Genesis 30:17

17 And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob.

Genesis 30:17 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 30:17

And God hearkened unto Leah
To the prayer of Leah, as the Targum of Jonathan, for more children: the desire of these good women for the company of their husband was not from lust, or an amorous desire in them, but for the sake of having many children, as appears by giving their maids to him; and the reason of this was, as Bishop Patrick well observes, that the promise made to Abraham of the multiplication of his seed, and of the Messiah springing from thence, might be fulfilled; and is the true reason of Moses's taking such particular notice of those things, which might seem below the dignity of such a sacred history: and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son;
the fifth he had by her, but the ninth in all, that were born unto him.

Genesis 30:17 In-Context

15 But Leah angrily replied, “Wasn’t it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son’s mandrakes, too?” Rachel answered, “I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes.”

16 So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. “You must come and sleep with me tonight!” she said. “I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found.” So that night he slept with Leah.

17 And God answered Leah’s prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob.

18 She named him Issachar, for she said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife.”

19 Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob.