Genesis 30:30

30 For you had little before me, and it has increased abundantly. And Yahweh has blessed you {wherever I turned}. So then, when shall I provide for my own family also?"

Genesis 30:30 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 30:30

For [it was] little which thou hadst before I [came]
Perhaps but a single flock, and that not a very large one, since Rachel, his youngest daughter, had the care of it: and it is [now] increased unto a multitude;
or "broke forth" ^F13, spread itself over the fields and plains, hills and mountains adjacent, so that they were covered with his sheep, these bringing forth thousands and ten thousands, ( Psalms 144:13 ) ; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming;
or "at my foot" ^F14; ever since he set foot in his house. Aben Ezra observes it as a proverbial saying, such an one has a good foot, a lucky one, wherever he comes a blessing or success goes with him; or the meaning may be, wherever Jacob went or led his flock, and fed it, it prospered, the blessing of God going with him. Onkelos renders it, "for my sake"; and so it is the same with what Laban had observed and owned, ( Genesis 30:27 ) ; and now, when shall I provide for mine own house?
suggesting it was his duty to do it, and it was high time he did it, since he had a large family to provide for; see ( 1 Timothy 5:8 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (Urpy) "erupit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius.
F14 (ylgrl) "ad pedem meum", Montanus, Piscator, Drusius, Schmidt.

Genesis 30:30 In-Context

28 And he said, "Name your wage to me and I will give [it]."

29 Then he said to him, "You yourself know how I have served you and how your livestock have been with me.

30 For you had little before me, and it has increased abundantly. And Yahweh has blessed you {wherever I turned}. So then, when shall I provide for my own family also?"

31 And he said, "What shall I give you?" And Jacob said, "Do not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flocks and keep [them].

32 Let me pass through all your flocks today, removing all the speckled and spotted sheep from them, along with every dark-colored sheep among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. That shall be my wages.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "to my foot"