Genesis 30:14-24

14 During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”
16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.
17 God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.[a]
19 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son.
20 Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[b]
21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.
23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”
24 She named him Joseph,[c] and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

Genesis 30:14-24 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 18

  • 1. Exodus 34:22; Judges 15:1; Ruth 2:23; 1 Samuel 6:13; 1 Samuel 12:17
  • 2. ver 15,16; Song of Songs 7:13
  • 3. Numbers 16:9,13; Isaiah 7:13; Ezekiel 34:18
  • 4. Genesis 38:16; Ezekiel 16:33; Hosea 9:1
  • 5. S ver 14
  • 6. S Genesis 25:21
  • 7. S ver 4
  • 8. Genesis 46:13; Genesis 49:14; Nu 1:8,28,29; Numbers 26:25; Deuteronomy 27:12; Deuteronomy 33:18; Joshua 17:10; Joshua 19:17; Joshua 21:6,28; Judges 5:15; Judges 10:1; 1 Chronicles 7:1
  • 9. S Genesis 29:34; 1 Peter 3:7
  • 10. Genesis 35:23; Genesis 46:14; Genesis 49:13; Numbers 1:30; Numbers 26:27; Numbers 34:25; Deuteronomy 33:18; Judges 5:18; Matthew 4:13
  • 11. Genesis 34:1; Genesis 46:15
  • 12. S Genesis 8:1; 1 Samuel 1:19-20
  • 13. S Genesis 25:21
  • 14. S Genesis 11:30; Genesis 29:31
  • 15. S ver 6; S Genesis 29:32
  • 16. Isaiah 4:1; Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 45:17; Isaiah 54:4; Luke 1:25
  • 17. S Genesis 29:6; Genesis 32:22; Genesis 33:2,7; Genesis 35:24; Genesis 37:2; Genesis 39:1; Genesis 49:22-26; Deuteronomy 33:13
  • 18. Genesis 35:17; 1 Samuel 4:20

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. "Issachar" sounds like the Hebrew for "reward."
  • [b]. "Zebulun" probably means "honor."
  • [c]. "Joseph" means "may he add."
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