Genesis 29:18–20
Seven years of work seem like a few days to Jacob, for love of Rachel
Study it word by word18Jacob loved Rachel, and he said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.”
19Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I give her to another man; stay with me.”
20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they were in his eyes like a few days because of his love for her.
In its context
16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17Leah’s eyes were tender, but Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.
…
21Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, so that I may go in to her.”
22Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast.
Its words in the original
- יֶּאֱהַבyeehav· love
Love, have affection for someone: a parent for a child, a husband for a wife, a friend for a friend, a person for God; also like, desire.
- יַעֲקֹבyaakov· Jacob
Jacob, the younger son of Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau and father of the twelve tribes. In Hebrew "Yaakov" sounds like "heel" and "supplant" (Genesis 25:26; 27:36). God later gave him the name Israel; the name also stands for his descendants, the people of Israel.
- רָחֵלrachel· Rachel
Rachel, younger daughter of Laban, Jacob's beloved wife; mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Her name means "ewe".
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- אֶעֱבָדְeevad· work, serve
Work; serve. Till the ground, serve a person, or serve God (worship him). In the causative form, make someone serve, enslave.
- שֶׁבַעsheva· seven
Seven, the number of fullness; also "seven times".
- שָׁנִיםshanim· year
Year.
- בִּתְּbit· daughter
Daughter; also granddaughter. In the plural, also the women of a people or place ("daughters of Canaan"); "daughter of Zion" stands for a city and its people.
- קְּטַנָּהketana· small, younger
Small; the younger or lesser of two, in size, age or importance.
- לָבָןlavan· Laban
Laban, brother of Rebekah and father of Leah and Rachel, Jacob's father-in-law, who lived in Haran. Also a place in the wilderness.
- טוֹבtov· good
Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".
- תִּתִּtiti· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- אַחֵרacher· other
Other, another; next.
- שְׁבָsheva· sit, dwell
Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.
- עִמָּדִimadi· with me
With me, beside me.
- יִּהְיוּyihyu· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- עֵינָיenay· eye
Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.
- יָמִיםyamim· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- אֲחָדִיםachadim· one
One; only, the same. Also "first" in a series.