Genèse 30:1-9

1 Lorsque Rachel vit qu'elle ne donnait point d'enfants à Jacob, elle porta envie à sa soeur, et elle dit à Jacob: Donne-moi des enfants, ou je meurs!

2 La colère de Jacob s'enflamma contre Rachel, et il dit: Suis-je à la place de Dieu, qui t'empêche d'être féconde?

3 Elle dit: Voici ma servante Bilha; va vers elle; qu'elle enfante sur mes genoux, et que par elle j'aie aussi des fils.

4 Et elle lui donna pour femme Bilha, sa servante; et Jacob alla vers elle.

5 Bilha devint enceinte, et enfanta un fils à Jacob.

6 Rachel dit: Dieu m'a rendu justice, il a entendu ma voix, et il m'a donné un fils. C'est pourquoi elle l'appela du nom de Dan.

7 Bilha, servante de Rachel, devint encore enceinte, et enfanta un second fils à Jacob.

8 Rachel dit: J'ai lutté divinement contre ma soeur, et j'ai vaincu. Et elle l'appela du nom de Nephthali.

9 Léa voyant qu'elle avait cessé d'enfanter, prit Zilpa, sa servante, et la donna pour femme à Jacob.

Genèse 30:1-9 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.