Genesis 29:22

Gen 29:22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

Ver. 22. And made a feast.] Never more seasonable, surely, than at the recovery of the lost rib. The wedding day is called, "The day of the rejoicing of a man’s heart". {Son 3:11} Our Saviour graced such a feast with his presence and first miracle: he supplied them with wine to glad their hearts; not with a little, for health’s sake only, but with a great quantity, for sober delight and honest affluence. It is noted as an absurd thing in Samson’s wife, that "she wept all the days of the feast". {Jdg 14:17} A feast, then, there was at Samson’s wedding, and of seven days’ continuance. And so there was at Jacob’s, as may be gathered out of Gen 29:27. "Fulfil her week," saith Laban; to wit, of banquet or bride-ale, as we call it: only that of Chrysostom comes here in fitly, De nuptiis Iacobi legimus; de choreis et tripudiis non legimus :of Jacob’s wedding feast we read; but of dancing and dalliance, of tracing and tripping on the toe, we read not. In maxima libertate, minima licentia , saith Salvian. Merry we may be, at such a time, but in the Lord: eat and drink we may, but "before the Lord". {Deu 12:7} The old world may be a warning to us: they "fed without fear"; {Jdg 1:12} and therefore perished without favour. Let such look to it, as "live in pleasure, and are wanton"; {Jas 5:5} that eat to excess, and drink to drunkenness, accounting nothing mirth, but madness; no bread sweet, but stolen; no such pleasure, as to have the devil their playfellow; so "nourishing their hearts as in a day of slaughter," or belly-cheer, {Jas 5:5} and swallowing down those murdering morsels now, that they must digest in hell. {a}

{a} Multi apud homines manducant, quod apud inferos digerunt. - Aug.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen 29:22. Laban gathered all the men of the place — His kindred and neighbours, according to custom, Jdg 14:10-11; Joh 2:1-2. Probably he collected a greater number, that the marriage might be more solemn and public, and that Jacob, being overawed by their presence and authority, might not attempt to disannul the marriage and reject Leah, which otherwise he might have done.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 22. Laban - made a feast.] משתה mishteh signifies a feast of drinking. As marriage was a very solemn contract, there is much reason to believe that sacrifices were offered on the occasion, and libations poured out; and we know that on festival occasions a cup of wine was offered to every guest; and as this was drunk with particular ceremonies, the feast might derive its name from this circumstance, which was the most prominent and observable on such occasions.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

22. And Laban gathered together. Moses does not mean that a supper was prepared for the whole people, but that many guests were invited, as is customary in splendid nuptials; and there is no doubt that he applied himself with the greater earnestness to adorn that feast, for the purpose of holding Jacob bound by a sense of shame, so that he should not dare to depreciate the marriage into which he had been deceived. We hence gather what, at that time, was the religious observance connected with the marriage bed. For this was the occasion of Jacob’s deception that, out of regard for the modesty of brides, they were led veiled into the chamber; but now, the ancient discipline being rejected, men become almost brutal.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

22. made a feast] The marriage feast was a great affair. The ceremonial lasted for seven days. Cf. Jdg_14:10; Jdg_14:12; Tob_11:18. “All the men of the place,” not only “brethren,” i.e. “relations,” are invited. “The place” is the residence of a large community, cf. Gen_29:26.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Laban gathered together all the men of the place,.... Of the city of Haran, which may be understood of the chief and principal of them, to make the marriage of his daughter public and authentic:

and made a feast; a marriage or marriage feast, as the Septuagint version, see Mat 22:2; which was usual, when a marriage was solemnized, expressive of joy on that account.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Friends. Hebrew, Septuagint and Chaldean say, "all the men of that place." He was rich, and, though very greedy, could not well avoid conforming to the custom of making a splendid entertainment on such a joyful occasion. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

His kindred and neighbours, according to the custom. See Jdg 14:10,11; Joh 2:1,2, &c. He gathered a great number together, both that the marriage might be more solemn and public, and that Jacob might be overawed by their presence and authority, and not dare to disannul the marriage, and reject Leah afterwards, which otherwise he might have done.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

22. Made a feast — The marriage festival, in such a home as Laban’s, would doubtless be worthy of all parties. It was continued seven days. Comp. Gen_29:27-28; Jdg_14:12; Jdg_14:17.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Laban (unable to evade or delay the fulfillment of his agreement with Jacob) gathered together all the men of the place (not the entire population, but the principal inhabitants), and made a feast a "mishteh, or drinking, (cf. Gen_19:3) i.e. a wedding banquet (cf. bride-ale bridal), which commonly lasted seven days, (Jud_1:14:10 RAPC Tob 11:18) though it appears to have varied according to the circumstances of the bridegroom.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.