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Genesis 29:31-30:24
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he made her fruitful, while Rachel was barren. 32 Leah conceived and bore a son, and she named him Reuben;[a] for she said, “It means, ‘The Lord saw my misery; surely now my husband will love me.’”(A) 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “It means, ‘The Lord heard that I was unloved,’ and therefore he has given me this one also”; so she named him Simeon.[b] 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, since I have now borne him three sons”; that is why she named him Levi.[c] 35 Once more she conceived and bore a son, and she said, “This time I will give thanks to the Lord”; therefore she named him Judah.[d] Then she stopped bearing children.(B)

Chapter 30

1 When Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Jacob, she became envious of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children or I shall die!”(C) 2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Can I take the place of God, who has denied you the fruit of the womb?”(D) 3 She replied, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Have intercourse with her, and let her give birth on my knees,[e] so that I too may have children through her.”(E) 4 So she gave him her maidservant Bilhah as wife,[f] and Jacob had intercourse with her. 5 When Bilhah conceived and bore a son for Jacob, 6 Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; indeed he has heeded my plea and given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan.[g] 7 Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah conceived again and bore a second son for Jacob, 8 and Rachel said, “I have wrestled strenuously with my sister, and I have prevailed.” So she named him Naphtali.[h]

9 When Leah saw that she had ceased to bear children, she took her maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as wife. 10 So Leah’s maidservant Zilpah bore a son for Jacob. 11 Leah then said, “What good luck!” So she named him Gad.[i] 12 Then Leah’s maidservant Zilpah bore a second son to Jacob; 13 and Leah said, “What good fortune, because women will call me fortunate!” So she named him Asher.[j]

14 One day, during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and came upon some mandrakes[k] in the field which he brought home to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 Leah replied, “Was it not enough for you to take away my husband, that you must now take my son’s mandrakes too?” Rachel answered, “In that case Jacob may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 That evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to meet him. She said, “You must have intercourse with me, because I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So that night he lay with her, 17 and God listened to Leah; she conceived and bore a fifth son to Jacob. 18 Leah then said, “God has given me my wages for giving my maidservant to my husband”; so she named him Issachar.[l] 19 Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob; 20 and Leah said, “God has brought me a precious gift. This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons”; so she named him Zebulun.[m] 21 Afterwards she gave birth to a daughter, and she named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel. God listened to her and made her fruitful. 23 She conceived and bore a son, and she said, “God has removed my disgrace.”(F) 24 She named him Joseph,[n] saying, “May the Lord add another son for me!”

Jacob Outwits Laban.[o]

Footnotes

  1. 29:32 Reuben: the literal meaning of the Hebrew name is disputed. One interpretation is re’u ben, “look, a son!”, but here in Genesis (as also with the names of all the other sons of Jacob), it is given a symbolic rather than an etymological interpretation. Name and person were regarded as closely interrelated. The symbolic interpretation of Reuben’s name, according to the Yahwist source, is based on the similar-sounding ra’a be‘onyi, “he saw my misery.” In the Elohist source, the name is explained by the similar-sounding ye’ehabani, “he will love me.”
  2. 29:33 Simeon: in popular etymology, related to shama‘, “he heard.”
  3. 29:34 Levi: related to yillaweh, “he will become attached.”
  4. 29:35 Judah: related to ’odeh, “I will give thanks, praise.”
  5. 30:3 On my knees: in the ancient Near East, a father would take a newborn child in his lap to signify that he acknowledged it as his own; Rachel uses the ceremony in order to adopt the child and establish her legal rights to it.
  6. 30:4 As wife: in 35:22 Bilhah is called a “concubine” (Heb. pilegesh). In v. 9, Zilpah is called “wife,” and in 37:2 both women are called wives. The basic difference between a wife and a concubine was that no bride price was paid for the latter. The interchange of terminology shows that there was some blurring in social status between the wife and the concubine.
  7. 30:6 Dan: explained by the term dannanni, “he has vindicated me.”
  8. 30:8 Naphtali: explained by the Hebrew term naftulim, lit., “contest” or “struggle.”
  9. 30:11 Gad: explained by the Hebrew term begad, lit., “in luck,” i.e., “what good luck!”
  10. 30:13 Asher: explained by the term be’oshri, lit., “in my good fortune,” i.e., “what good fortune,” and by the term ye’ashsheruni, “they call me fortunate.”
  11. 30:14 Mandrakes: an herb whose root was thought to promote conception. The Hebrew word for mandrakes, duda’im, has erotic connotations, since it sounds like the words daddayim (“breasts”) and dodim (“sexual pleasure”).
  12. 30:18 Issachar: explained by the terms, sekari, “my reward,” and in v. 16, sakor sekartika, “I have hired you.”
  13. 30:20 Zebulun: explained by the terms, zebadani…zebed tob, “he has brought me a precious gift,” and yizbeleni, “he will honor me.”
  14. 30:24 Joseph: explained by the words yosep, “may he add,” and in v. 23, ’asap, “he has removed.”
  15. 30:25–43 Jacob’s deception of Laban. Jacob has been living in Laban’s household as an indentured worker paying off the bride price. Having paid off all his obligations, he wants to settle his accounts with Laban. His many children attest to the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise of numerous progeny; the birth of Joseph to his beloved Rachel signals the fulfillment in a special way. To enter into the Lord’s second promise, the land, he must now return to Canaan.
Listen to Genesis 29:31-30:24, Genesis 35:16-19
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Genesis 29:31-30:24
New International Version

Jacob’s Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,(A) he enabled her to conceive,(B) but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.(C) She named him Reuben,[a](D) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.(E) Surely my husband will love me now.”

33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,(F) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.[b](G)

34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,(H) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.[c](I)

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[d](J) Then she stopped having children.(K)

30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children,(L) she became jealous of her sister.(M) So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God,(N) who has kept you from having children?”(O)

3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah,(P) my servant.(Q) Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”(R)

4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.(S) Jacob slept with her,(T) 5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;(U) he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”(V) Because of this she named him Dan.[e](W)

7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah(X) conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.”(Y) So she named him Naphtali.[f](Z)

9 When Leah(AA) saw that she had stopped having children,(AB) she took her servant Zilpah(AC) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.(AD) 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah(AE) bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”[g] So she named him Gad.[h](AF)

12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me(AG) happy.”(AH) So she named him Asher.[i](AI)

14 During wheat harvest,(AJ) Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants,(AK) which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough(AL) that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”

“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”(AM)

16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”(AN) So he slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah,(AO) and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.”(AP) So she named him Issachar.[j](AQ)

19 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor,(AR) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[k](AS)

21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.(AT)

22 Then God remembered Rachel;(AU) he listened to her(AV) and enabled her to conceive.(AW) 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son(AX) and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”(AY) 24 She named him Joseph,[l](AZ) and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”(BA)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:32 Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for he has seen my misery; the name means see, a son.
  2. Genesis 29:33 Simeon probably means one who hears.
  3. Genesis 29:34 Levi sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for attached.
  4. Genesis 29:35 Judah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for praise.
  5. Genesis 30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.
  6. Genesis 30:8 Naphtali means my struggle.
  7. Genesis 30:11 Or “A troop is coming!”
  8. Genesis 30:11 Gad can mean good fortune or a troop.
  9. Genesis 30:13 Asher means happy.
  10. Genesis 30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward.
  11. Genesis 30:20 Zebulun probably means honor.
  12. Genesis 30:24 Joseph means may he add.
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Genesis 28
Genesis 31
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Genesis 35:16-19
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Jacob’s Family. 16 Then they departed from Bethel; but while they still had some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel went into labor and suffered great distress. 17 When her labor was most intense, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now you have another son.” 18 With her last breath—for she was at the point of death—she named him Ben-oni;[a] but his father named him Benjamin. 19 Thus Rachel died; and she was buried on the road to Ephrath (now Bethlehem).[b](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 35:18 Ben-oni: means either “son of my vigor” or, more likely in the context, “son of affliction.” Benjamin: “son of the right hand,” meaning a son who is his father’s help and support.
  2. 35:19 Bethlehem: the gloss comes from a later tradition that identified the site with Bethlehem, also called Ephrath or Ephratha (Jos 15:59; Ru 4:11; Mi 5:1). But Rachel’s grave was actually near Ramah (Jer 31:15), a few miles north of Jerusalem, in the territory of Benjamin (1 Sm 10:2).
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Genesis 35:16-19
New International Version

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac(A)

16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,(B) Rachel(C) began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife(D) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”(E) 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[a](F) But his father named him Benjamin.[b](G)

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath(H) (that is, Bethlehem(I)).

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
  2. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.
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