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Genesis 30

KJ3 Literal Translation — Chapter 30 of 50

1 And Rachel saw that she did not bear to Jacob, and Rachel was jealous of her sister. And she said to Jacob, Give me sons; and if there is none, I shall die.

2 And Jacob's anger was hot against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God's place, who has kept back from you the fruit of the womb?

3 And she said, Behold my servant Bilhah! Go in to her and let her bear on my knees; yea, let me be built up from her, me also.

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Chapter Summary

1 Rachel gives Bilhah, her maid, to Jacob. 5 She bears Dan and Naphtali. 9 Leah gives her maid, Zilpah, who bears Gad and Asher. 117 Leah bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah. 22 Rachel bears Joseph. 25 Jacob desires to depart. 27 Laban's promise causes him to stay.

Key Hebrew Words

יָלַד bear (a child) H3205 · TWOT 867
קָנָא be jealous H7065 · TWOT 2038
דּוּדַי love-apples, mandrakes H1736 · TWOT 410d
שָׂכָר wages, hire H7939 · TWOT 2264.1b
צֹאן flock H6629 · TWOT 1864a
נָקֹד speckled H5348 · TWOT 1410a

People & Context

Rachel

Barren and jealous of Leah; gives Bilhah to Jacob, trades for mandrakes, and at last bears Joseph.

Leah

Gives Zilpah to Jacob, hires Jacob with Reuben's mandrakes, and bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah.

Jacob

Husband of Rachel and Leah; fathers their sons and breeds speckled flocks to prosper apart from Laban.

Laban

Jacob's uncle; persuades him to stay, sets the wage of speckled livestock, then separates the flocks.

God

Judges and hears Rachel and Leah, opens Rachel's womb, and blesses Laban for Jacob's sake.

Reuben

Leah's son who finds love-apples (mandrakes) in the field at wheat harvest and brings them to his mother.

Timeline

Births through Bilhah (Rachel's Slave)

Rachel is jealous of Leah and demands sons from Jacob. Jacob's anger flares, reminding her he is not God. Rachel gives her slave-girl Bilhah to Jacob. Bilhah conceives and bears Dan ('judged,' for God judged and gave her a son) and Naphtali ('my wrestling,' for she wrestled with her sister).

Genesis 30:1-8
Births through Zilpah (Leah's Slave)

Leah, seeing she has stopped bearing, gives her slave-girl Zilpah to Jacob. Zilpah bears Gad ('fortune') and Asher ('happy,' for daughters will call her happy).

Genesis 30:9-13
Leah Bears More Sons and a Daughter

Reuben finds love-apples and brings them to Leah. Rachel asks for some. Leah complains about Rachel taking her husband, but agrees to share them if Rachel allows Jacob to lie with her that night. Leah conceives and bears Issachar ('hire,' for God gave her hire because she gave her slave-girl). Then she bears Zebulun ('present,' hoping her husband will live with her because she bore six sons). Afterwards, she bears Dinah.

Genesis 30:14-21

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