In a soap opera worthy long-running tragedy, the family of Jacob is repeatedly convulsed by jealous rivalry between his wives who happen to be sisters. That this was entirely foreseeable, by both their father Laban and husband Jacob, doesn't make it any less tragic for these women.
In the end, the passage sees Jacob fathering 11 sons with 4 wives, all whilst the sibling rivalry rages and everyone is negatively impacted by going along with cultural expectations.
