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Texts -- Genesis 30:1-40 (NET)

Context
30:1 When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children , she became jealous of her sister . She said to Jacob , “Give me children or I’ll die !” 30:2 Jacob became furious with Rachel and exclaimed , “Am I in the place of God , who has kept you from having children ?” 30:3 She replied , “Here is my servant Bilhah ! Have sexual relations with her so that she can bear children for me and I can have a family through her.” 30:4 So Rachel gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife , and Jacob had marital relations with her. 30:5 Bilhah became pregnant and gave Jacob a son . 30:6 Then Rachel said , “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer and given me a son .” That is why she named him Dan . 30:7 Bilhah , Rachel’s servant , became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son . 30:8 Then Rachel said , “I have fought a desperate struggle with my sister , but I have won .” So she named him Naphtali . 30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children , she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife . 30:10 Soon Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob a son . 30:11 Leah said , “How fortunate !” So she named him Gad . 30:12 Then Leah’s servant Zilpah gave Jacob another son . 30:13 Leah said , “How happy I am, for women will call me happy!” So she named him Asher . 30:14 At the time of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants in a field and brought them to his mother Leah . Rachel said to Leah , “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes .” 30:15 But Leah replied , “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband ? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” Rachel said , “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes .” 30:16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening , Leah went out to meet him and said , “You must sleep with me because I have paid for your services with my son’s mandrakes .” So he had marital relations with her that night . 30:17 God paid attention to Leah ; she became pregnant and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time. 30:18 Then Leah said , “God has granted me a reward because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” So she named him Issachar . 30:19 Leah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a son for the sixth time. 30:20 Then Leah said , “God has given me a good gift . Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons .” So she named him Zebulun . 30:21 After that she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah . 30:22 Then God took note of Rachel . He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant . 30:23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son . Then she said , “God has taken away my shame .” 30:24 She named him Joseph , saying , “May the Lord give me yet another son .”
The Flocks of Jacob
30:25 After Rachel had given birth to Joseph , Jacob said to Laban , “Send me on my way so that I can go home to my own country . 30:26 Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. Then I’ll depart , because you know how hard I’ve worked for you.” 30:27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight , please stay here, for I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.” 30:28 He added , “Just name your wages – I’ll pay whatever you want.” 30:29 “You know how I have worked for you,” Jacob replied , “and how well your livestock have fared under my care. 30:30 Indeed , you had little before I arrived, but now your possessions have increased many times over. The Lord has blessed you wherever I worked . But now , how long must it be before I do something for my own family too ?” 30:31 So Laban asked , “What should I give you?” “You don’t need to give me a thing ,” Jacob replied , “but if you agree to this one condition , I will continue to care for your flocks and protect them: 30:32 Let me walk among all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep , every dark-colored lamb , and the spotted or speckled goats . These animals will be my wages . 30:33 My integrity will testify for me later on. When you come to verify that I’ve taken only the wages we agreed on, if I have in my possession any goat that is not speckled or spotted or any sheep that is not dark-colored , it will be considered stolen .” 30:34 “Agreed !” said Laban , “It will be as you say .” 30:35 So that day Laban removed the male goats that were streaked or spotted , all the female goats that were speckled or spotted (all that had any white on them), and all the dark-colored lambs , and put them in the care of his sons . 30:36 Then he separated them from Jacob by a three-day journey , while Jacob was taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks . 30:37 But Jacob took fresh-cut branches from poplar , almond , and plane trees . He made white streaks by peeling them, making the white inner wood in the branches visible . 30:38 Then he set up the peeled branches in all the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink . He set up the branches in front of the flocks when they were in heat and came to drink . 30:39 When the sheep mated in front of the branches , they gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted . 30:40 Jacob removed these lambs , but he made the rest of the flock face the streaked and completely dark-colored animals in Laban’s flock . So he made separate flocks for himself and did not mix them with Laban’s flocks .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Concubine

    [ebd] in the Bible denotes a female conjugally united to a man, but in a relation inferior to that of a wife. Among the early Jews, from various causes, the difference between a wife and a concubine was less marked than it would b...

  • CHILD; CHILDREN

    [isbe] CHILD; CHILDREN - child, chil'-dren (ben, "son," yeledh, "child" na`ar, "lad"; teknon, paidion): The Hebrews regarded the presence of children in the family as a mark of Divine favor and greatly to be desired (Gen 15:2; 30:1...

  • Jacob

    [nave] JACOB Son of Isaac, and twin brother of Esau, Gen. 25:24-26; Josh. 24:4; 1 Chr. 1:34; Acts 7:8. Ancestor of Jesus, Matt. 1:2. Given in answer to prayer, Gen. 25:21. Obtains Esau's birthright for a some stew, Gen. 25:29-34...

  • Rachel

    [ebd] ewe, "the daughter", "the somewhat petulant, peevish, and self-willed though beautiful younger daughter" of Laban, and one of Jacob's wives (Gen. 29:6, 28). He served Laban fourteen years for her, so deep was Jacob's affecti...
    [isbe] RACHEL - ra'-chel (rachel, "ewe"; Rhachel (Gen 29:6; Jer 31:15, the King James Version "Rahel")): 1. Biography: An ancestress of Israel, wife of Jacob, mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel was the younger daughter of Laban,...
    [nave] RACHEL, daughter of Laban and wife of Jacob. Meets Jacob at the well, Gen. 29:9-12. Jacob serves Laban fourteen years to secure her for his wife, Gen. 29:15-30. Sterility of, Gen. 29:31. Her grief in consequence of her ste...

  • Family

    [nave] FAMILY. Of Saints Blessed, Psa. 128:3, 6. Should be taught God's word, Deut. 4:9, 10. Worship God together, 1 Cor. 16:19. Be duly regulated, Prov. 31:27; 1 Tim. 3:4, 5, 12. Live in unity, Gen. 45:24; Psa. 133:1. Live ...

  • Emulation

    [nave] EMULATION, Rom. 11:11, 14; 2 Cor. 8:1-8; 2 Cor. 9:1-5; Heb. 10:24 Illustrated In Esau's marriages, Gen. 28:6-9. In Jacob's household, Gen. 30:1-24.

  • Barren

    [ebd] For a woman to be barren was accounted a severe punishment among the Jews (Gen. 16:2; 30:1-23; 1 Sam. 1:6, 27; Isa. 47:9; 49:21; Luke 1:25). Instances of barrenness are noticed (Gen. 11:30; 25:21; 29:31; Judg. 13:2, 3; Luke ...

  • Polygamy

    [nave] POLYGAMY Forbidden, Deut. 17:17; Lev. 18:18; Mal. 2:14, 15; Matt. 19:4, 5; Mark 10:2-8; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Tit. 1:6. Authorized, 2 Sam. 12:8. Tolerated, Ex. 21:10; 1 Sam. 1:2; 2 Chr. 24:3. Practiced, Job 27:15; by Lamech, Ge...

  • Bilhah

    [ebd] faltering; bashful, Rachel's handmaid, whom she gave to Jacob (Gen. 29:29). She was the mother of Dan and Naphtali (Gen. 30:3-8). Reuben was cursed by his father for committing adultry with her (35:22; 49:4). He was deprived...
    [smith] (timid, bashful), handmaid of Rachel, (Genesis 29:29) and concubine of Jacob, to whom she bore Dan and Naphtali. (Genesis 30:3-8; 35:25; 46:25; 1 Chronicles 7:13) (B.C 53.)
    [nave] BILHAH 1. Rachel's servant, bears children by Jacob, Gen. 29:29; 30:3, 4; 37:2. Mother of Dan and Naphtali, Gen. 30:1-8; 35:25; 46:23, 25. Reuben's incest with, Gen. 35:22; 49:4. 2. A place in the land of Simeon, 1 Chr. 4...

  • Zilpah

    [ebd] drooping, Leah's handmaid, and the mother of Gad and Asher (Gen. 30:9-13).
    [isbe] ZILPAH - zil'-pa (zilpah, meaning uncertain; Zelpha): The ancestress of Gad and Asher (Gen 30:10,12; 35:26; 46:18), a slave girl of Leah's, given her by Laban (Gen 29:24; 30:9). In Ezek 48 the Zilpah tribes have the 5th divi...
    [smith] (a trickling), a Syrian given by Laban to his daughter Leah as an attendant, (Genesis 29:24) and by Leah to Jacob as a concubine. She was the mother of Gad and Asher. (Genesis 30:9-13; 35:26; 37:2; 46:18) (B.C. 1753.)
    [nave] ZILPAH Leah's handmaid, Gen. 29:24. Mother of Gad and Asher by Jacob, Gen. 30:9-13; 35:26; 37:2; 46:18.

  • Leah

    [ebd] weary, the eldest daughter of Laban, and sister of Rachel (Gen. 29:16). Jacob took her to wife through a deceit of her father (Gen. 29:23). She was "tender-eyed" (17). She bore to Jacob six sons (32-35), also one daughter, D...
    [isbe] LEAH - le'-a (le'ah; Leia, "weary," "dull"(?), "wild cow"): Rachel's sister, and the elder daughter of Laban (Gen 29:16). We are told that her eyes were "tender" rakkoth). Gesenius renders it "weak," Septuagint astheneis; ac...
    [nave] LEAH Daughter of Laban, Gen. 29:16. Married to Jacob, Gen. 29:23-26. Children of, Gen. 29:31-35; 30:9-13, 17-21. Flees with Jacob, Gen. 31:4, 14, 17; 33:2-7. "Builder of the house of Israel,'' Ruth 4:11.

  • Laban

    [nave] LABAN Son of Bethuel, Gen. 28:5. Brother of Rebekah, Gen. 22:23; 24:15, 29. Receives the servant of Abraham, Gen. 24:29-33. Receives Jacob, and gives him his daughters in marriage, Gen. 29:12-30. Jacob becomes his servan...

  • RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY

    [isbe] RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY - re-la'-shun-ships: I. CONSANGUINITY 1. In General 2. Parents and Children 3. Brothers and Sisters 4. Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Kinsmen II. AFFINITY 1. Husband and Wife 2. Father-in-Law, etc. 3. Brother-...

  • HEIR

    [isbe] HEIR - ar: 1. The Word "Heir": In the New Testament "heir" is the invariable translation of kleronomos (15 times), the technical equivalent in Greek, and of the compound sunkleronomos, "co-heir," in Rom 8:17; Eph 3:6; Heb 11...

  • Contracts

    [nave] CONTRACTS Between Abraham and Abimelech, concerning wells of water, Gen. 21:25-32; violated, Gen. 26:15. First contract between Laban and Jacob for Laban's daughter, Gen. 29:15-20, 27-30; violated, Gen. 29:23-27; second con...

  • Servant

    [nave] SERVANT Distinguished as bond servant, who was a slave, and hired servant. Bond Laws of Moses concerning, Ex. 21:1-11, 20, 21, 26, 27, 32; Lev. 19:20-22; 25:6, 10, 35-55; Deut. 15:12, 14, 18; 24:7. Kidnapping forbidden, D...

  • Women

    [nave] WOMEN Creation of, Gen. 1:27; 2:21, 22. Named, Gen. 2:23. Fall of, and curse upon, Gen. 3:1-16; 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:14. Promise to, Gen. 3:15. Had separate apartments in dwellings, Gen. 24:67; 31:33; Esth. 2:9, 11. Ve...

  • Children

    [nave] CHILDREN In answer to prayer: To Abraham, Gen. 15:2-5, with Gen. 21:1, 2; Isaac, Gen. 25:21; Leah, Gen. 30:17-22; Rachel, Gen. 30:22-24; Haah, 1 Sam. 1:9-20; Zacharias, Luke 1:13. Treatment of, at birth, Ezek. 16:4-6; Luke ...

  • Wages

    [ebd] Rate of (mention only in Matt. 20:2); to be punctually paid (Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14, 15); judgements threatened against the withholding of (Jer. 22:13; Mal. 3:5; comp. James 5:4); paid in money (Matt. 20:1-14); to Jacob in ...
    [isbe] WAGES - wa'-jez, wa'-jiz (chinnam, maskoreth, pe`ullah, sakhar, sakhar; misthos, opsonion): (1) Chinnam means "gratis," without cost or any advantage, for nought, or in vain; wages in the sense of reasonable return. Jeremiah...
    [smith] The earliest mention of wages is of a recompense, not in money, but in kind, to Jacob from Laban. (Genesis 29:15,20; 30:28; 31:7,8,41) In Egypt money payments by way of wages were in use, but the terms cannot now be ascertain...
    [nave] WAGES Of Jacob, Gen. 29:15-30; 30:28-34; 31:7, 41. Parable concerning, Matt. 20:1-15. See: Master; Servant. Unclassified Scriptures Relating to Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14, 15; Deut. 25:4; Jer. 22:13; Hag. 1:6; Mal. 3:5; Luk...

  • Dishonesty

    [nave] DISHONESTY. Lev. 6:2-7; Lev. 19:13, 35, 36; Deut. 25:13, 15, 16; Job 24:2-11; Psa. 37:21; Psa. 50:18; Psa. 62:10; Prov. 3:27, 28; Prov. 11:1; Prov. 20:10, 14, 17, 23; Isa. 32:7; Jer. 7:8-10; Jer. 9:4-6, 8; Jer. 22:13; Ezek....
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Biblical Polygamists; References on Envy

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The events recorded in Genesis stretch historically from Creation to Joseph's death, a period of at least 2500 years. The first part of the book (ch. 1-11) is not as easy to date precisely as the second part (ch. 12-50). The ...
  • Genesis provides the historical basis for the rest of the Bible and the Pentateuch, particularly the Abrahamic Covenant. Chapters 1-11 give historical background essential to understanding that covenant, and chapters 12-50 re...
  • The structure of Genesis is very clear. The phrase "the generations of"(toledotin Hebrew, from yaladmeaning "to bear, to generate") occurs ten times (really eleven times since 36:9 repeats 36:1), and in each case it introduce...
  • The Lord destroyed the corrupt, violent human race and deluged its world, but He used righteous Noah to preserve life and establish a new world after the Flood."Noah's experience presents decisively the author's assertion tha...
  • 8:1-5 When Moses wrote that God remembered someone (v. 1), he meant God extended mercy to him or her by delivering that person from death (here; 19:29) or from barrenness (30:22).311God's rescue of Noah foreshadows His delive...
  • "The Babel account (11:1-9) is not the end of early Genesis. If it were, the story would conclude on the sad note of human failure. But as with earlier events in Genesis 1-11, God's grace once again supersedes human sin, insu...
  • One of the significant changes in the emphasis that occurs at this point in Genesis is from cursing in the primeval record to blessing in the patriarchal narratives. The Abrahamic Covenant is most important in this respect. H...
  • A major theme of the Pentateuch is the partial fulfillment of the promises to the patriarchs. The promises in Genesis 12:1-3 and 7 are the fountainhead from which the rest of the Pentateuch flows.397Walter Kaiser labeled the ...
  • "These verses are of fundamental importance for the theology of Genesis, for they serve to bind together the primeval history and the later patriarchal history and look beyond it to the subsequent history of the nation."414"W...
  • The second crisis Abram faced arose because of a famine in Canaan. Abram chose to sojourn in the Nile Valley until it was past. In this incident Abram tried to pass Sarai off as his sister because he feared for his life. By d...
  • Sarai and Abram tried to obtain the heir God had promised them by resorting to a culturally acceptable custom of their day even though it involved a failure to trust God. This fleshly act created serious complications for Abr...
  • Abraham's purchase of a burial site in the Promised Land demonstrated his intention to remain in Canaan rather than going back to his native homeland. Since he was a sojourner in Canaan his friends probably expected him to bu...
  • A new toledotbegins with 25:19. Its theme is "the acquisition of the blessing and its development and protection by the Lord."625Moses set up the whole Jacob narrative in a chiastic structure that emphasizes the fulfillment o...
  • The long account of Jacob's relationship with Laban (chs. 29-31) is the centerpiece of the Jacob story (chs. 25-35). It is a story within a story, and it too has a chiastic structure. At its center is the account of the birth...
  • God formed Jacob's family, the ancestors of the tribes of Israel, as He had promised Jacob at Bethel. Unfortunately Jacob and his wives lived in envy and friction over how God chose to bless them."Jacob had planned to take Ra...
  • Jacob and Laban ("White") made an agreement that each man felt he could manipulate to his own advantage. However, God sovereignly overruled to bless Jacob as He had promised in spite of Laban's deceit and Jacob's devices (cf....
  • Jacob was ready to sacrifice part of his family expecting Esau to attack him, and he approached his brother as though Esau was his lord. In contrast, Esau welcomed Jacob magnanimously, reluctantly received his gift, and offer...
  • Jacob was not disobedient to God in leaving Bethel. God's instructions to go to Bethel and "live there"(v. 1) were evidently directions to dwell there while he fulfilled his vow. God did not command permanent residence there....
  • Aalders, Gerhard Charles. Genesis. The Bible Student's Commentary series. 2 vols. Translated by William Heynen. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas...
  • Moses revealed God's purpose for giving the Mosaic Covenant in this chapter.19:1-6 The Israelites arrived at the base of the mountain where God gave them the law about three months after they had left Egypt, in May-June (v. 1...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • 105:7-11 God remembered His people (v. 7, cf. v. 42) so His people should remember Him (v. 5). God had been faithful to the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3, 7; 15:18-21; 22:15-18; 28:13-15). He made this covenant with Abraham...
  • Secure in her love the Shulammite now felt free to initiate sex directly rather than indirectly as earlier (cf. 1:2a, 2:6). The references to spring suggest the freshness and vigor of love. Mandrakes were fruits that resemble...
  • Isaiah next tried to move Ahaz to faith (vv. 10-12), then denounced the king for his failure to trust Yahweh (vv. 13-15), and finally forecast a calamity worse than the division of Israel's united kingdom (vv. 16-17).7:10 Evi...
  • The angel's announcement of John's birth occurred even before Elizabeth conceived him (cf. Matt. 1:18-25). This is further evidence of his being a special provision from the Lord. Elizabeth's self-imposed five-month period of...
  • 1:28 The fact that Gabriel greeted Mary as he did and did not greet Zechariah the same way shows Mary's favored position. Gabriel's greeting was customary: Hail! or Greetings! (Gr. chaire). Mary was highly "favored"(Gr. kecha...
  • This section brings the parallel stories of John's birth and Jesus' birth together. The two sons had their own identities and individual greatness, but Jesus was superior. John began his ministry of exalting Jesus in his moth...
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