◄ Genesis 29:4 ►
"My brothers," Jacob asked the shepherds, "where are you from?" "We are from Haran," they answered.
Study Bible
“My brothers,”
Jacob's use of "my brothers" reflects a common cultural practice of addressing others with familial terms to establish rapport and goodwill. This approach is seen throughout Scripture, emphasizing community and kinship, as in Genesis 13:8 when Abram addresses Lot as "brothers" to avoid conflict.

Jacob asked the shepherds,
Jacob's interaction with the shepherds highlights his journey and the importance of pastoral life in the ancient Near East. Shepherding was a common occupation, and shepherds often gathered at wells, which were vital community resources. This setting foreshadows Jacob's future role as a shepherd for Laban, and later, the shepherd imagery used for leaders in Israel, as seen in Psalm 23.

“where are you from?”
Jacob's question indicates his search for family and connection, as he is on a journey to find his relatives. This inquiry is reminiscent of Abraham's servant seeking a wife for Isaac in Genesis 24, emphasizing the theme of divine guidance in finding one's place and people.

“We are from Haran,” they answered.
Haran is significant as the place where Abraham's family settled after leaving Ur (Genesis 11:31). It serves as a backdrop for several key biblical events, including Jacob's stay with Laban. Haran's mention connects Jacob's journey to the broader narrative of God's covenant promises to Abraham's descendants, highlighting themes of faithfulness and divine providence.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jacob
The son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the twin brother of Esau. Jacob is a key patriarch in the Bible, known for his journey to Haran to find a wife and his eventual name change to Israel.

2. Shepherds
These are the men Jacob encounters near the well in Haran. They are responsible for tending sheep, a common occupation in the ancient Near East.

3. Haran
A significant location in the biblical account, Haran is where Abraham's family settled after leaving Ur. It is also the place where Jacob's mother, Rebekah, was from, and where Jacob goes to find a wife.
Teaching Points
God's Guidance in Our Journeys
Just as God guided Jacob to Haran, He guides us in our life's journey. We should seek His direction in our decisions and trust His plan.

The Importance of Family Heritage
Jacob's journey to Haran connects him to his family's past. Understanding our spiritual heritage can strengthen our faith and identity in Christ.

Engaging with Others Respectfully
Jacob addresses the shepherds as "my brothers," showing respect and camaraderie. We should approach others with kindness and respect, recognizing our shared humanity.

God's Providence in Relationships
Jacob's encounter with the shepherds leads to meeting Rachel. We should trust God's timing and providence in our relationships and life events.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jacob's respectful approach to the shepherds in Genesis 29:4 serve as a model for how we should interact with others in our daily lives?

2. In what ways does the location of Haran play a significant role in the biblical account, and how can understanding this enhance our appreciation of God's providence?

3. How can we apply the concept of seeking God's guidance in our personal journeys, as seen in Jacob's journey to Haran, to our own life decisions?

4. What parallels can we draw between Jacob's journey to find a wife and the broader theme of God's providence in relationships throughout the Bible?

5. How does the role of shepherds in the Bible, both in Genesis 29 and in the teachings of Jesus, inform our understanding of spiritual leadership and care?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 12
Haran is mentioned as a place where Abraham's family settled before moving to Canaan. This connection highlights the continuity of God's plan through the generations.

Genesis 24
The account of Rebekah, Jacob's mother, being found in Haran by Abraham's servant, parallels Jacob's journey to find a wife, emphasizing God's providence in family matters.

John 10
Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, which can be contrasted with the shepherds Jacob meets, highlighting the spiritual leadership and care Jesus provides.
Sermons
Jacob, the PilgrimM. M. Kalisch, Ph. D.Genesis 29:1-14
Jacob's Experience on His JourneyT. H. Leale.Genesis 29:1-14
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 29:1-14
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 29:1-14
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 29:1-14
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 29:1-14
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 29:1-14
LessonsG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 29:1-14
Providential GuidanceG. Hughes, B. D.Genesis 29:1-14
The Meeting of Jacob with Rachel and LabanJr. C. Gray.Genesis 29:1-14
Watering the SheepDr. Talmage.Genesis 29:1-14
Jacob Among His Mother's KindredR.A. Redford Genesis 29
People
Bilhah, Haran, Jacob, Laban, Leah, Levi, Nahor, Rachel, Rebekah, Reuben, Simeon, Zilpah
Places
Paddan-aram
Topics
Brethren, Brothers, Haran, Herdmen, Jacob, Relatives, Replied, Shepherds, We're, Whence
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Genesis 29:4

     5661   brothers

Genesis 29:1-10

     4293   water
     5433   occupations

Library
The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Dispensation of the Divine Favours Reconciled with the Goodness of God.
O God, whose thunder shakes the sky, Whose eye this atom globe surveys, To thee, my only rock, I fly; Thy mercy in thy justice praise. Then why, my soul, dost thou complain? Why drooping seek the dark recess? Shake off the melancholy chain, For God created all to bless.--CHATTERTON. In the preceding part, we considered the doctrine of predestination, under the name of necessity, in its relation to the origin of evil. We there endeavoured to show that it denies the responsibility of man, and …
Albert Taylor Bledsoe—A Theodicy, or, Vindication of the Divine Glory

Jesus Works his First Miracle at Cana in Galilee.
^D John II. 1-11. ^d 1 And the third day [From the calling of Philip (John i. 43). The days enumerated in John's first two chapters constitute a week, and may perhaps be intended as a contrast to the last week of Christ's ministry ( John xii. 1). It took two days to journey from the Jordan to Cana] there was a marriage [In Palestine the marriage ceremony usually began at twilight. The feast after the marriage was at the home of the bridegroom, and was sometimes prolonged for several days (Gen. xxix. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Epistle v. To Theoctista, Sister of the Emperor.
To Theoctista, Sister of the Emperor. Gregory to Theoctista, &c. With how great devotion my mind prostrates itself before your Venerableness I cannot fully express in words; nor yet do I labour to give utterance to it, since, even though I were silent, you read in your heart your own sense of my devotion. I wonder, however, that you withdrew your countenance, till of late bestowed on me, from this my recent engagement in the pastoral office; wherein, under colour of episcopacy, I have been brought …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Question of the Contemplative Life
I. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. 7 ad 3m II. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. 19 III. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. 18 " Ep., cxxx. ad probam IV. Does the Contemplative Life consist solely in the Contemplation of God, or in the Consideration …
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

Departure from Ireland. Death and Burial at Clairvaux.
[Sidenote: 1148, May (?)] 67. (30). Being asked once, in what place, if a choice were given him, he would prefer to spend his last day--for on this subject the brothers used to ask one another what place each would select for himself--he hesitated, and made no reply. But when they insisted, he said, "If I take my departure hence[821] I shall do so nowhere more gladly than whence I may rise together with our Apostle"[822]--he referred to St. Patrick; "but if it behoves me to make a pilgrimage, and …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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