Textual Comparison 1 Name:_________________
Introduction to the Bible – TH-130 Date: ____________
Textual Comparison Example
Text: 1: Genesis 24
Text: 2: Genesis 29
Main Theme in Context:
This appears in a section of the book of Genesis
that tells stories about Israel’s earliest ancestors.
The passage appears just after the death of
Abraham’s wife Sarah, and turns to focus on his
son Isaac. The main theme is Abraham sending his
servant to search for a wife for Isaac
Main Theme in Context:
In the same section of Genesis, this occurs in the
midst of a series of stories about Jacob, son of Isaac,
and appears after Jacob has stolen his brother’s
birthright and fled from home, directly after God
appeared to him at Bethel. The main theme is how
Jacob married Leah and Rachel.
Similarities between Text 1 and Text 2 (at least 6)Both are prose narratives
• Both involve a trip to Abraham’s relatives
(Gen 24:29; 29:5)
• Both focus on arranging a wedding (Gen 24:3-
4; 29:18)
• Both involve meeting at a well (Gen 24:11;
29:2)
• Someone draws water in both (Gen 24:16;
29:10)
• The woman “ran and told” her family in both
(Gen 24:28; 29:12)
• Laban ran back to meet the man in both (Gen
24:30; 29:13)
• In both the man is asked to stay (Gen 24:31;
29:14)
• In both something is given before the
marriage (Gen 24:22, 30; 29:15-20, 26-30)
• Both refer to God as the LORD (Gen 24:1, 3, 7,
12, 31, 35, 40, 42, 48, 50, 52; 29:31-35)
Differences between Text 1 and Text 2 (at least 6)
In Gen 24:17 the servant meets the woman at
the well; in Gen 29:10 it is Jacob himself
• In Gen 24:2-9 the servant is sent by Abraham;
in Gen 29:1-3, Jacob is travelling on his own
• In Gen 24:22 the servant brings gifts; in Genesis
29 Jacob has nothing
• In Gen 24:67 Isaac marries one wife; in Gen
29:21-30 Jacob marries two women
• In Gen 24:12-14 the servant prays for guidance;
in Genesis 29 Jacob does not pray
• In Gen 24:3-7, 12-14, 35, 40, 42, 48, 50, 52
there is an emphasis on trust in God; in Gen
29:10-11, 18-20, 30 the emphasis is on
romantic love
• In Gen 24:52-61 the marriage is immediate; in
Gen 29:15-28 it is delayed for 14 years
• In Genesis 24 God’s leading is explicit
throughout; in Genesis it is only said at the end,
in Gen 29:31-35
Summarize and explain how the two texts might relate to one another:
Genesis 24 and 29 tell very similar stories about two different people: In both cases a wedding is
arranged when a man travels to a distant land and meets a woman at a well, someone draws water, the
woman runs back to her family, and negotiations for the marriage begin. Despite these and many other
similarities of plot and setting, the characters are different and behave very differently. In Genesis 24 it
is a servant who is sent to arrange the marriage, brings gifts, prays for divine guidance and receives it. In
Genesis 29 the future husband travels himself, comes with nothing, asks for no divine guidance, and yet
is still granted divine favor. One possible explanation for the close relation between these two texts
could be that Genesis 24 is dependent on Genesis 29, anticipating major details of its plot while giving
greater emphasis to God’s role in the marriage. Another possibility is that both passages follow a specific
ancient form (genre or “type-scene”) in which arranged marriages tend to be described according to this
shared plot (see also Exodus 2 regarding Moses’ marriage). In that case, the differences are not due to
one copying or correcting the other, but simply due to the individual shaping of each story based on this
traditional form, giving Isaac and Jacob their own distinctive characterizations. On this explanation,
Genesis 24 seems to have been written with the intent of showing faithfulness to God in finding the right
marriage partner, whereas in Genesis 29 the story is told in a way that highlights Jacob being caught in
his own tricks (he is portrayed as a trickster elsewhere in Genesis 27-28).