Genesis 30:1-7

1 When Rahel sawe that she bare Iacob no childern she enuied hir sister and sayde vnto Iacob: geue me childern or ells I am but deed.
2 Than was Iacob wrooth with Rahel saynge: Am I in godes steade which kepeth fro the the frute of thi wobe?
3 The she sayde: here is my mayde Bilha: go in vnto her that she maye beare vpo my lappe that I maye be encreased by her.
4 And she gaue him Bilha hir hadmayde to wife. And Iacob wet in vnto her
5 And Bilha conceaued and bare Iacob a sonne.
6 Than sayde Rahel. God hath geuen sentece on my syde and hath also herde my voyce and hath geuen me a sonne. Therfore called she him Dan.
7 And Bilha Rahels mayde coceaued agayne and bare Iacob a nother sonne.

Genesis 30:1-7 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.

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