Genesis 29:7

Gen 29:7 And he said, Lo, [it is] yet high day, neither [is it] time that the cattle should be gathered together: water ye the sheep, and go [and] feed [them].

Ver. 7. Neither is it time, &c.] Time is a precious commodity, and must be thriftily husbanded. The common complaint is, We want time: but the truth is, we do not so much want, as waste it, as the heathen observed: {a} which they that do, are wastefullest prodigals: for, of all other possessions, two may be had together; but two moments of time cannot be possessed together. This made the philosopher so parsimonious of time: Nullus mihi per otium exit dies - I cannot afford to cast away a day; pattem noctium studiis vindico - part of the night I take for my studies. So did Charles the Great; and after him, Charles the Fifth, who, when at any time in the field against the enemy, spent what hours he could spare in the study of the mathematics. He had, for that purpose, as his instructor, Turrianus of Cremona ever with him. As if he had been of Cato’s mind, {b} that great men must be able to give good account, non minus otii, quam negotii ; no less of their leisure, than of their labour. His constant custom was, saith Cicero, {c} to call to mind, at evening, what thing soever he had seen, read, or done, that day. King Alfred, that reigned here (Anno Dom. 872), is said to have cast the natural day into three parts: eight hours he spent in praying, study, and writing; eight in the service of his body; eight in the affairs of state. Which spaces (having then no other engine for it) he measured by a great wax light, divided into so many parts; receiving notice by the keeper thereof, as the various hours passed in the burning. {d}

“ Qui nescit quo vita modo volat, audiat horas:

Quam sit vita brevis, nos docet ille sonus .”

{a} Non parum habemus temporis, sed multum perdimus. - Senec. Epist.

{b} Cato in Orig.

{c} Cic. De Senect.

{d} Dan. Chron., fol. 13.

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.

Verse 7. It is yet high day] The day is but about half run; neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together-it is surely not time yet to put them into the folds; give them therefore water, and take them again to pasture.

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

(7) Neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together.—Rather, neither is it time for folding the cattle. As there were still several hours of daylight, Jacob is surprised that they do not immediately upon their arrival give the sheep water, and drive them back to the pasture. But if the well belonged to Laban, their reason for waiting till Rachel came is plain.

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

7. it is yet high day] Lit. “the day is great”; like the Fr. “il fait grand jour.” Lat. adhuc multum diei super est. Jacob is a practical shepherd; he says “there is still the whole afternoon: what is the good of wasting time, and delaying to water the sheep?” It was not yet time to gather together the animals to bring them back for the night.

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 he said, lo, it is yet high day,.... Noonday, when the sun is highest; at which time in those hot countries flocks used to be made to lie down in shady places, and by still waters, to which the allusion is in Psa 23:2; or however the sun was still up very high, and there was a great deal of the day yet to come; for so the phrase is, "yet the day is great" or "much" (c), a long time still untonight:

neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together; off of the pastures, to be had home, and put into folds, which was usually done in the evening:

water ye the sheep, and go and feed them; give them water out of the well to drink, and then lead them out the pastures, and let them feed until the night is coming on: this he said not in an authoritative way, or in a surly ill natured manner, and as reproving them for their slothfulness; but kindly and gently giving his advice, who was a shepherd himself, and knew what was proper to be done; and this appears by the shepherds taking in good part what he said, and returning a civil answer.

(c) "magnus", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "multus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt; "multum adhuc suparet diei", Vatablus.

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

To feed. He shews his knowledge of pastoral affairs, and his concern for them. (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).

Neither is it time that the cattle should be taken from their pasture, and brought to be watered.

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

7. Yet high day — Hebrews, the day is yet great. That is, a great portion of it yet remains.

Water… go… feed — Kalisch remarks that Jacob,”strengthened by the consciousness of his brilliant mission, addressed the unknown shepherds not only with cordiality, but with self-assurance and authority, and ventured even a gentle reproof of indolence.”

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

And he said, Lo, it is yet high day (literally, the day is yet great, i.e. much of it still remains), neither is it time that the cattle should he gathered together (i.e. to shut them up for the night): water ye the sheep, and go and feed them being desirous to get the shepherds away from the well that he might meet Rachel alone (Keil, Lange, Murphy), though perhaps his words with as much correctness may be traced to that prudent and industrious habit of mind which afterwards shone forth so conspicuously in himself, and which instinctively caused him to frown upon laziness and inactivity (Starke, Kalisch, Bush).

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

it is the middle of the day

"the sun is still high in the sky" or "the sun is still shining brightly"

for the flocks to be gathered together

This can be stated in active form. AT: "for you to gather the flocks" (See: Active or Passive)

to be gathered together

This means to gather them together inside a fence for them to stay for the night. The full meaning of this can be made explicit. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

let them graze

"let them eat grass in the field"

We cannot water them

"We have to wait to water them." This has to do with timing, not permission.

until all the flocks are gathered together

This can be stated in active form. AT: "until the other shepherds gather their flocks" (See: Active or Passive)

from the well's mouth

Here "mouth" is way of referring to an opening. AT: "from the well" or "from the opening of the well" (See: Idiom)

and we will water the sheep

"then we will water the sheep"

translationWords

flocks

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

הן עוד היום גדול LO, IT IS YET HIGH DAY — Because he saw them lying down he thought that they wished to take the cattle home, and that they should not graze any longer. He, therefore, said to them, “Lo, it is yet high day” — meaning, if you are hired men you have not yet finished your day’s task, and if these are your own cattle, nevertheless — 'לא עת האסף המקנה וגו IT IS NOT YET TIME FOR THE CATTLET TO BE GATHERED TOGETHER TO TAKE THEM HOME (Genesis Rabbah 70:11).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

The day is yet long. He thought they were shirking their duties. The righteous are disturbed by injustice even when they are not the victims.

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

ויאמר, ויאמרו, it is clear who the subjects are without their names or vocations having to be restated.

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.