","Sternberg 1985 pp. 308-313","Greenspahn 1994 *When Brothers Dwell Together*"],"reasoning":"The cross-corpus chain (Gen 25:23 → 25:31-34 → 27:19 → 27:36 → 29:26 → 48:13-20) is verifiable verbatim in the Hebrew; the bekhir-/tza'ir lexical-pair is unambiguous. The reading is critical-consensus since Fokkelman 1975 and the foundational ironic-pivot of the Jacob-cycle. claim_type=direct is fully defensible — the irony rests on lexical observation, not on synthesis. LOAD-BEARING entry passes the highest-scholar bar."},{"glossary_id":"shavua-bride-week","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. shavua p. 988","HALOT s.v. shavua","Greengus JCS 20 (1969)","de Vaux 1961 ET 1965 pp. 32-38","Judg 14:12, 17"],"reasoning":"The shavua=seven-day-period sense is lexically uncontested; the bridal-week deployment at Gen 29:27-28 is grammatically clear from context; Judg 14:12, 17 confirms the institution HB-internally; Greengus 1969 and de Vaux 1961 document the ANE Mesopotamian wedding-feast institution. claim_type=direct appropriate."},{"glossary_id":"patach-rechem-divine-fertility-formula","status":"approve","citations":["BDB s.v. patach p. 834","HALOT s.v. patach, rechem","Sarna JPS 1989 pp. 205-207","Westermann 1985 pp. 471-473","Alter 2004 pp. 154-155"],"reasoning":"The patach+rechem construction is grammatically explicit; cross-corpus distribution (Gen 29:31, Gen 30:22, 1 Sam 1:5-6, 1:19-20) is verifiable. The paired open/close-the-womb pattern with the existing atzar-rechem entry is well-conceived. The s'nu'ah lexical-discussion correctly surfaces the Deut 21:15 comparative-construction case. claim_type=direct supported."},{"glossary_id":"four-leah-firstborn-name-etymologies-cluster","status":"approve","citations":["Fokkelman 1975 pp. 130-135","Sarna JPS 1989 pp. 207-208","Westermann 1985 pp. 471-475","Hamilton NICOT 1995 pp. 264-267","BDB s.v. raah, shama, lavah, yadah"],"reasoning":"Each of the four folk-etymologies (Re'uven/Shim'on/Levi/Yehudah) is grammatically anchored in the verse's own *ki amrah* clause; the verb-progression ra'ah→shama→lavah→yadah and the subject-shift YHWH→husband→Le'ah are verifiable by inspection. The Yehudah Y-H-W-D-H theophoric observation is lexically explicit. Fokkelman 1975 is the foundational compositional-reading. claim_type=direct fully appropriate."}],"lens-leakage-flags":[]}},
    "segments": [],
    "lines": [],
    "paragraphs": [{
        "n": 1,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:1",
        "text": "And Ya'aqov lifted up his feet, and came to the land of the children of the east."
      },{
        "n": 2,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:2",
        "text": "And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and lo, three flocks of sheep lying there beside it; for out of that well they watered the flocks; and the stone upon the well's mouth was great."
      },{
        "n": 3,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:3",
        "text": "And there were all the flocks gathered; and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone back upon the well's mouth in its place."
      },{
        "n": 4,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:4",
        "text": "And Ya'aqov said to them, My brothers, from where are you? And they said, We are from Charan."
      },{
        "n": 5,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:5",
        "text": "And he said to them, Do you know Lavan the son of Nachor? And they said, We know him."
      },{
        "n": 6,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:6",
        "text": "And he said to them, Is it well with him? And they said, It is well; and, behold, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep."
      },{
        "n": 7,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:7",
        "text": "And he said, Lo, it is still high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together; water the sheep, and go and feed them."
      },{
        "n": 8,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:8",
        "text": "And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep."
      },{
        "n": 9,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:9",
        "text": "While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep; for she was a shepherdess."
      },{
        "n": 10,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:10",
        "text": "And it came to pass, when Ya'aqov saw Rachel the daughter of Lavan his mother's brother, and the sheep of Lavan his mother's brother, that Ya'aqov went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Lavan his mother's brother."
      },{
        "n": 11,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:11",
        "text": "And Ya'aqov kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept."
      },{
        "n": 12,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:12",
        "text": "And Ya'aqov told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, and that he was Rivkah's son; and she ran and told her father."
      },{
        "n": 13,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:13",
        "text": "And it came to pass, when Lavan heard the tidings of Ya'aqov his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Lavan all these things."
      },{
        "n": 14,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:14",
        "text": "And Lavan said to him, Surely you are my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month."
      },{
        "n": 15,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:15",
        "text": "And Lavan said to Ya'aqov, Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?"
      },{
        "n": 16,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:16",
        "text": "And Lavan had two daughters: the name of the elder was Le'ah, and the name of the younger was Rachel."
      },{
        "n": 17,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:17",
        "text": "And Le'ah's eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance."
      },{
        "n": 18,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:18",
        "text": "And Ya'aqov loved Rachel; and he said, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter."
      },{
        "n": 19,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:19",
        "text": "And Lavan said, It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man; abide with me."
      },{
        "n": 20,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:20",
        "text": "And Ya'aqov served seven years for Rachel; and they were in his eyes but a few days, for the love he had to her."
      },{
        "n": 21,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:21",
        "text": "And Ya'aqov said to Lavan, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her."
      },{
        "n": 22,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:22",
        "text": "And Lavan gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast."
      },{
        "n": 23,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:23",
        "text": "And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Le'ah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in to her."
      },{
        "n": 24,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:24",
        "text": "And Lavan gave Zilpah his maidservant to his daughter Le'ah for a maidservant."
      },{
        "n": 25,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:25",
        "text": "And it came to pass in the morning that, behold, it was Le'ah; and he said to Lavan, What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?"
      },{
        "n": 26,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:26",
        "text": "And Lavan said, It is not so done in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn."
      },{
        "n": 27,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:27",
        "text": "Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me yet seven other years."
      },{
        "n": 28,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:28",
        "text": "And Ya'aqov did so, and fulfilled her week; and he gave him Rachel his daughter to be his wife."
      },{
        "n": 29,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:29",
        "text": "And Lavan gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maidservant to be her maidservant."
      },{
        "n": 30,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:30",
        "text": "And he went in also to Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Le'ah, and served with him yet seven other years."
      },{
        "n": 31,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:31",
        "text": "And YHWH saw that Le'ah was hated, and he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren."
      },{
        "n": 32,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:32",
        "text": "And Le'ah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Re'uven; for she said, Because YHWH has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me."
      },{
        "n": 33,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:33",
        "text": "And she conceived again, and bore a son; and said, Because YHWH has heard that I am hated, he has given me this one also; and she called his name Shim'on."
      },{
        "n": 34,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:34",
        "text": "And she conceived again, and bore a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons; therefore was his name called Levi."
      },{
        "n": 35,
        "refId": "GEN-WOH-29:35",
        "text": "And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she said, This time will I praise YHWH; therefore she called his name Yehudah; and she ceased bearing."
      }
    ]
  },
  "links": {
    "self": "/v1/library/books/genesis-woh/chapters/29",
    "book": "/v1/library/books/genesis-woh/",
    "chapters": "/v1/library/books/genesis-woh/chapters/",
    "library": "/v1/library/",
    "schema": "/v1/schema/book/"
  }
}