Genesis 30:18-28

18 and said, God hath given meed to me, for I gave mine handmaid to mine husband; and she called his name Issachar. (and she said, God hath rewarded me, for I gave my slave-girl to my husband; and so she named him Issachar.)
19 (And) Again Leah conceived, and childed the sixth son,
20 and said, The Lord hath made me rich with a good dower; also in this time mine husband shall be with me, for I have engendered six sons to him; and therefore she called his name Zebulun. (and she said, The Lord hath made me rich with a good dowry; and now my husband shall be glad to be with me, for I have borne him six sons; and so she named him Zebulun.)
21 After whom she childed a daughter, Dinah by name.
22 Also the Lord had mind on Rachel, and he heard her, and opened her womb. (And the Lord remembered Rachel, and he heard her prayers and pleadings, and opened her womb.)
23 And she conceived, and childed a son, and said, God hath (now) taken away my shame;
24 and she called his name Joseph, and said, The Lord give to me another son. (and she said, May the Lord give me another son/The Lord hath given me another son, and she named him Joseph.)
25 Soothly when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his wife's father, Deliver thou me, that I turn again to my country, and to my land. (And when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his wife's father, Let me go, so that I can return to my country, and my land.)
26 Give thou to me my wives, and my free children, for which I have served thee, that I go (Give thou to me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served thee, so that I can go); forsooth thou knowest the service by which I have served thee.
27 Laban said to him, Find I grace in thy sight; I have learned by experience, that God hath blessed me for thee; (Laban said to him, Let me find grace before thee; I have learned by experience, that God hath blessed me for thy sake;)
28 ordain thou the meed which I shall give to thee. (tell me the reward, or the payment, which I should give thee.)

Genesis 30:18-28 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.