Genesis 30:9-13

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
10 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.
11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”[a] So she named him Gad.[b]
12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.
13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.[c]

Genesis 30:9-13 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 9

  • 1. S Genesis 29:16
  • 2. Genesis 29:35
  • 3. Genesis 29:24
  • 4. S ver 4
  • 5. Genesis 46:18
  • 6. Genesis 35:26; Genesis 46:16; Genesis 49:19; Exodus 1:4; Numbers 1:24; Numbers 26:18; Joshua 4:12; 1 Chronicles 5:11; 1 Chronicles 12:8; Jeremiah 49:1
  • 7. Psalms 127:3
  • 8. Ruth 4:14; Psalms 127:4-5; Proverbs 31:28; Luke 1:48
  • 9. Genesis 35:26; Genesis 46:17; Genesis 49:20; Numbers 1:40; Numbers 26:47; Deuteronomy 33:24; Joshua 19:24-31; 1 Chronicles 7:30-31

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Or "“A troop is coming!”"
  • [b]. "Gad" can mean "good fortune" or "a troop."
  • [c]. "Asher" means "happy."
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