Genesis Chapter 30 — The Growth of Jacob's Family and Flocks
Rachel and Leah compete for children, leading to the birth of many sons through themselves and their servants. Jacob later makes a deal with Laban to build his own wealth through livestock.
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.”
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?”
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.”
4She gave him Bilhah her servant as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
5Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
6Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.
7Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
8Rachel said, “I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali.
9When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
10Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a son.
11Leah said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad.
12Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a second son.
13Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher.
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.”
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?”
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.”
17God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar.
19Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
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.
21Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
23She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”
24She named him Joseph,*Joseph means “may he add”. saying, “May the LORD add another son to me.”
25When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
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.”
27Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that the LORD has blessed me for your sake.”
28He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”
29Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.
30For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. The LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”
31Laban said, “What shall I give you?”
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.
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.”
34Laban said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.”
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.
36He set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
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.
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.
39The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted.
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.
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;
42but when the flock were feeble, he didn’t put them in. So the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s.
43The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Genesis 30:22
“God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.”
This verse marks the end of Rachel's period of barrenness and the birth of Joseph, a central figure in the later chapters of Genesis.
Genesis 30:43
“The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.”
This verse summarizes the physical blessing and prosperity Jacob received despite the challenges he faced with Laban.
Chapter Summary
Genesis 30 details the continued expansion of Jacob's family and his eventual prosperity under Laban. The chapter begins with Rachel's distress over her infertility, which prompts her to give her servant Bilhah to Jacob as a wife. This triggers a cycle where Leah also gives her servant Zilpah to Jacob, and both sisters continue to have children. Through this period, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, and Zebulun are born, as well as a daughter named Dinah. Finally, Rachel gives birth to Joseph. After Joseph's birth, Jacob requests to return to his homeland. Laban, recognizing that God has blessed him because of Jacob, asks Jacob to stay and name his wages. Jacob proposes taking only the speckled, spotted, and black animals from the flocks. Using a breeding technique with peeled rods at the watering troughs, Jacob ensures that the stronger animals produce offspring that fall under his ownership, resulting in his great personal wealth and large flocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
The sons born in this chapter are Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Joseph. Additionally, Leah gave birth to a daughter named Dinah.
Mandrakes were ancient plants believed to aid in fertility. In this chapter, Reuben finds them in the field, and Rachel trades a night with Jacob to Leah in exchange for the plants.
Jacob struck a deal with Laban to keep all the speckled, spotted, and black sheep and goats. By placing peeled rods in front of the stronger animals while they bred, he influenced the appearance of the offspring, allowing him to legally acquire the best of the flock.
Study Note
The names given to the children in this chapter reflect the intense personal competition and desire for divine favor between Rachel and Leah.
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