Genesis 30:13

13 and Leah said, This is for my bless(ing), for all women shall say me blessed (for all women shall say that I am blessed); therefore she called him Asher.

Genesis 30:13 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 30:13

And Leah said
Upon the birth of the second son by her maid: happy am I;
or, "in my happiness"; or, "for my happiness" F3; that is, this child is an addition to my happiness, and will serve to increase it: for the daughters will call me blessed; the women of the place where she lived would speak of her as a happy person, that had so many children of her own, and others by her maid; see ( Psalms 127:5 ) : and she called his name Asher,
which signifies "happy" or "blessed". These two sons of Zilpah, according to the Jewish writers F4, were born, Gad on the tenth day of Marchesvan or October, and lived one hundred and twenty five years; and Asher on the twenty second day of Shebet or January, and lived one hundred and twenty three years.


FOOTNOTES:

F3 (yrvab) "in felicitate mea", Montanus; "ob beatitatem meam", Drusius; "hoc pro beatitudine men", V. L. "pro beatitudine mihi est", Schmidt.
F4 Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 4. 1.

Genesis 30:13 In-Context

11 Leah said, Blessedly (I am most fortunate); and therefore she called his name Gad.
12 Also Zilpah childed another son,
13 and Leah said, This is for my bless(ing), for all women shall say me blessed (for all women shall say that I am blessed); therefore she called him Asher.
14 Forsooth Reuben went out into the field in the time of wheat harvest, and found (some) mandrakes, which he brought to Leah, his mother. And Rachel said, Give thou to me a part of the mandrakes of thy son.
15 Leah answered, Whether it seemeth little to thee, that thou hast ravished my husband from me, no but thou take also the mandrakes of my son? (but now thou wouldest also take away my son's mandrakes?) (And) Rachel said, The husband sleep with thee in this night, (in exchange) for the mandrakes of thy son.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.