Genesis 30:26

26 Give thou to me my wives, and my free children, for which I have served thee, that I go (Give thou to me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served thee, so that I can go); forsooth thou knowest the service by which I have served thee.

Genesis 30:26 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 30:26

Give [me] my wives
His two wives, Leah and Rachel, and the two maids, Bilhah and Zilpah, which he had given him for wives also; he desires leave not to have them, but to take them away with him: and my children;
his twelve children; he did not desire his father-in- law to take any of them, and keep them for him, but was desirous of having them with him: no doubt, for the sake of their education, though he had nothing of his own wherewith to support them; not doubting that God would make good his promise in giving him food and raiment, and returning him to his country; and which his faith applied to his family as well as to himself: for whom I have served thee;
not for his children, but for his wives, his two wives; and let me go;
free from thy service, and to my own country; for thou knowest my service which I have done thee:
how much and great it is, and with what diligence and faithfulness it has been performed, and that the time of it fixed and agreed upon was at an end.

Genesis 30:26 In-Context

24 and she called his name Joseph, and said, The Lord give to me another son. (and she said, May the Lord give me another son/The Lord hath given me another son, and she named him Joseph.)
25 Soothly when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his wife's father, Deliver thou me, that I turn again to my country, and to my land. (And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his wife's father, Let me go, so that I can return to my country, and my land.)
26 Give thou to me my wives, and my free children, for which I have served thee, that I go (Give thou to me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served thee, so that I can go); forsooth thou knowest the service by which I have served thee.
27 Laban said to him, Find I grace in thy sight; I have learned by experience, that God hath blessed me for thee; (Laban said to him, Let me find grace before thee; I have learned by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake;)
28 ordain thou the meed which I shall give to thee. (tell me the reward, or the payment, which I should give thee.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.