Genesis 30

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 30

1¶ And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

2And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, [Am] I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

3And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

4And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

5And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

6And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

7And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

8And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

9When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.

10And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.

11And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

12And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.

13And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

14¶ And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.

15And she said unto her, [Is it] a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

16And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.

18And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

19And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.

20And Leah said, God hath endued me [with] a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

21And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

23And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

24And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

25¶ And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.

26Give [me] my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.

27And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, [tarry: for] I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.

28And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give [it].

29And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.

30For [it was] little which thou hadst before I [came], and it is [now] increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?

31And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed [and] keep thy flock:

32I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and [of such] shall be my hire.

33So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that [is] not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.

34And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

35And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, [and] every one that had [some] white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave [them] into the hand of his sons.

36And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

37¶ And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which [was] in the rods.

38And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

39And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

40And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.

41And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.

42But when the cattle were feeble, he put [them] not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

43And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Rachel, barren and envious, gives her maid Bilhah to Jacob, who bears Dan and Naphtali. Leah, seeing she has ceased bearing, gives her maid Zilpah, who bears Gad and Asher, and then Leah herself bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah. Finally, God remembers Rachel, and she conceives and bears Joseph. Subsequently, Jacob negotiates a new wage with Laban, using a unique breeding strategy involving peeled rods to increase his own flocks of speckled and spotted animals, thereby greatly increasing his wealth.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with Rachel's distress over her barrenness, leading her to give her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob, who then bears Dan and Naphtali. Observing this, Leah, having ceased bearing, gives her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob, resulting in the births of Gad and Asher. A peculiar incident involving Reuben's mandrakes leads to a negotiation between Rachel and Leah, where Leah secures a night with Jacob and subsequently conceives Issachar, Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah. Eventually, God remembers Rachel, opening her womb, and she bears Joseph. Following Joseph's birth, Jacob expresses his desire to depart from Laban, but Laban, recognizing God's blessing through Jacob, urges him to stay. Jacob proposes a new wage: all future speckled, spotted, and brown animals from Laban's flock. Laban agrees but attempts to disadvantage Jacob by immediately removing all such existing animals. However, Jacob employs a clever breeding method using peeled rods placed at watering troughs, ensuring that the stronger animals conceive speckled and spotted offspring for his own portion, thus greatly increasing his wealth and possessions.

Long Summary

Genesis chapter 30 details the continued expansion of Jacob's family and his strategic accumulation of wealth under Laban's service. The narrative opens with Rachel's deep distress and envy over her barrenness, leading her to demand children from Jacob, who responds by attributing fertility to God. In desperation, Rachel offers her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob as a surrogate, through whom Jacob fathers Dan and Naphtali, each name reflecting Rachel's perception of divine judgment and her struggle with Leah. When Leah perceives that she has ceased bearing, she likewise gives her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob, who then fathers Gad and Asher, with Leah naming them to signify good fortune. A significant interlude occurs during wheat harvest when Reuben finds mandrakes, which Rachel desires from Leah. This leads to a contentious exchange where Rachel bargains a night with Jacob for the mandrakes, resulting in Leah conceiving Issachar, Zebulun, and later, a daughter named Dinah. Finally, God remembers Rachel, opening her womb, and she bears Joseph, expressing her hope for another son. After Joseph's birth, Jacob seeks to return to his homeland, requesting his wives and children from Laban. Laban, having observed that the Lord had blessed him for Jacob's sake, entreats Jacob to remain, offering to set his wages. Jacob recounts his faithful service and how Laban's flocks prospered under his care, then proposes a unique wage: he will continue to tend the flocks, but his future compensation will consist solely of all speckled, spotted, and brown animals born among the sheep and goats. Laban agrees, but immediately attempts to circumvent Jacob by removing all such existing animals from the flock and placing them three days' journey away under the care of his sons. Undeterred, Jacob devises a cunning breeding strategy, taking fresh rods of poplar, hazel, and chestnut, and peeling them to expose white streaks. He places these striped rods in the watering troughs before the stronger flocks, influencing them to conceive ringstraked, speckled, and spotted offspring. By selectively applying this method to the stronger animals, Jacob ensures that the more robust and desirable offspring become his, while the feebler animals remain Laban's. Through this divinely-blessed ingenuity, Jacob's wealth, including cattle, servants, camels, and asses, increases exceedingly.

Core Concepts

  • Surrogacy and Family ExpansionRachel and Leah, in their competition for children and status, use their handmaids Bilhah and Zilpah as surrogates for Jacob, significantly expanding his family and the future tribes of Israel.
  • Divine Sovereignty in FertilityJacob reminds Rachel that only God can grant children, and later, God "remembers" Rachel and opens her womb, emphasizing divine control over barrenness and fertility.
  • Naming as Prophecy/ReflectionThe names given to Jacob's children (Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph) often reflect the mothers' prayers, struggles, or hopes, serving as a commentary on their circumstances and perceived divine favor.
  • Bargaining and RivalryThe exchange over mandrakes between Rachel and Leah highlights their rivalry and willingness to negotiate for Jacob's attention. This competition underscores the complex dynamics within Jacob's household.
  • Divine Blessing and ProsperityLaban acknowledges that the Lord has blessed him for Jacob's sake, and Jacob's subsequent increase in wealth through his unique breeding practices is presented as a result of God's favor upon him.
  • Animal Husbandry and Selective BreedingJacob employs a specific, albeit unusual, method of placing peeled rods before the stronger animals at watering troughs, which the text attributes to influencing the conception of specific coat patterns, thereby increasing his own portion of the flock.