Genesis 29:2 - Exposition

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 14:1-24 .), 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". 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".