Genesis 30:22-32

22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and he opened her womb.
23 And she conceived, and bore Jacob a son; and Rachel said, God has taken away my reproach.
24 And she called his name Joseph, saying, Let God add to me another son.
25 And it came to pass when Rachel had born Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Send me away, that I may go to my place and to my land.
26 Restore my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, that I may depart, for thou knowest the service wherewith I have served thee.
27 And Laban said to him, If I have found grace in thy sight, I would augur , for the Lord has blessed me at thy coming in.
28 Appoint me thy wages, and I will give .
29 And Jacob said, Thou knowest in what things I have served thee, and how many cattle of thine are with me.
30 For it was little thou hadst before my time, and it is increased to a multitude, and the Lord God has blessed thee since my coming; now then, when shall I set up also my own house?
31 And Laban said to him, What shall I give thee? and Jacob said to him, Thou shalt not give me anything; if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again tend thy flocks and keep them.
32 Let all thy sheep pass by to-day, and separate thence every grey sheep among the rams, and every one that is speckled and spotted among the goats— shall be my reward.

Genesis 30:22-32 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.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Stay thou, perhaps understood. Heb. I have argued that, etc.
  • [b]. Lit. thy wages to or with me.
  • [c]. So A.V. but Gr. and Heb. literally, at my foot.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.