New American Standard Bible 1995

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Genesis

29

:

16

Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Now Laban father-in-law of Jacob Noun H3837 וּלְלָבָ֖ן u·le·la·van
Analysis:
Read more about: Laban
had two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁתֵּ֣י she·tei
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 

daughters; daughter Noun H1323 בָנֹ֑ות va·no·vt;
the name a name Noun H8034 שֵׁ֤ם shem
of the older great Adjective H1419 הַגְּדֹלָה֙ hag·ge·do·lah
was Leah, "weary," a wife of Jacob Noun H3812 לֵאָ֔ה le·'ah,
Analysis:
Read more about: Leah
and the name a name Noun H8034 וְשֵׁ֥ם ve·shem
of the younger small, young, unimportant Adjective H6996 הַקְּטַנָּ֖ה hak·ke·tan·nah
was Rachel. a wife of Jacob Noun H7354 רָחֵֽל׃ ra·chel.
Analysis:
Read more about: Rachel

People

Leah

Leah [N] [H] [S] weary, the eldest daughter of Laban, and sister of Rachel ( Genesis 29:16 ). Jacob took her to wife through a deceit of her father ( Genesis 29:23 ). She was "tender-eyed" (17). She bore to Jacob six sons (32-35), also one daughter, Dinah ( 30:21 ). She accompanied Jacob into Canaan, and died there before the time of the going down into Egypt ( Genesis 31 ), and was buried... View Details

Laban

Laban [N] [H] [S] Father-in-law of Jacob The son of Bethuel, who was the son of Nahor, Abraham's brother. He lived at Haran in Mesopotamia. His sister Rebekah was Isaac's wife ( Genesis 24 ). Jacob, one of the sons of this marriage, fled to the house of Laban, whose daughters Leah and Rachel (ch. 29) he eventually married. (See JACOB .)    A city in the Arabian desert in the route of th... View Details

Rachel

a wife of Jacob

Parallel Verses

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Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
King James Bible Now And Laban had two daughters; daughters: the name of the older elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Hebrew Greek English Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.