Texts in Conversation
In Genesis, Jacob works for Laban in exchange for marriage to his daughters, Leah and Rachel. In Dialogue with Trypho, Justin interprets the sisters as Jewish and gentile communities, whose believers Jesus serves just as Jacob served to marry his wives.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Genesis 29:27–30
Hebrew Bible
15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work for me for nothing because you are my relative? Tell me what your wages should be.” 16 (Now Laban had two daughters; the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were tender, but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.) 18 Since Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel. But they seemed like only a few days to him because his love for her was so great. 21 Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. And I want to sleep with her.” 22 So Laban invited all the people of that place and prepared a feast. 23 In the evening he brought his daughter Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 In the morning Jacob discovered it was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What in the world have you done to me? Didn’t I work for you in exchange for Rachel? Why have you tricked me?” 26 “It is not our custom here,” Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. 27 Complete my older daughter’s bridal week. Then we will give you the younger one too, in exchange for seven more years of work.” 28 Jacob did as Laban said. When Jacob completed Leah’s bridal week, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 Jacob slept with Rachel as well. He also loved Rachel more than Leah. Then he worked for Laban for seven more years.
Date: 5th century BCE (final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 134.3
Early Christian
2 For, as I said before, certain plans of great mysteries were carried out in each act of this kind. I will tell you what plan and prophecy were carried out in the marriages of Jacob, so that from these too you may see that your teachers have never looked at the more divine purpose for which each act was done, but only at base and corrupting passions. So pay attention to what I say. 3 The marriages of Jacob were types of the work Christ was going to accomplish. For it was not lawful for Jacob to marry two sisters at once. And he serves Laban for [one of] the daughters, and, deceived about the younger, he served another seven years. Now Leah is your people and synagogue, and Rachel is our Church. And for these, and for the servants in both, Christ still serves even now. 4 For while Noah gave the seed of the third son to the other two as servants, now in turn Christ has come to restore both the free sons and the servants among them, counting all who keep His commandments worthy of the same honor, just as the sons born to Jacob from the free women and from the slave women were all sons and equal in honor. And what each would be, according to rank and foreknowledge, was foretold. 5 Jacob served Laban for speckled and many-spotted sheep; and Christ served, even to the slavery of the cross, for people of every race, varied and of many kinds, acquiring them by the blood and mystery of the cross. Leah’s eyes were weak, and so are the eyes of your souls, very weak. Rachel stole Laban’s gods and has hidden them to this day; and our ancestral, material gods are lost to us.
Date: 155–160 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
“... There are only two passages in the Dialogue where συναγωγή and ἐκκλησία
are juxtaposed, 63.5 and 134.3. Both passages are baffling until one realises that
they must be read in the light of 53.4. Dialogue 53 contains Justin’s exposition
of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the light of Gen. 49:11 and Zech. 9:9; in
the chapter as a whole Matthean phraseology and emphases are prominent. In
53.4 Justin insists to Trypho that the ‘beast of burden and the ass’s colt’ referred
to by Zechariah was a ‘foretelling of those of your συναγωγή who should believe
on him (Christ), and also of those who should come from the Gentiles.’ Here
συναγωγή is used in a neutral sense to refer to Jewish people, and not to Judaism
as a hostile religion over against Christianity.
In 63.5 Justin claims that Psalm 45:6–11 refers to those who believe on
Christ, ‘as men of one soul and one συναγωγή and one ἐκκλησία ….’ Once again
συναγωγή means simply ‘Jewish people’; ἐκκλησία, rather unusually, means
‘Gentiles’. Justin is stressing the unity of believers in Christ: they include both
Jews and Gentiles. Similarly Dialogue 134.3, where Justin is interpreting typo‑
logically the story of Jacob, Leah and Rachel: ‘Now Leah is your people καὶ ἡ
συναγωγή, but Rachel is our ἐκκλησία. And Christ still serves for these, and for
his servants that are in both.’ Once again Justin is using συναγωγή and ἐκκλησία
to denote Jewish people on the one hand, and Gentiles on the other, from both
of whom come believers in Christ. ...”
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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