Genesis 30: Jacob's children, and his flocks grow
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What happens?
Rachel and Leah compete for children and give their servants Bilhah and Zilpah to Jacob. Six more sons and a daughter, Dinah, are born, and at last Rachel has a son of her own, Joseph. Jacob then agrees to work for Laban in return for the speckled and spotted animals, and his flocks grow large.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter. Rachel and Leah speak as they name their sons, and Jacob and Laban bargain over Jacob's pay. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”
In plain English: When Rachel saw that she was not having children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I will die!"
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2Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
In plain English: Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"
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3She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.”
In plain English: She said, "Here is my servant Bilhah. Sleep with her so that she can give birth on my knees, and I too can have children (in Hebrew: be built up) through her."
Good to know: Sarai said almost the same Hebrew words, "I will obtain children by her" (word for word: be built up by her), in when she gave her servant Hagar to Abram.
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4She gave him Bilhah her servant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
In plain English: So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob slept with her.
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5Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
In plain English: Bilhah became pregnant and had a son for Jacob.
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6Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.
In plain English: Rachel said, "God has judged my case. He has also heard my voice and given me a son." So she named him Dan.
Good to know: "Dan" sounds like dan, the word Rachel uses for "judged".
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7Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
In plain English: Rachel's servant Bilhah became pregnant again and had a second son for Jacob.
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8Rachel said, “I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali.
In plain English: Rachel said, "I have wrestled hard (in Hebrew: wrestlings of God) with my sister, and I have won." She named him Naphtali.
The Hebrew words: "Mighty wrestlings" is naphtule Elohim, word for word "wrestlings of God". "Naphtali" sounds like niphtalti, "I have wrestled".
What changes: This Bible reads "of God" as a way of saying "mighty". Read word for word, Rachel's struggle may be one that has to do with God, not only a very great one.
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9When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
In plain English: When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
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10Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a son.
In plain English: Leah's servant Zilpah had a son for Jacob.
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11Leah said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad.
In plain English: Leah said, "How fortunate!" (or: "Good fortune has come!") She named him Gad.
The Hebrew word: In the Hebrew text "How fortunate" is written as one word, begad, "with good fortune". Hebrew Bibles give a second way to read it, as two words: ba gad, "good fortune has come". The boy's name, Gad, is the same word gad.
How it is translated: Older Bibles like the King James read gad here as "troop".
What changes: Either way the name Gad comes from Leah's words. Read as "troop", her words are about many people coming, not about good fortune.
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12Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a second son.
In plain English: Leah's servant Zilpah had a second son for Jacob.
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13Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher.
In plain English: Leah said, "How happy I am, for the daughters will call me happy." She named him Asher.
Good to know: "Asher" sounds like osher, "happy", Leah's word in this verse.
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14Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
In plain English: During the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found mandrakes (a kind of plant) in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
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15Leah said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes, also?” Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”
In plain English: Leah said to her, "Isn't it enough that you have taken my husband? Will you take my son's mandrakes too?" Rachel said, "Then he will sleep with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes."
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16Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night.
In plain English: When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must sleep with me, because I have surely hired you (paid for you) with my son's mandrakes." So he slept with her that night.
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17God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
In plain English: God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and had a fifth son for Jacob.
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18Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar.
In plain English: Leah said, "God has given me my pay (my hire), because I gave my servant to my husband." She named him Issachar.
Good to know: "Issachar" sounds like sakar, "hire" or "pay". Leah says God has given her her hire, and in she told Jacob she had "hired" him with the mandrakes.
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19Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
In plain English: Leah became pregnant again and had a sixth son for Jacob.
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20Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She named him Zebulun.
In plain English: Leah said, "God has given me a good gift (a good dowry). Now my husband will live with me (or: will honor me), because I have given him six sons." She named him Zebulun.
Good to know: "Zebulun" sounds like yizbeleni, Leah's word for "will live with me". "Endowed" and "dowry" (zabad, zebed) sound alike too.
How it is translated: The word for "live with" appears only here in the Bible, so its meaning is not certain. This Bible says "live with me". It can also be read as "honor me".
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21Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
In plain English: Later she had a daughter and named her Dinah.
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22God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
In plain English: Then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her and opened her womb.
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23She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”
In plain English: She became pregnant and had a son, and said, "God has taken away my disgrace."
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24She named him Joseph, saying, “May Yahweh add another son to me.”
In plain English: She named him Joseph, saying, "May Yahweh add another son for me."
Good to know: "Joseph" sounds like yoseph, "may he add": Rachel asks Yahweh to add another son. In she says God has "taken away" (asaph) her disgrace, which sounds like it too.
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25When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
In plain English: After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, so that I can go to my own place and my own country.
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26Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.”
In plain English: Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have worked for you, and let me go. You know the work I have done for you."
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27Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.”
In plain English: Laban said to him, "Please, if I have found favor with you, stay. I have learned by divination that Yahweh has blessed me because of you."
The Hebrew word: "Divined" is nachash: to look for signs or omens. uses it for the cup Joseph "divines" with.
How it is translated: In its 9 verses this Bible says "divination", "divined" or "divines" in 6. Older Bibles like the King James say "I have learned by experience" here.
What changes: Read as "learned by experience", Laban learned it from what he saw happen, not from signs or omens.
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28He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”
In plain English: He said, "Name your pay, and I will give it."
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29Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.
In plain English: Jacob said to him, "You know how I have worked for you, and how your livestock have done in my care.
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30For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”
In plain English: You had little before I came, and it has grown to a great amount. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. But when will I provide for my own household too?"
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31Laban said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.
In plain English: Laban asked, "What shall I give you?" Jacob said, "Don't give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will go on feeding your flock and looking after it.
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32I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire.
In plain English: Let me go through your whole flock today and take out every speckled and spotted animal, every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled ones among the goats. They will be my pay.
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33So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be considered stolen.”
In plain English: Later on, my honesty will answer for me, when you come to check my pay. Any goat that is not speckled and spotted, and any sheep that is not black, if found with me, will be counted as stolen."
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34Laban said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.”
In plain English: Laban said, "Good. Let it be as you have said."
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35That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
In plain English: That same day he (Laban) took out the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and he put them in the care of his sons.
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36He set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
In plain English: He put a three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob looked after the rest of Laban's flocks.
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37Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, and plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
In plain English: Jacob took fresh branches of poplar, almond and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, showing the white wood of the branches.
Good to know: In Hebrew, "white" is lavan, which sounds the same as Laban's name. "Poplar" is livneh, which sounds like it too.
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38He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink.
In plain English: He set the peeled branches in front of the flocks, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. The animals mated when they came to drink.
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39The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.
In plain English: The flocks mated in front of the branches, and they had young that were streaked, speckled and spotted.
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40Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in Laban’s flock. He put his own droves apart, and didn’t put them into Laban’s flock.
In plain English: Jacob set the lambs apart, and he made the flocks face the streaked and all the black animals in Laban's flock. He kept his own flocks separate and did not put them with Laban's flock.
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41Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the watering troughs, that they might conceive among the rods;
In plain English: Whenever the stronger animals of the flock were mating, Jacob put the branches in the troughs in front of their eyes, so that they would mate among the branches.
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42but when the flock were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
In plain English: But when the animals were weak, he did not put the branches there. So the weaker ones went to Laban, and the stronger ones to Jacob.
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43The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
In plain English: So the man became very rich. He had large flocks, female and male servants, camels, and donkeys.
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