What is the meaning of Genesis 29:24?

And Laban gave

• Laban acts as patriarch and negotiator, arranging every detail of the marriage contract (Genesis 29:19, 23).

• In ancient Near Eastern custom, a father’s “giving” during a wedding included more than the bride; it covered attendants and property meant to secure the daughter’s future (Genesis 24:59).

• The statement also underscores Laban’s ongoing control over Jacob’s household affairs, anticipating later conflicts (Genesis 30:27-28).

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his servant girl Zilpah

• Zilpah is introduced quietly now, yet she will later become the mother of Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:10-13; 35:26).

• Listing her name highlights that she is not a disposable extra but a person God weaves into the covenant lineage, echoing how Hagar was named and noticed earlier (Genesis 16:1, 13).

• By calling her “servant girl,” the text reminds readers of the class distinctions embedded in the family, a reality the Lord will still work through for His purposes (Psalm 113:7-8).

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to his daughter Leah

• The gift belongs to Leah, not Jacob, signaling that Laban expects Leah to remain tied to her father’s household resources (Genesis 31:14-16).

• This compensates Leah for being inserted into Laban’s deception; she receives tangible support even as Jacob’s heart favors Rachel (Genesis 29:30-31).

• The phrase underscores Leah’s rightful status as first wife, paralleling the later gift of Bilhah to Rachel (Genesis 29:29).

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as her maidservant

• A maidservant attended personal needs, managed daily tasks, and could legally bear children on behalf of the mistress if needed (Genesis 16:2; 30:3).

• Zilpah’s role foreshadows the competitive child-bearing arrangement that will mark the next chapters, illustrating human schemes contrasted with God’s sovereign blessing (Genesis 30:9-13; 49:19-20).

• Though servant in rank, Zilpah gains a share in the covenant blessing through the sons she will bear, showing God’s inclusion of the lowly (1 Samuel 2:8).

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summary

Genesis 29:24 records Laban’s strategic gift of Zilpah to Leah, a customary yet calculating move that secures Leah’s position, extends Laban’s influence, and introduces a woman God will later use to expand the tribes of Israel. Zilpah’s quiet entrance reminds us that every individual named in Scripture—highborn or servant—matters in the unfolding plan of redemption.