And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
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.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 22. Laban – made a feast.] 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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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 Mt 22:2; which was usual, when a marriage was solemnized, expressive of joy on that account.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
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.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
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.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast, and so it was that in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him, and he went in to her. And Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Leah for a handmaid.’
The wedding feast is arranged. It will last for seven days (Gen 29:27). And it is now that we first begin to see Laban’s deceitful ways, although we must be fair and recognise that he has been put in a difficult position. He had hoped that Leah might be married off, but it had not happened, and custom forbade Rachel being married first.
As he ponders the problem he sees the solution. Instead of being open and honest he foists Leah, who would be heavily veiled for the wedding, on Jacob. When they go to bed it is dark and presumably Leah kept silent. Thus Jacob does not realise until daylight that his silent and submissive companion is Leah. And by then it is too late. He is legally committed to Leah.
The mention of Zilpah is to indicate that she no longer belongs to Laban but to Leah, and thus indirectly to Jacob. She joins those whom Jacob has brought with him as a member of his ‘household’. But noteworthy is the meagreness of the gift. There is no mention of any other dowry. Laban is getting rid of his daughters on the cheap. (Rebekah was provided with a number of young women – Gen 24:61). Jacob has come with little in the way of gifts. Laban returns the compliment.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 29:22. Laban gathered together, &c. Contracts of marriage were ratified anciently by the magistrates of the place: for this purpose, and to make the solemnity public, Laban invited his neighbours, &c. to the feast.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
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”; Jam 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, Jam 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 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
and made: Jdg 14:10-18, Rth 4:10-13, Mat 22:2-10, Mat 25:1-10, Joh 2:1-10, Rev 19:9
Reciprocal: Gen 21:8 – feast Gen 29:28 – fulfilled her week Est 2:18 – made a great Mar 2:19 – Can
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
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.