They replied, “First, we have to wait until all the flocks are gathered. After that, the stone needs to be rolled away from the mouth of the well, then we’ll water the animals.”
First, they served Joseph who was seated apart from his brothers, then the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians by themselves. (It would have been utterly offensive for the Egyptians to eat at the same table with the Hebrews.)
Whenever all the flocks gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well, water their sheep, and then roll the stone back over the top of the well.
Jacob said to them, “Look, it’s not time for the animals to gather together here; it’s now the hottest hour of the day. Let’s go ahead and water the sheep, then you can go and pasture them.”