Genesis 30:8

8 And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali.

Genesis 30:8 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 30:8

And Rachel said, with great wrestlings have I wrestled with my
sister
Or, "with the wrestlings of God" F1, wrestling and striving in prayer with God; being vehement and importunate in her petitions to him, that she might have children as well as her sister: some render it, "I used the craftinesses of God", or "great craftiness with my sisters" F2; by giving her maid Bilhah to her husband, and having children by her: and I have prevailed;
as she strove in her desires and prayers to have another child before her sister had; in that she prevailed, or she was succeeded in her desires, she had children as she wished to have: and she called his name Naphtali;
which signifies "my wrestling", being a child she had been striving and wrestling for: these two sons of Bilhah were born, as say the Jews, Dan on the twenty ninth day of Elul or August, and lived one hundred and twenty seven years; Naphtali on the fifth of Tisri or September, and lived one hundred and thirty three years.


FOOTNOTES:

F1 (Myhla ylwtpn) "luctationibus Dei", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Cartwright.
F2 "Calliditatibus Dei, Oleaster, astutiis Dei", Schmidt.

Genesis 30:8 In-Context

6 Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan.
7 And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son.
8 And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali.
9 When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife.
10 And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.