Genesis 30:25-35

25 nato autem Ioseph dixit Iacob socero suo dimitte me ut revertar in patriam et ad terram meam

26 da mihi uxores et liberos meos pro quibus servivi tibi ut abeam tu nosti servitutem qua servivi tibi

27 ait ei Laban inveniam gratiam in conspectu tuo experimento didici quod benedixerit mihi Deus propter te

28 constitue mercedem tuam quam dem tibi

29 at ille respondit tu nosti quomodo servierim tibi et quanta in manibus meis fuerit possessio tua

30 modicum habuisti antequam venirem et nunc dives effectus es benedixitque tibi Dominus ad introitum meum iustum est igitur ut aliquando provideam etiam domui meae

31 dixitque Laban quid dabo tibi at ille ait nihil volo sed si feceris quod postulo iterum pascam et custodiam pecora tua

32 gyra omnes greges tuos et separa cunctas oves varias et sparso vellere et quodcumque furvum et maculosum variumque fuerit tam in ovibus quam in capris erit merces mea

33 respondebitque mihi cras iustitia mea quando placiti tempus advenerit coram te et omnia quae non fuerint varia et maculosa et furva tam in ovibus quam in capris furti me arguent

34 dixit Laban gratum habeo quod petis

35 et separavit in die illo capras et oves hircos et arietes varios atque maculosos cunctum autem gregem unicolorem id est albi et nigri velleris tradidit in manu filiorum suorum

Genesis 30:25-35 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.