Genesis 30:15-35

15 Leah replied, "Isn't it enough that you took my husband? Are you also going to take my son's mandrakes?" Rachel said, "Very well, Jacob can go to bed with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes."

16 As Jacob was coming in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. "You are to sleep with me," she said. "You are my reward for my son's mandrakes." So he went to bed with her that night.

17 God answered Leah's prayer. She became pregnant and gave birth to her fifth son for Jacob.

18 Leah said, "God has given me my reward because I gave my slave to my husband." So she named him Issachar [Reward].

19 She became pregnant again and gave birth to her sixth son for Jacob.

20 Leah said, "God has presented me with a beautiful present. This time my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons." So she named him Zebulun [Honor].

21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel. God answered her prayer and made it possible for her to have children.

23 So she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then she said, "God has taken away my disgrace."

24 She named him Joseph [May He Give Another] and said, "May the LORD give me another son."

25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Let me go home to my own country.

26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I've worked, and let me go. You know how much work I've done for you."

27 Laban replied, "Listen to me. I've learned from the signs I've seen that the LORD has blessed me because of you."

28 So he offered, "Name your wages, and I'll pay them."

29 Jacob responded, "You know how much work I've done for you and what has happened to your livestock under my care.

30 The little that you had before I came has grown to a large amount. The LORD has blessed you wherever I've been. When can I do something for my own family?"

31 Laban asked, "What should I give you?" "Don't give me anything," Jacob answered. "Instead, do something for me, then I'll go back to taking care of and watching your flocks again.

32 Let me go through all of your flocks today and take every speckled or spotted sheep, every black lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages.

33 My honesty will speak for itself whenever you come to check on my wages. Any goat I have that isn't speckled or spotted or any lamb that isn't black will be considered stolen."

34 Laban answered, "Agreed. We'll do as you've said."

35 However, that same day Laban took out the striped and spotted male goats, all the speckled and spotted female goats (every one with white on it), and every black lamb. He had his sons take charge of them.

Genesis 30:15-35 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.