Genesis 30:18-28

18 Then Leah said, "God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to my husband." So she named him Issachar.
19 Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
20 Then Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun.
21 Afterward she bore a daughter and named * her Dinah.
22 Then 1God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and 2opened her womb.
23 So she conceived and bore a son and said, "God has 3taken away my reproach."
24 She named * him Joseph, saying, "4May the LORD give me another son."

Jacob Prospers

25 Now it came about when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "5Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own country.
26 "Give me my wives and my children 6for whom I have served you, and let me depart; for you yourself know my service which I have rendered you."
27 But Laban said to him, "If now it pleases * you, stay with me; I have divined 7that the LORD has blessed me on your account."
28 He continued, "8Name me your wages, and I will give it."

Genesis 30:18-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 30

This chapter gives an account of Rachel's envy of her sister for her fruitfulness, and of her earnest desire of having children, which she expressed to Jacob in an unbecoming manner, for which he reproved her, Ge 30:1,2, of her giving her maid Bilhah to Jacob, by whom he had two sons, Dan and Naphtali, Ge 30:3-8; and of Leah's giving her maid Zilpah to him, by whom he had two other sons, Gad and Asher, Ge 30:9-13; and of Reuben's mandrakes he found in the field, and the agreement made between Rachel and Leah about them, Ge 30:14-16; and of Leah's bearing Jacob two more sons and one daughter, Ge 30:17-21, and of Rachel's also bearing him a son, whose name was Joseph, Ge 30:22-24; upon which he desires leave of Laban to depart into his own country, his time of servitude being up, Ge 30:25,26; which brought on a new agreement between him and Laban, that for the future he should have all the speckled, spotted, and brown cattle for his service, Ge 30:27-36; and the chapter is concluded with an account of a cunning scheme of Jacob's to increase that sort of cattle, which succeeded, and by which he became rich, Ge 30:37-43.

Cross References 8

  • 1. 1 Samuel 1:19, 20
  • 2. Genesis 29:31
  • 3. Isaiah 4:1; Luke 1:25
  • 4. Genesis 35:17
  • 5. Genesis 24:54, 56
  • 6. Gen 29:18, 20, 27; Hosea 12:12
  • 7. Genesis 26:24; Genesis 39:3, 5; Isaiah 61:9
  • 8. Genesis 29:15; Genesis 31:7, 41

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Heb "sachar," related to Issachar
  • [b]. Heb "zabal," related to Zebulun. Some translate "will honor"
  • [c]. Lit "add to me;" Heb "Joseph"
  • [d]. Lit "served"
  • [e]. Lit "I have found favor in your eyes"
  • [f]. Lit "said"
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.