Genesis 29:8

Gen 29:8 And they said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together, and [till] they roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.

Ver. 8. We cannot, until all the flocks.] As we are not, by the example of these shepherds, to enterprise things above our strength, {Psa 131:1} so neither to be discouraged by every difficulty; but to lend, and borrow help one of another; each man "pleasing his neighbour for his good, and serving him in love, to edification". {Rom 14:1-2}

“ Divisae his operae, sed mens fuit unica, pavit

Ore Lutherus oves, flore Melancthon apes .”

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.

They said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered--In order to prevent the consequences of too frequent exposure in places where water is scarce, the well is not only covered, but it is customary to have all the flocks collected round it before the covering is removed in presence of the owner or one of his representatives; and it was for this reason that those who were reposing at the well of Haran with the three flocks were waiting the arrival of Rachel.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 8. We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered together] It is a rule that the stone shall not be removed till all the shepherds and the flocks which have a right to this well be gathered together; then, and not before, we may water the sheep. See Clarke on Ge 29:3.

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

(8) And till they roll the stone . . . —More correctly, then they roll the stone from the well’s mouth, and we water the sheep. As soon as the flocks were all collected round the well the stone is removed. and all in their turn give their sheep water.

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

8. We cannot] The local custom was not to be broken. All the flocks were to be collected, before any were to be watered; and then those who had come first had the privilege of watering their flocks first.

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 they said, we cannot,.... That is, water the sheep; either because the stone was a great one, as Jarchi observes, and therefore used to be removed by the joint strength of all the shepherds when they came together, though Jacob rolled it away of himself afterwards; but this is imputed to his great strength: or rather it was a custom that obtained among them, or an agreement made between them, that the stone should not be removed from the mouth of the well, and any flock watered:

until all the flocks be gathered together; and therefore they could not fairly and rightly do it, without violating the law and custom among them:

and till they roll the stone from the well's mouth; that is, the shepherds of the several flocks:

then we water the sheep; and not till then.

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

Either because of the greatness of the stone, which they could not remove till more help came; or rather because of the custom, order, and agreement made amongst themselves about it.

We cannot, to wit, rightly; or we may not, as that word is used, Ge 34:14; 43:32; 44:26.

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

8. We cannot — There was an understanding among them that the stone should not be removed until all the flocks were gathered together. Thus all the shepherds and all the flocks would share equally, and each party prevented from taking any advantage of the other.

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

And they said, We cannot, not because of any physical difficulty (Kalisch), since three men could easily have accomplished what Jacob by himself did, but because they had agreed not to do so (Rosenm Murphy), but to wait until all the flocks be gathered together (when the watering was done at once, instead of at so many different times), and till they roll the stone from the well"s mouth; more correctly rendered, and (sc. then, i.e. when the flocks are assembled) they (i.e. the shepherds) roll away the stone then (or, and) we water the sheep. The object of watering the flocks collectively may have been, as above stated, for convenience, or to prevent the well from being opened too frequently, in which case dust might rapidly accumulate within it (Kalisch), or perhaps to secure an equal distribution of the water (Murphy).

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

לא נוכל WE CANNOT — give them water because the stone is a heavy one.

וגללו AND THEY ROLL AWAY — This word is rendered in the Targum by ויגנדרון “and they will roll away” (whilst in Genesis 5:3 it is rendered by an Aramaic participle) because the verb has here a future meaning.

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.