Genesis 29:24
Giving his daughter a handmaid, named Zelpha. Now when Jacob had gone in to her according to custom when morning was come he saw it was Lia:
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- dans ancillam filiæ, Zelpham nomine. Ad quam cum ex more Jacob fuisset ingressus, facto mane vidit Liam :
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἔδωκεν δὲ Λαβὰν Ζέλφαν Λείᾳ τῇ θυγατρὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν παιδίσκην αὐτοῦ αὐτῇ παιδίσκην.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּתֵּ֤ן לָבָן֙ לָ֔הּ אֶת זִלְפָּ֖ה שִׁפְחָת֑וֹ לְלֵאָ֥ה בִתּ֖וֹ שִׁפְחָֽה
Haydock's commentary
A handmaid, by way of dowry, as he did afterwards to Rachel. Both sisters considered it so small, as to say they had nothing, chap. xxxi. 14.
Lia, who committed a great sin of adultery, though she was more excusable than Laban; inasmuch as she obeyed his order. (Menochius)
Jacob might justly have refused to marry her; and then what a dishonour would have been entailed upon her for life! In consequence of this imposition, the legitimacy of Ruben's conception was rendered doubtful. We may suppose, that shame hindered Lia from opening her mouth; so that Jacob had no means of discovering the cheat till day-break, having gone into the nuptial chamber after it was dark, according to custom, and the woman being also covered with a veil, Tobias viii. 1. Hence Jacob was guilty of no fault, as his mistake was involuntary. (Haydock)
He afterwards consented to marry her, (Calmet) probably on the second day of the feast. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.