29:14 my bone and my flesh. Jacob was the son of Laban’s sister (Rebekah) and of Laban’s father’s cousin (Isaac). Thus he and Laban did, indeed, have the same basic genetic controls, which specify the characteristics of the individual’s flesh and bones.

29:23 brought her to him. This cruel deception on Laban’s part was not God’s retribution for Jacob’s deception of Isaac, as many have suggested. Leah was destined to be the mother of Judah, through whom Christ would come. Leah was less attractive than Rachel and had found no husband as yet, thus inhibiting her younger sister also from marrying (Genesis 29:26), so that both were well past the normal age for marrying (as was Jacob). Laban was afraid no suitable husband would ever be found for Leah, and so used this trick to force Jacob into marrying both. This would, he hoped, tie Jacob (a productive worker with a substantial future inheritance) permanently to Laban and his family. Leah also had come to love Jacob and, although her father’s device must have been difficult and embarrassing for her, as well as for Rachel, she went along with the plan in obedience to her father.

29:27 her week. Crafty Laban elicited fourteen years of free and fruitful labor from Jacob because of Jacob’s unselfish love for Rachel. After Jacob had served seven years and then was forced to marry Leah first, Laban finally gave Rachel to Jacob also, for another seven years of service. However, he had only to wait seven days (Leah’s festive week, in accord with custom) before receiving Rachel too. Note, incidentally, that time was being measured in weeks (even in Syria) almost 500 years before the giving of the Sabbath commandment on Mount Sinai. This is incidental testimony that the nations of the world had been (perhaps inadvertently) commemorating the literal creation week ever since the beginning.

29:31 hated. The word is better rendered “slighted.” Jacob loved Rachel more than he loved Leah (Genesis 29:30), but he surely loved Leah, too.

29:35 I praise the LORD. The Lord in grace not only gave Leah (the “slighted” wife–not “hated,” as wrongly rendered in Genesis 29:31) more sons than Rachel, but one of these was Judah, who was destined to produce the kingly tribe–including David and, eventually, Christ. It is thus significant that this is the first occurrence of the word here translated “praise,” and more commonly rendered “give thanks.”