Genesis 30

Genesis · Chapter 30

Genesis 30:15

1And 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.14And 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.25And 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.37And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chestnut 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
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.But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away 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.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and she saidוַתֹּ֣אמֶרva-TO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

¿ smallהַמְעַט֙ham-'ATH4592
little

מְעַט (me.at) 1) littleness, few, a little, fewness 1a) little, small, littleness, fewness, too little, yet a little 1b) like a little, within a little, almost, just, hardly, shortly, little worth

taking youקַחְתֵּ֣ךְkach-TEKHH3947G
to take: take

לָקַח (la.qach) : take 1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take, take in the hand 1a2) to take and carry along 1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away 1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept 1a5) to take up or upon, put upon 1a6) to fetch 1a7) to take, lead, conduct 1a8) to take, capture, seize 1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be taken away, be removed …

husband myאִישִׁ֔י'i-SHIH0376H
man

אִישׁ (ish) : man 1) man 1a) man, male (in contrast to woman, female) 1b) husband 1c) human being, person (in contrast to God) 1d) servant 1e) mankind 1f) champion 1g) great man 2) whosoever 3) each (adjective)

and to takeוְלָקַ֕חַתve-la-KA-chatH3947G
to take: take

לָקַח (la.qach) : take 1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take, take in the hand 1a2) to take and carry along 1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away 1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept 1a5) to take up or upon, put upon 1a6) to fetch 1a7) to take, lead, conduct 1a8) to take, capture, seize 1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be taken away, be removed …

alsoגַּ֥םgamH1571
also

גַּם (gam) 1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea 1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis) 1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative) 1c) even (for stress) 1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax) 1e) also (of correspondence or retribution) 1f) but, yet, though (adversative) 1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case) 2) (TWOT) again, alike

[the] mandrakes ofדּוּדָאֵ֖יdu-da-'EIH1736
mandrake

דּוּדַי (du.day) 1) mandrake, love-apple 1a) as exciting sexual desire, and favouring procreation

son myבְּנִ֑יbe-NIH1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

and she saidוַתֹּ֣אמֶרva-TO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Rachelרָחֵ֗לra-CHELH7354
Rachel

רָחֵל (ra.chel) A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.29.6; daughter of: Laban (H3837A); sister of: Leah (H3812); married to Israel (H3478); mother of: Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144) Also named: Rhachēl (Ῥαχήλ "Rachel" G4478) § Rachel = "ewe" daughter of Laban, wife of Jacob, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin

to thereforeלָכֵן֙la-KHENH3651C
right

כֵּן (ken) adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable

he will lieיִשְׁכַּ֤בyish-KAVH7901I
to lie down: lay down

שָׁכַב (sha.khav) : lay_down/lie_with 1) to lie down 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on 1a2) to lodge 1a3) to lie (of sexual relations) 1a4) to lie down (in death) 1a5) to rest, relax (fig) 1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually) 1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually) 1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down 1e) (Hophal) to be laid

with youעִמָּךְ֙'i-moKhH5973A
with

עִם (im) 1) with 1a) with 1b) against 1c) toward 1d) as long as

this nightהַלַּ֔יְלָהha-LAY-lahH3915
night

לַ֫יְלָה (lay.lah) 1) night 1a) night (as opposed to day) 1b) of gloom, protective shadow (fig.)

forתַּ֖חַתTA-chatH8478H
underneath: under

תַּחַת (ta.chat) : under/below 1) the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas n m 1a) the under part adv accus 1b) beneath prep 1c) under, beneath 1c1) at the foot of (idiom) 1c2) sweetness, subjection, woman, being burdened or oppressed (fig) 1c3) of subjection or conquest 1d) what is under one, the place in which one stands 1d1) in one's place, the place in which one stands (idiom with reflexive pronoun) 1d2) in place of, instead of (in transferred sense) 1d3) in place of, in exchange or return for (of things mutually interchanged) conj …

[the] mandrakes ofדּוּדָאֵ֥יdu-da-'EIH1736
mandrake

דּוּדַי (du.day) 1) mandrake, love-apple 1a) as exciting sexual desire, and favouring procreation

son yourבְנֵֽךְ׃ve-NEKHH1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.