And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.
Verse 3. All the flocks] Instead of hadarim, flocks, the Samaritan reads [Samaritan] haroim, shepherds; for which reading Houbigant strongly contends, as well in this verse as in Ge 29:8. It certainly cannot be said that all the flocks rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep: and yet so it appears to read if we prefer the common Hebrew text to the Samaritan. It is probable that the same reading was originally that of the second verse also.
And put the stone again upon the well’s mouth] It is very likely that the stone was a large one, which was necessary to prevent ill-minded individuals from either disturbing the water, or filling up the well; hence a great stone was provided, which required the joint exertions of several shepherds to remove it; and hence those who arrived first waited till all the others were come up, that they might water their respective flocks in concert.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
3. thither were all the flocksgathered; and a stone, &c.In Arabia, owing to the shiftingsands and in other places, owing to the strong evaporation, the mouthof a well is generally covered, especially when it is privateproperty. Over many is laid a broad, thick, flat stone, with a roundhole cut in the middle, forming the mouth of the cistern. This holeis covered with a heavy stone which it would require two or three mento roll away. Such was the description of the well at Haran.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And thither were all the flocks gathered,…. The three above mentioned, Ge 29:2:
and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep; that is, when they watered the sheep, they used to roll away the stone from the mouth of the well in order to do it; for as yet the flocks, now lying by it, had not been watered, as appears from
Ge 29:7:
and put a stone upon the well’s mouth in this place; this they were wont to do every time they watered the flocks.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gen 29:3. Thither were all the flocks gathered Houbigant, instead of (cal-hangadarim) all the flocks, would read after the Samaritan version (cal-haroim) all the shepherds, both here and in the eighth verse. And it must be allowed that the alteration seems very just. It is said, Gen 29:2 that there were THREE flocks, with which all the flocks, in this verse, do not seem to agree; not to say that they rolled refers to the flocks, according to the common reading. Houbigant confirms the reading of the Samaritan version by other reasons; and, after him, we may properly translate, and thither were all the shepherds gathered, i.e.. to this well, with their flocks, at noon; and as there was a great stone laid over the well’s mouth to preserve the water pure and clean, they waited for each other by joint consent, and then removed the stone. This whole event, as well as that recorded in ch. 24: affords us a fine picture of the primitive ages, and of that pastoral life which the sons and daughters of the greatest personages did not disdain. See Son 1:6-7.
Kennicott espouses the reading above given by Houbigant. He observes further, that though the Samaritan text, and the Greek and Arabic versions, read shepherds, instead of flocks, in the eighth verse; and though the Samaritan and Arabic copies read also shepherds in verse the third, yet this passage is not clear of all its difficulties. The third verse, as translated with the correction before mentioned, tells us, that (when Jacob first came into the field and saw the well) all the shepherds were there gathered together, and watered the sheep, and replaced the stone upon the well’s mouth. But the eighth verse tells us, that the shepherds were not yet assembled together; and therefore those who were present could not uncover the well, and water their own flocks separately.
The true method of reconciling these two verses is as follows:The third verse speaks only of the custom of the shepherds assembling at that well and watering their flocks all together; a sense this which the words most naturally admit; for all the words in the third verse, though preter, have a future signification, on account of the conversive particle prefixed to every one of them; and therefore, as futures, cannot express a past assembly or action. But, being frequentative, and implying the continuance and custom of doing a thing, (the known signification of Hebrew future tenses,) they remarkably express this sense: And there (at this well) all the shepherds usually met together, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth. Consequently, when Jacob would have the shepherds then present to water their sheep, they might well answer, We cannot, until all the shepherds be gathered together, and roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
But then, if these shepherds, who were before supposed to be assembled at the third verse, were not assembled, and if that verse be expressive only of the custom of their assembling, shall we not be thought to destroy the whole advantage of the Samaritan reading? For, it will be said, if the third verse does not express shepherds so assembled, no preceding verse expresses the presence of any shepherds. This difficulty, however formidable at first sight, may be satisfactorily removed. We have seen that the word is shepherds, in the third and eighth verses; now, let the second verse be read in the same manner, and the beauty and propriety of the passage is complete.
1. Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
2. And he looked, and behold, a well in the field; and lo, three shepherds were lying by it; for out of that well they watered their flocks: and a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.
3. (And there all the shepherds usually met together, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep; and put the stone again, upon the well’s mouth, in its place.)
4. And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence are ye? And they said, We are of Haran, &c.
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 feed them.
8. And they said, We cannot, until all the shepherds shall be gathered together, and roll the stone from the well’s mouth; then we water the sheep.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 29:3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in his place.
Ver. 3. And they put the stone again upon the well’s mouth.] To keep the waters clean and filth free. The Turks had procured some traitor in Scodra, where Scanderbeg ruled, to poison the town well. a The Pope hath endeavoured the like, by pouring out his deadly poison “upon the rivers and fountains of water” (the Scriptures) “that they might become blood”. Rev 16:4 Witness that heathenish decree of the Council of Trent; equalising, if not preferring, the Apocrypha to the canonical Scripture; the vulgar translation to the original; traditions to Holy Writ; and affirming that the Holy Ghost himseff is not to be heard, though he bring never so plain Scripture for himself; nisi accedat meretricis purpuratae effrons interpretatio , saith a learned doctor, unless the Pope may interpret it. b Horrible blasphemy! Had not God’s servants need to see to the cleansing of this well, and the keeping it free from the tramplings and defilements of this foul beast? The Council of Constance comes in with a Non-obstante against Christ’s institution, withholding the cup from the sacrament. c Before that the gospel was corrected, amended, and expounded, say the Canonists, there were many things permitted (as priests’ marriage); which now, since the time is come that all things are made perfect, are clearly abolished and taken away. When the Hussites denied to admit any doctrine that could not be proved by the Holy Scriptures, the Council of Basil answered them, by Cardinal Cusanus, that the Scriptures were not of the essence of the Church, but of the well being of it only; that the Word of God was so much the better taught the people, by how much it had less of the Scriptures in it; that the Scripture was to be interpreted according to the current rite of the Church; d qua mutante sententiam, mutetur et Dei iudicium . Can any hear this, and his ears not tingle? This was then the Pope’s express: for in Popish councils, the bishops and others have no more to do, but simply, inclinato capite , to say Placet to that which in the Pope’s name is propounded to them: as nothing was resolved by the Trent fathers, but all in Rome: whence grew that blasphemous proverb, which I abhor to relate. e This council was that sea, upon which the second angel poured out his vial, Rev 16:3 and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in that sea. Cavete .
a Turk. Hist.
b D. Prid., Lect. de Testibus .
c Licit Christus, post coenam, instituerit, et suis discipulis administraverit ,& c. – Caranza, Sum. Concil., sess. 13; Bee Hive of Rome, p. 12 .
d Tanto dignius verbum Dei tradi, quanto remotius ab omni Scriptura: eam explicandam iuxta currentem Ecclesiae ritum , &c. – Revius, De Vit. Pontif ., p. 235.
e Hist. of Coun. of Trent , 497.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the flocks: Instead of haadarim, “the flocks,” the Samaritan reads haroim, “the shepherds,” as does also the Arabic in Walton’s Polyglott. This verse describes what was usually done by some mutual compact among the shepherds, and shows the purpose for which the flocks lay by the well; for the stone was not removed till all the flocks had been collected. Scott. Gen 29:3
Reciprocal: Gen 29:8 – until