Genesis 30:18

30:18 Then Leah said, “God has granted me a reward ¹  because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife.” ²  So she named him Issachar. ³ 

Genesis 16:2

16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Since ⁴  the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with ⁵  my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” ⁶  Abram did what ⁷  Sarai told him.

Genesis 16:5

16:5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! ⁸  I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, ⁹  but when she realized ¹⁰  that she was pregnant, she despised me. ¹¹  May the Lord judge between you and me!” ¹² 

¹ tn Heb “God has given my reward.”

² tn The words “as a wife” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarity (cf. v. 9).

³ sn The name Issachar (יְשָּׁשכָר, yishakhar) appears to mean “man of reward” or possibly “there is reward.” The name plays on the word used in the statement made earlier in the verse. The Hebrew noun translated “reward” is derived from the same root as the name Issachar. The irony is that Rachel thought the mandrakes would work for her, and she was willing to trade one night for them. But in that one night Leah became pregnant.

⁴ tn Heb “look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) introduces the foundational clause for the imperative to follow.

⁵ tn Heb “enter to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual relations (also in v. 4).

⁶ tn Heb “perhaps I will be built from her.” Sarai hopes to have a family established through this surrogate mother.

⁷ tn Heb “listened to the voice of,” which is an idiom meaning “obeyed.”

⁷ tn Heb “my wrong is because of you.”

⁸ tn Heb “I placed my female servant in your bosom.”

⁹ tn Heb “saw.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “I was despised in her eyes.” The passive verb has been translated as active for stylistic reasons. Sarai was made to feel supplanted and worthless by Hagar the servant girl.

¹¹ tn Heb “me and you.”