The practice of serving for a wife also perhaps dates from the period of female descent.

The arrangement would have been that a man went and lived with a woman's family and gave his services in return for her conjugal society.

Whether the residence with the wife's family was permanent or not is perhaps uncertain.

When Jacob served for Leah and Rachel, society seems to have been in the early patriarchal stage, as Laban was their father and he was Laban's sister's son.

But it seems doubtful whether his right was then recognised to take his wives away with him, for even after he had served fourteen years Laban pursued him, and would have taken them back if he had not been warned against doing so in a vision.