Genesis 30
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Genesis 30 Jacob’s Family & Wealth
Genesis 30 Jacob’s Family & Wealth
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
The maternal relation confers a high degree of honour in the East, and the want of that status is felt as a stigma, and deplored as a grievous calamity. Barrenness was viewed as a divine judgment (see Gen 16:2; 30:6), so life without children was unbearable.
And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
God’s. See note on 29:31 - [LORD. Jehovah used with the five sons (29:31–35 and 30:24). Elohim is used with six (30:2, 6, 17, 18, 20, 23). No title used with Benjamin (35:16–18). All were in pairs. Two pairs from Leah, one pair from Bilhah, one from Zilpah, one from Leah, one from Rachel.]
Jacob considers Rachel’s plea irrational since he views conception as the province of God. His response to Rachel’s barrenness differs sharply from his father’s response to Rebekah’s barrenness. Both men consider their wives’ ability to conceive to be within God’s purview, but Isaac petitions God for help, whereas Jacob deflects blame away from himself (compare Gen 25:21).
And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
This is under the Code of Hammurabi, a child by the wife’s handmaid is considered to be from that wife. Remember this is part of the discourse we saw between Hagar and Sarah. Like Sarah, Rachel resorts to offering Jacob her servant as a concubine so that she will have children to raise .
Bilhah (bil’-hah) = Timidity; in weakness
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
Rachel, following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, adopted the children of her maid. Bilhah is referred to as a concubine in 35:22. Unlike wives, no bride price was paid for concubines.
And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
Dan (dan) = Judging; judge; he that judges; (root = to judge; to rule; to execute judgment; to contend)
In the Hebrew text, Jacob later makes a similar wordplay as Rachel, but does so when speaking of Dan in unflattering terms (Gen 49:16–17).
Dan shall judge his people, As one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, An adder in the path, That biteth the horse heels, So that his rider shall fall backward.
And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
Rachel is making a wordplay in naming Naphtali; his name sounds like the Hebrew word niphtalti she uses in this verse to refer to her wrestling or struggling with Leah
Naphtali (naf’-ta-li) = A struggle; my wrestling; my twisting; obtained by wrestling
When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.
The servant given as a wife in accordance to the Code of Hammurabi
Zilpah (zil’-pah) = A dropping; drop. Flippant mouth
And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a son.
And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
The Hebrew word gad can mean “troop,” but it is also the word for luck or good fortune, as Leah uses it here. Though there was a god of good fortune in the ancient Near East (Gad = Jupiter (of the Babylonians) mentioned in Isa 65:11 with “Destiny”), Leah refers here to her good fortune, not the deity
Gad (gad) = Good fortune; good luck; a troop; (root = to gather in troops; to cut through)
And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a second son.
And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.
Asher (ash’-ur) = Same as Aser = Fortunate; happy. Fortress
And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.
in the days of the wheat harvest This corresponds roughly to the month of May
mandrakes. Sept. mandragora, the root easily formed, by pinching it, into the shape of a man. Hence its name; also supposed to be and used as a “love-philtre”. Arab. = “apples of Satan”. Mandrakes (duda'im in Hebrew) were believed in the ancient Near East to have magical fertility powers. The plant has no stalk, but it has large leaves with violet flowers and yellow fruit similar in size and shape to a tomato. It ripens in March or April.
And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.
And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
I have hired you The Hebrew verb used here, sakhar, is a sound play on the name Issachar (yissakhar in Hebrew)—the son who results from the rendezvous between Leah and Jacob (v. 18).
And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
Issachar (is’-sa-kar) = He is wages; he brings wages; he is hired; reward; there is here; (roots = [1] being; existence; that which is present; [2] to hire; to be rewarded)
And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
Zebulun The Hebrew name zevulun sounds similar to the Hebrew verb zaval, meaning “to honor”—hence Leah’s remark in this verse.
Zebulun (zeb’-u-lun) = Wished-for habitation; dwelling; (root = [1] habitation; [2] to dwell with)
And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
Jacob may have had other daughters not named. Unlike the sons named to this point, Dinah’s birth is not accompanied by an announcement or explanation of the name. She is likely only mentioned as a precursor to the events of ch. 34.
Dinah (di’-na) = Judged; i.e., vindicated; justice; she that is judged
And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
22–24 Fig. Hysterologia, Ap. 6, for Joseph born after Naphtali, not after Dinah. This Fig. is used to keep Leah’s children together.
And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.
Note the occurrence of Jehovah here in connection with Joseph. The name Joseph has two possible Hebrew derivations: the Hebrew word asaph (meaning “to take away”) and the Hebrew word yasaph (meaning “to add”). Rachel uses the word yasaph in this verse, suggesting that she viewed it as related to that word.
Joseph (jo’-zef) = May God add; he shall add; increasing; (root = to add)
And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.
my wives and my children Jacob now has 11 sons and one daughter. A 12th son, Benjamin, will eventually be born to him (35:18). From these 12 sons of Jacob, whose name God will change to “Israel” (32:28), come the 12 tribes of Israel.
And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.
experience = by divination. I have learned by divination Most translations understand the Hebrew verb used here as a reference to divination—discerning the will of a deity based on using an object, omen, or method. However in other occurrences in the OT, there is often an explanation of the divination procedure used, but one is not offered here (compare 44:15–17; Lev 16:8; Num 5).
for thy sake This seems to be a result of God’s promise to Abraham in Gen 12:3 (see 22:18; 26:4). Since God has blessed Jacob, via Abraham and his father Isaac, Jacob’s presence blesses others.
And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.
appoint me thy wages Laban does not want Jacob to leave because Jacob has made him wealthy. Laban asked Jacob this question when he first arrived (29:15), but he has shown himself to be untrustworthy by giving Jacob Leah as a wife instead of Rachel (29:25). Laban will continue to be untrustworthy after he and Jacob agree on wages (vv. 32–36).
And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
provide. Heb. the verb to do, which by Metonymy (of the Cause), Ap. 6, means to provide, or, do for.
house. Fig. Metonymy (of Subject), Ap. 6, by which “house” is put for all who dwell in it.
And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:
30:32–36 In this part of the world, sheep are typically white and goats are dark brown or black. Consequently, the markings Jacob describes on the animals he demands for his wages would lead Laban to presume he was getting the better side of the agreement (v. 34). Jacob is confident he will do well and ultimately becomes successful. Jacob attributes this turn of events not to his own actions, but to God (31:8–9).
I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
answer. By the Fig. Prosopopœia, Ap. 6, righteousness is personified.
in time to come. Heb. to-morrow. Fig. Antimereia (of Adverb), Ap. 6 = some future day.
my righteousness The Hebrew word used here, tsedaqah, refers to what is right or fair (see note on 18:19). It is used elsewhere to describe righteousness (15:6). Ironically, Jacob, who is not known for honesty (27:25), appeals to his honesty here.
And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.
Laban here agreeing to the terms that Jacob has laid out.
And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
So Laban removes all of the goats and sheep that were streaked, spotted, and brown thinking this would keep any more from being born. Laban again trying to take advantage of Jacob.
And he set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
A “day’s journey” refers to around 4 miles, so he’s separated the flocks by about 12 miles.
And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
Jacob shows his understanding of breeding in the next few verses, and here he is building chutes and fences to help him control the breeding of the flocks.
And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban’s cattle.
And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
So Jacob has breed to stronger to belong to him, and the weaker to belong to Laban. Never overlook the fact that the fences, chutes, the knowledge of genetics and breeding; all of these things are blessings bestowed by God. God has given Jacob the understanding needed, this is God’s will and blessings.
And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
We see Jacob blessed for having faith and following God. The same can be true in our lives. Give thanks and TURN TO PRAISE
