Genesis 30

(1) When Rachel saw that she wasn't having any children, she became jealous of her sister. "Give me children, or I'll die!" she exclaimed to Jacob.

   All three of the great patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) had wives who had difficulty conceiving. We only see one praying for his wife's problem to be solved - Isaac.

   She did die in giving birth to her second son, Joseph. Instead of going to God about her problem, Rachel is blaming Jacob for her inability to bear children. Jealousy is causing a rift between her and her sister and straining her relationship with Jacob.

   In spite of Rachel's beauty, she also was despondent. Probably, Leah often said, "If I only had my sister's beauty and the love of my husband as she does." And, no doubt, Rachel often said, "If I only had sons like my sister." Beautiful or plain, we all have our problems. Stop looking to how God deals with others and set your eyes on Him!

(2) Jacob flew into a rage. "Am I God?" he asked. "He is the only one able to give you children!"

   Jacob is pointing her to the solution to her problem - which is for God to supply her need! Samuel's mother (Hannah) prayed for a son in the Tabernacle, and God answered her tearful prayer (1 Samuel 1:11). But, Jacob's unsympathetic and doesn't understand Rachel's feelings - like men today. He's also implying that God is keeping her from being pregnant, possibly because something was wrong in her life. This just illustrates one of the many problems with polygamy.

   Can you imagine how vain Rachel was, knowing Jacob worked 14 years with no pay out of love for her, and knowing Jacob would not have worked one day for Leah?

(3) Then Rachel told him, "Sleep with my servant (handmaid), Bilhah, and she will bear children for me."

   Literally "upon my knees": she literally sat this way, so that it would appear as if the child was being born from Rachel as well, and symbolized her adoption or ownership of the child.

   Bilhah was the sole property of Rachel. Therefore, the children borne by her were the property of her mistress. These female slaves, therefore, bore children vicariously for their mistresses. Much like Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham in a surrogate-mother type arrangement (Genesis 16), Rachel gives her maid Bilhah to Jacob. She's desperate!

(4) So Rachel gave him Bilhah to be his wife, and Jacob slept with her.

(5) Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son.

(6) Rachel* named him Dan**, for she said, "God has vindicated me! He has heard*** my request and given me a son."

Rachel*: gave him the name not Bilhah. I wonder how Bilhah felt about that and the whole deal - she had no say in the process at all.

**Dan - Dan is a play on the Hebrew term meaning "to vindicate" or "to judge." Rachel followed Sarah's bad example, and the effect again was detrimental, because Dan is the "snake-in-the-grass" tribe (49:17) from which the counterfeit Messiah will come, and who will not be included in the 144,000 witnesses during the birthpangs of the Messiah. Quite often, Dan is not listed as one of the twelve tribes with Joseph's two sons listed instead of Joseph and Dan.

***heard: This shows that she had been complaining or praying to God about her problem, as well as to Jacob.

(7) Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son.

   Obviously, Jacob slept with Bilhah more than once!

(8) Rachel named him Naphtali*, for she said, "I have had an intense struggle with my sister, and I am winning!"

*Naphtali means "my struggle or "my wrestling". Relationships in this home have broken down to the point where Rachel will openly acknowledge this "baby competition" between her and her sister by naming the new baby wrestle.

(9) Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn't getting pregnant anymore, so she gave her servant, Zilpah, to Jacob to be his wife.

   Leah, who has stopped bearing children, figured she could use the same "surrogate mother" method to increase "her" number of children, so she gave her slave Zilpah to Jacob just as Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob.

(10) Soon Zilpah presented him with another son.

(11) Leah named him Gad*, for she said, "How fortunate I am!"

*Gad means "good fortune." Jacob's wives are still using their children as pawns in a power struggle within the home. Leah has apparently lost the peace she had when her fourth son was born; she no longer has the peace "praise" brings.

(12) Then Zilpah produced a second son,

(13) and Leah named him Asher*, for she said, "What joy is mine! The other women will consider me happy indeed!"

*Asher means "happy." Leah is more concerned about the status the child will bring her ("The other women will consider me happy indeed") than about the Asher.

(14) One day* during the wheat harvest**, Reuben found some mandrakes*** growing in a field and brought the roots to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah to give some of them to her.

*day: -- possibly when the "counting of the measure" is complete. Perhaps she thought this was an especially auspicious time to conceive, superstitious as she was.

**wheat harvest in Galilee is in May.

***mandrakes: or “love apples”, a fragrant plant thought to be an aphrodisiac to promote fertility. The name in Hebrew is a dual form of the word for "beloved", i.e., meant to endear the "victim" to oneself. But verse 17 reveals the real source of her success. What these were is utterly unknown. Some translate the word lilies, others jessamine, others citrons, others mushrooms, others figs, and some think the word means flowers, or fine flowers in general. The mandrake plant was considered to be an aphrodisiac. The whole account however is very obscure.

(15) But Leah angrily replied, "Wasn't it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son's mandrake roots, too?" Rachel said, "I will let him sleep* with you tonight in exchange for the mandrake roots."

   The hostility between Leah and Rachel is as obvious as it is painful. It must have been terrible living in a home where one wife believed the other had stolen her husband from her.

   This confirms the wisdom of God's original plan, as expressed in Genesis 2:24*: one man to be joined to one woman in a one-flesh relationship. "Is it any wonder that this family had a history of strife and bloodshed? Children reflect the atmosphere of the home." (Barnhouse) Later, Leviticus 18:18** forbids the marrying of sisters, and this shows why!

*Genesis 2:22-24: "At last!" Adam exclaimed. "She is part of my own flesh and bone! She will be called `woman,' because she was taken out of a man." This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one".

**Leviticus 18:18: "Do not marry a woman and her sister because they will be rivals. But if your wife dies, then it is all right to marry her sister."

*sleep: Evidently, Jacob usually stayed in Rachel's tent and usually slept with her. Wives had separate tents.

(16) So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. "You must sleep with me tonight!" she said. "I have paid for you with some mandrake roots my son has found." So Jacob slept with her.

(17) And God answered her prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to her fifth son.

(18) She named him Issachar*, for she said, "God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife."

*Issachar sounds like a Hebrew term that means "reward."

(19) Then she became pregnant again and had a sixth son.

(20) She named him Zebulun*, for she said, "God has given me good gifts** for my husband. Now he will honor*** me, for I have given him six sons."

*Zebulun probably means "honor." In the pain of her heart, she still waits for her husband to truly love her and live with her, and she hopes the sheer quantity of sons will win his heart to her.

**gifts: Literally, "God has dowered me with a good dowry."

honor me: Leah is still trying to be loved the way Jacob loved Rachel.

(21) Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah*.

*Dinah means "judgment". There were other daughters (Genesis 37:35; 46:7,15), but she is mentioned because she was raped in Genesis Chapter 34 and her brothers, Simeon and Levi, avenged her by killing the rapist and his family.

(22) Then God remembered Rachel's plight and answered her prayers* by giving her a child.

*prayers: After the scolding that Rachel had received from her husband, verse 2, this time she sought God by prayer. Her prayer and faith obtained what her impatience and unbelief had prevented.

(23) She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. "God has removed my shame," she said.

   This was years after the mandrakes incident, so they obviously did not help.

(24) And she named him Joseph*, for she said, "May the LORD give me yet another son."

*Joseph means "may he add." Rachel feels she has been "vindicated" by the birth of one son, but longs for more children to continue the competition with her sister Leah. At this point, none would think this eleventh son would end up being the key son used to further God's redemptive purpose through this family. Yet Isaiah 55:8-9 is true: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Joseph becomes a type of Christ as we'll learn later in Genesis. Joseph and Benjamin, Rachel's only biological sons, were Jacob's favorites, because they came from Rachel.

(25) Soon after Joseph was born to Rachel, Jacob said to Laban, "I want to go back home*.

*home: Literally "to my country". After 14 years, Jacob still called the Promised Land "my country".

(26) Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them from you, and let me be on my way. You know I have fully paid for them with my service to you."

   Evidently, the 14 years are over and he's paid for his wives.

(27) "Please don't leave me," Laban replied, "for I have learned by divination* that the LORD has blessed me because you are here.

*divination: Laban practiced occult divination. Genesis 31:30 - Laban said, "I know you feel you must go, and you long intensely for your childhood home, but why have you stolen my household gods?" Laban was an idol worshipper! For the first time, Laban acknowledges his great fortune brought to him by having Jacob working for him. Hopefully, we have the same effect on those we work for.

(28) How much do I owe you? Whatever it is, I'll pay it."

(29) Jacob replied, "You know how faithfully I've served you through these many years, and how your flocks and herds have grown.

   Jacob had already served fourteen years; and had gotten nothing extra, though he now had a family of twelve children, eleven sons and one daughter, besides his two wives, and their two hand-maid slaves, and other servants.

(30) You had little indeed before I came, and your wealth has increased enormously. The LORD has blessed you from everything I do! But now, what about me? When should I provide for my own family?"

   Jacob had arrived there penniless and doesn't want to go back home in the same condition.

(31) "What wages do you want?" Laban asked again. Jacob replied, "Don't give me anything at all. Just do one thing, and I'll go back to work for you.

(32) Let me go out among your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the dark-colored sheep. Give them to me as my wages.

(33) This will make it easy for you to see whether or not I have been honest. If you find in my flock any white sheep or goats that are not speckled, you will know that I have stolen them from you."

   We seem to see a new Jacob here. The hardship was making him softer. Jacob is ready to trust God.

(34) "All right," Laban replied. "It will be as you have said."

   He struck the deal very quickly, perhaps being unable to believe Jacob would make such a ridiculous choice. All he wanted were what Laban considered the mis-breeds, because they were not a solid color.

(35) But that very day Laban went out and removed all the male goats that were speckled and spotted, the females that were speckled and spotted with any white patches, and all the dark-colored sheep. He placed them in the care of his sons,

   Apparently, most of the sheep were white, most of the goats were black and most of the cattle were brown.

(36) and they took them three *days' distance from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for Laban's flock.

*three days - far enough away to ensure Jacob couldn't use these for breeding. This should make it nearly impossible for Jacob to have anything but white sheep and goats! Additionally, Jacob is agreeing to replace or pay for any lost animals. Laban is thrilled because he thinks that Jacob is so dumb that he'll be in debt to Laban for the rest of his life!

   Jacob had agreed to take all the partly-colored for his wages. As he was now only beginning to act upon this agreement, consequently none of the cattle as yet belonged to him; therefore Laban separated from the flock, verse 35, all such cattle as Jacob might afterwards claim in consequence of his bargain, (for as yet he had no right;) therefore, Jacob commenced his service to Laban with a flock that did not contain a single animal of the description of those to which he might be entitled; and the others were sent away under the care of Laban's sons, three days' journey from those of which Jacob had the care. The bargain was entirely in Laban's favor.

   So there would be no mixing of the flocks, Laban's sons took care of all the existing speckled and spotted sheep and goats, keeping them a three-day journey from the main flock. Jacob himself would take care of the solid-colored flock of Laban, as well as their speckled and spotted offspring, which belonged to him.

   In this area, sheep are almost always white. Jacob proposes that he be given all the "defective" sheep, the speckled, spotted or dark colored lamb and any speckled or spotted goats. In the future only these sheep and goats will belong to Jacob. Anytime Laban was concerned that Jacob was cheating him, all he had to do was go to Jacob's pen and see if any white sheep were there. It sounded like a good deal to Laban. So what does he do?

   Laban wasn't holding these animals in escrow for Jacob. He was making sure there were no speckled, spotted or dark colored animals. He was ripping Jacob off once again. Jacob begins his new independence with nothing. Jacob is still the victim.

(37) Now Jacob took fresh shoots from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of the bark to make white streaks on them.

(38) Then he set up these peeled branches beside the watering troughs so Laban's flocks would see them as they came to drink, for that was when they mated.

(39) So when the flocks mated in front of the white-streaked branches, all of their offspring were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

(40) Jacob added them to his own flock, thus separating the lambs from Laban's flock. Then at mating time, he turned the flocks toward the streaked and dark-colored rams in Laban's flock. This is how he built his flock from Laban's.

(41) Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob set up the peeled branches in front of them.

(42) But he didn't do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob's.

   Laban (by divination, verse 27) and Jacob (by magical power of suggestion, vss. 37-342) used pagan superstition to accomplish their purposes. However, by reporting such practices, Moses is not expressing his own belief in their validity, commending their use, or encouraging his readers to adopt them.

   Jacob involves himself in the practice of local superstitions. The reason for his prosperity, however, was a result of the blessing of God, and not related to any of his unscientific breeding techniques or superstitious activities.

   The Bible often records the activities of men without endorsing their actions.

   Look at Genesis 31:9-13. Jacob is trying to convince his wives that it is time for them to leave. He refers to the "flock building exercise" this way, “For if he said the speckled animals were mine, the whole flock began to produce speckled lambs. And when he changed his mind and said I could have the streaked ones, then all the lambs were born streaked. In this way, God has made me wealthy at your father's expense. During the mating season, I had a dream and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. Then in my dream, the angel of God said to me, `Jacob!' And I replied, `Yes, I'm listening!' The angel said, `Look, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted males are mating with the females of your flock. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you. I am the God you met at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made a vow to serve me. Now leave this country and return to the land you came from.'"

Deuteronomy 32:35 - "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.'"

   Jacob says that the idea about being paid with "defective" animals was God's idea. God was the one that was making it happen. It seems apparent that God told Jacob to do what he did.

Clyde M. Woods says:
   "There seems to be no valid scientific evidence that the procedure Jacob followed would ordinarily work, although ancient peoples had confidence in such devices. Later, Jacob learned that his success was due, not to his ingenious and somewhat questionable devices, but rather to God's providential care which prevented Laban from defrauding him (see Genesis 31:7,9,12)."

   "God blessed Jacob in spite of his superstitious use of the stripped rods of poplar, almond, and chestnut. Jacob's scheme probably depended upon a faulty notion that vivid visual impressions during the act of reproduction determined the traits of the offspring. He may have thought that placing the varying rods in front of mating animals would result in unusually colored animals through some sort of hocus-pocus. God seems to have blessed Jacob in spite of his earthly scheming (Genesis 31:11-12). This fits into a broader scheme that runs throughout Jacob's life."

(43) As a result, Jacob's flocks increased rapidly, and he became very wealthy, with many servants, camels, and donkeys.

   The ancient Hebrew says, "the man burst out exceedingly exceedingly." God blessed Jacob, but it was not because Jacob was especially good. It was because of the promises God made to Jacob in Bethel (Genesis 28:13-15) and the covenant made to Abraham.

   In the same way, blessing comes from the Lord to us, not because we are great or good, but because of the covenant God has made with us through Jesus, and promises He has given us in His word.

   What are the lessons learned here that we can apply to our own lives?

RESOURCES:

• “BibleGateway.com”


• “Bible.org”


• "Clarke's Commentary - Genesis 30"


• “Gleanings in Genesis”


• "Heartlight’s Search God’s Word"


• “New Living Translation” – Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.


• “New International Biblical Commentary - Genesis” – John E. Hartley – Hendrickson Publishers


• “Scriptures for the Whole House of Israel


• “The Genesis Record” – Henry M. Morris – Baker Book House