Genèse 30:3-13

3 Et elle dit: Voici ma servante Bilha; viens vers elle, et elle enfantera sur mes genoux, et j'aurai, moi aussi, des enfants par elle.
4 Elle lui donna donc pour femme Bilha, sa servante; et Jacob vint vers elle.
5 Et Bilha conçut, et enfanta un fils à Jacob.
6 Et Rachel dit: Dieu m'a rendu justice, et il a aussi exaucé ma voix, et m'a donné un fils; c'est pourquoi elle l'appela Dan (juge).
7 Et Bilha, servante de Rachel, conçut encore et enfanta un second fils à Jacob.
8 Et Rachel dit: J'ai soutenu contre ma sœur des luttes de Dieu; j'ai même eu la victoire; et elle lui donna le nom de Nephthali (ma lutte).
9 Alors Léa, voyant qu'elle avait cessé d'avoir des enfants, prit Zilpa, sa servante, et la donna pour femme à Jacob.
10 Et Zilpa, servante de Léa, enfanta un fils à Jacob.
11 Et Léa dit: Quel bonheur! Et elle l'appela Gad (bonheur).
12 Et Zilpa, servante de Léa, enfanta un second fils à Jacob.
13 Et Léa dit: Que je suis heureuse! car les filles me diront heureuse; et elle l'appela Asser (heureux).

Genèse 30:3-13 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.

The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.