Genesis 30:3-13

3 She said, "Here is my maid Bilhah. Go, sleep with her, and let her give birth to a child that will be laid on my knees, so that through her I too can build a family."
4 So she gave him Bilhah her slave-girl as his wife, and Ya'akov went in and slept with her.
5 Bilhah conceived and bore Ya'akov a son.
6 Rachel said, "God has judged in my favor; indeed he has heard me and given me a son." Therefore she called him Dan [he judged].
7 Bilhah Rachel's slave-girl conceived again and bore Ya'akov a second son.
8 Rachel said, "I have wrestled mightily with my sister and won," and called him Naftali [my wrestling].
9 When Le'ah saw that she had stopped having children, she took Zilpah her slave-girl and gave her to Ya'akov as his wife.
10 Zilpah Le'ah's slave-girl bore Ya'akov a son;
11 and Le'ah said, "Good fortune has come," calling him Gad [good fortune].
12 Zilpah Le'ah's slave-girl bore Ya'akov a second son;
13 and Le'ah said, "How happy I am! Women will say I am happy!" and called him Asher [happy].

Genesis 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.

Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.