Genesis 29:2
New International Version
There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.

New Living Translation
He saw a well in the distance. Three flocks of sheep and goats lay in an open field beside it, waiting to be watered. But a heavy stone covered the mouth of the well.

English Standard Version
As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep lying beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large,

Berean Standard Bible
He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.

King James Bible
And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.

New King James Version
And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks. A large stone was on the well’s mouth.

New American Standard Bible
He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, because they watered the flocks from that well. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.

NASB 1995
He looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.

NASB 1977
And he looked, and saw a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they watered the flocks. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and behold, three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it, for from that well they gave water to the flocks to drink. Now the stone on the mouth of the well was large.

Amplified Bible
As he looked, he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying there [resting] beside it because the flocks were watered from that well. Now the stone on the mouth of the well [that covered and protected it] was large,

Christian Standard Bible
He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well. But a large stone covered the opening of the well.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well. A large stone covered the opening of the well.

American Standard Version
And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and the stone upon the well's mouth was great.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he saw, and behold, a well in a field, and there were three flocks of sheep lying by it, because the flock was drinking at the well, and a great stone was on the mouth of the well.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he looks, and behold! a well in the plain; and there were there three flocks of sheep resting at it, for out of that well they watered the flocks, but there was a great stone at the mouth of the well.

Contemporary English Version
he looked out in a field and saw a well where shepherds took their sheep for water. Three flocks of sheep were lying around the well, which was covered with a large rock.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he saw a well in the field, and three flocks of sheep lying by it: for the beasts were watered out of it, and the mouth thereof was closed with a great stone.

English Revised Version
And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and the stone upon the well's mouth was great.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He looked around, and out in a field he saw a well with a large stone over the opening. Three flocks of sheep were lying down near it, because the flocks were watered from that well.

Good News Translation
Suddenly he came upon a well out in the fields with three flocks of sheep lying around it. The flocks were watered from this well, which had a large stone over the opening.

International Standard Version
As he was observing a well that had been dug out on the open range, all of a sudden he noticed three flocks of sheep lying there, because shepherds watered their flocks from that well. There was a very large stone that covered the opening of the well,

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, three flocks of sheep lying there by it.--For out of that well they watered the flocks. And the stone upon the well's mouth was great.

Literal Standard Version
and he looks, and behold, a well in the field, and behold, there [are] three droves of a flock crouching by it, for they water the droves from that well, and the great stone [is] on the mouth of the well.

Majority Standard Bible
He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well.

New American Bible
Looking about, he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep huddled near it, for flocks were watered from that well. A large stone covered the mouth of the well.

NET Bible
He saw in the field a well with three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now a large stone covered the mouth of the well.

New Revised Standard Version
As he looked, he saw a well in the field and three flocks of sheep lying there beside it; for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large,

New Heart English Bible
He looked and saw a well in the field, and look, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well's mouth was large.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.

World English Bible
He looked, and saw a well in the field, and saw three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well’s mouth was large.

Young's Literal Translation
and he looketh, and lo, a well in the field, and lo, there three droves of a flock crouching by it, for from that well they water the droves, and the great stone is on the mouth of the well.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Meets Rachel
1Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. 2He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well. 3When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.…

Cross References
Genesis 24:10
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor's hometown in Aram-naharaim.

Genesis 24:11
As evening approached, he made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town at the time when the women went out to draw water.

Genesis 29:3
When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

Exodus 2:15
When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well.

Exodus 2:16
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock.

Judges 5:11
the voices of the singers at the watering places. There they shall recount the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous deeds of His villagers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates:


Treasury of Scripture

And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, see, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was on the well's mouth.

a well.

Genesis 24:11,13
And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water

Exodus 2:15,16
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well…

John 4:6,14
Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour…

there.

Psalm 23:2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Song of Solomon 1:6,7
Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept…

Isaiah 49:10
They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

a great stone.

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Crouching Droves Field Fields Flock Flocks Great Lying Mouth Sheep Side Stone Three Water Watered Water-Hole Well's
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Crouching Droves Field Fields Flock Flocks Great Lying Mouth Sheep Side Stone Three Water Watered Water-Hole Well's
Genesis 29
1. Jacob comes to the well of Haran.
9. He becomes acquainted with Rachel.
13. Laban entertains him.
18. Jacob covenants for Rachel.
23. He is deceived by Laban with Leah.
28. He marries also Rachel, and serves for her seven years more.
32. Leah bears Reuben;
33. Simeon;
34. Levi;
35. and Judah.














(2) Behold a well in the field.--This was not the well whence Rebekah drew the water; for it was in the field, the open pasture ground, whereas Rebekah's well was just outside the city (Genesis 24:11), and she obtained the water by going down the steps which led to it (Genesis 24:16).

A great stone was upon the well's mouth.--The region round Haran, though fertile, is very dry, and the chief use of the stone was to prevent the well from being choked with sand. As the proper translation is the stone upon the well's mouth was great, it would also serve to prevent the well from being used, except at fixed times; for it probably required the strength of two or three men (comp. Robinson, Bibl. Res. ii. 180) to remove it; nor does the language of Genesis 29:10 necessarily imply that Jacob rolled it away without the aid of others. Besides this, the stone may have marked that the well was private property: for, as we have seen in the account of the covenants of Abraham and Isaac with Abimelech, no possession was morevalued than that of wells. And as we find the shepherds all waiting for Rachel, and that immediately on her arrival the stone is rolled away, and her sheep watered first, while the rest, though they had been there long before her, yet have to bide their time till her wants are supplied, it is probable that Laban had at least a first claim upon its enjoyment. No such courtesy was shown to the daughters of Jethro (Exodus 2:17).

Verse 2. - And he looked (either to discover where he was, or in search of water), and behold a well in the field, - not the well at which Eliezer's caravan halted, which was a well for the village maidens, situated in front of the town, and approached by steps (vide Genesis 14.), but a well in the open field for the use of flocks, and covered at the time of Jacob's arrival with a huge stone - and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it. A frequent Oriental scene (cf. Genesis 14:11; Exodus 2:16). "Who that has traveled much in this country has not often arrived at a well in the heat of the day which was surrounded with numerous flocks of sheep waiting to be watered? I once saw such a scene in the burning plains of Northern Syria. Half-naked, fierce-looking men were drawing up water in leather buckets; flock after flock was brought up, watered, and sent away; and after all the men had ended their work, then several women and girls brought up their flocks, and drew water for them. Thus it was with Jethro's daughters; and thus, no doubt, it would have been with Rachel if Jacob had not rolled away the stone and watered her sheep" ('Land and Book,' p. 589). For out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth. "Most of the cisterns are covered with a large thick, flat stone, in the center of which a hole is cut, which forms the mouth of the cistern. This hole, in many instances, we found covered with a heavy stone, to the removal of which two or three men were requisite" (Robinson, 2. p. 180).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He looked
וַיַּ֞רְא (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

and saw
וְהִנֵּ֧ה (wə·hin·nêh)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

a well
בְאֵ֣ר (ḇə·’êr)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 875: A pit, a well

in the field,
בַּשָּׂדֶ֗ה (baś·śā·ḏeh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

and
וְהִנֵּה־ (wə·hin·nêh-)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

there
שָׁ֞ם (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

by it
עָלֶ֔יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

lay
רֹבְצִ֣ים (rō·ḇə·ṣîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7257: To crouch, be implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed

three
שְׁלֹשָׁ֤ה (šə·lō·šāh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

flocks
עֶדְרֵי־ (‘eḏ·rê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5739: An arrangement, muster

of sheep,
צֹאן֙ (ṣōn)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock

because
כִּ֚י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the sheep
הָעֲדָרִ֑ים (hā·‘ă·ḏā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5739: An arrangement, muster

were watered
יַשְׁק֖וּ (yaš·qū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8248: To quaff, to irrigate, furnish a, potion to

from
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

this
הַהִ֔וא (ha·hi·w)
Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

well.
הַבְּאֵ֣ר (hab·bə·’êr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 875: A pit, a well

And a large
גְּדֹלָ֖ה (gə·ḏō·lāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

stone
וְהָאֶ֥בֶן (wə·hā·’e·ḇen)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 68: A stone

covered
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the mouth
פִּ֥י (pî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

of the well.
הַבְּאֵֽר׃ (hab·bə·’êr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 875: A pit, a well


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OT Law: Genesis 29:2 He looked and behold a well (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 29:1
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