Genesis 29:26

Gen 29:26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

Ver. 26. It must not be so done in our country.] A sorry excuse; but better, he thought, than none at all. A subtle fox he was, and far too hard for honest Jacob, who was "simple to evil," but of a large reach for heaven. "The children of this world are wise in their generation"; and so is the fox in his: but God will take them in their own craft, as wild beasts in a snare, "made and taken to be destroyed". {1Co 3:19-20} {a} Let us take heed how we deal with them, and make our bargains as wise as we can. Crebro nobis, sicut Ciceroni ,{ b} vafer ille Siculus insusurret Epicharmi cantilenam illam suam , Nυφε και μεμνησο απινειν. "We have not received the spirit of this world"; {1Co 2:12} we cannot skill of the devil’s depths: but we have received a better thing; "the Spirit which searcheth all, yea, the deep things of God". {1Co 2:10}

{a} O δρασσομενος. Manu capere et firmiter tenere .

{b} Cic. ad Attic .

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.

He esteemed more the profit that he had of Jacob’s service, than either his promise of the manner of the country, though he alleged custom for his excuse.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 26. It must not be so done in our country] It was an early custom to give daughters in marriage according to their seniority; and it is worthy of remark that the oldest people now existing, next to the Jews, I mean the Hindoos, have this not merely as a custom, but as a positive law; and they deem it criminal to give a younger daughter in marriage while an elder daughter remains unmarried. Among them it is a high offence, equal to adultery, "for a man to marry while his elder brother remains unmarried, or for a man to give his daughter to such a person, or to give his youngest daughter in marriage while the eldest sister remains unmarried." - Code of Gentoo Laws, chap. xv., sec. 1, p. 204. This was a custom at Mesopotamia; but Laban took care to conceal it from Jacob till after he had given him Leah. The words of Laban are literally what a Hindoo would say on such a subject.

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

(26) It must not be so done in our country.—Heb., It is not so done in our place, to give, &c. We have seen that it is still customary for the elder cousin to take the elder daughter, and the younger the younger. But Laban affirms that if the elder daughter be not claimed, it was the rule in Haran for her to take precedence over her sisters. In India the practice is such as Laban describes, but we have no proof of the existence of any such custom among the Bedaween. Apparently Leah loved Jacob (Gen_30:15), and Laban wanted a continuance of his service, and so this unscrupulous plot was arranged between them upon a pretext which, if not false, was yet overstrained. Jacob plainly had no idea of such a custom, and would not have given seven years’ service for Leah.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. It is not so done] Cf. Gen_20:9, Gen_34:7; 2Sa_13:12. Laban’s excuse was specious, that it was necessary to conform to local customs, and that Jacob, as a stranger, did not know them. But, if so, he should in decency and honour have explained the custom to Jacob before consenting to the marriage with the younger sister. In this disgraceful deception Laban’s character is revealed; while Jacob, who deceived his father and his brother, is made to suffer himself from deception.

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 said, it must not be so done in, our country,.... Or "in our place" (s); in this our city it is not usual and customary to do so; he does not deny what he had done in beguiling him, nor the agreement he had made with him, but pleads the custom of the place as contrary to it:

to give the younger, that is, in marriage:

before the firstborn; but it does not appear there was any such custom, and it was a mere evasion; or otherwise, why did not he inform him of this when he asked for Rachel? and why did he enter into a contract with him, contrary to such a known custom? and besides; how could he have the nerve to call the men of the city, and make a feast for the marriage of his younger daughter, if this was the case?

(s) "in loco nostro", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

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

Custom. This appears to be a false pretext: for all the people saw that Rachel was adorned like the intended bride, (Haydock) and were invited to her wedding. (Menochius)

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).

This seems to be a false pretence; but if it had been true, custom is to give place to justice, by which he was obliged to perform his contract with him.

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

26. So done in our country — Rather, in our place. The Hindu laws, as quoted by Clarke, made it a high offence “for a man to marry while his elder brother remains unmarried, or for a man to give his daughter to such a person, or to give his youngest daughter in marriage while the elder sister remains unmarried.” But if such were the law at Haran, Jacob was ignorant of it until now, and Laban deceived him in not explaining it to him when he bargained for Rachel. Gen_29:18.

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 said, It must not be so done the future expresses the thought that the custom has grown into a strong moral obligation (Kalisch)in our country (Hebrew, place), to give the younger before the first-born. The same custom exists among the Indians (Rosenm cf. Roberts, "Oriental Illustrations," p. 34), Egyptians (Lane), and other Oriental countries (Delitzsch).

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

It must be so done in our country - We have reason to think there was no such custom in his country; but if there was, and that he resolved to observe it, he should have told Jacob so, when he undertook to serve him for his younger daughter.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

It is not our custom to give

"In our family we do not give"

Complete the bridal week of this daughter

"Finish celebrating Leah's bridal week"

we will give you the other also

The full meaning can be made explicit. AT: "next week we will give you Rachel also" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

firstborn

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

It is not done in our place. Lavan claimed that the people would not allow him to keep his word, since it was in violation of local custom.

Sforno on the Tanakh — English translation: “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ויאמר...לא יעשה כן במקומנו, even though you asked for the hand of my younger daughter in marriage, seeing that apparently where you come from it does not matter if the younger sister gets married before the older one, in our place that is not a permissible procedure. I will therefore give you both of them with the proviso that the nuptials of the older one must precede those of the younger one.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.