About Genesis

Genesis is the book of beginnings, recording the creation of the world, the origin of humanity, the entrance of sin, and the beginning of God's plan of redemption through the family of Abraham.

Author: MosesWritten: c. 1445-1405 BCReading time: ~5 minVerses: 43
CreationFall of ManCovenantFaithProvidenceRedemption

King James Version

Genesis 30

43 verses with commentary

Jacob's Children

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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, ...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

**XXX.** (1) **Give me children, or else I die.**—There is an Oriental proverb that a childless person is as good as dead; and this was probably Rachel’s meaning, and not that she should die of vexation. Great as was the affliction to a Hebrew woman of being barren (1Samuel 1:10), yet there is a painful petulance and peevishness about Rachel’s words, in strong contrast with Hannah’s patient suffer...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**4. Jacob said, My brethren--**Finding from the shepherds who were reposing there with flocks and who all belonged to Haran, that his relatives in Haran were well and that one of the family was shortly expected, he enquired why they were idling the best part of the day there instead of watering their flocks and sending them back to pasture.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
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And 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?

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld fr...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
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And 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. have: Heb. be built by her

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may al...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(3) **Behold my maid Bilhàh.**—Rachel had little excuse for this action; for there was no religious hope involved, as when Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham (Genesis 16:2), but solely vexation at her own barrenness, and envy of her sister. All that can be said in her defence is, that the custom existed, and, perhaps, because it was distasteful to the wife, was looked upon as meritorious (Genesis 30:18)....
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
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And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br>...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
Read full commentary →

And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br><br>Key themes include God's s...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**8. They said, We cannot, until all the flocks be gathered--**In order to prevent the consequences of too frequent exposure in places where water is scarce, the well is not only covered, but it is customary to have all the flocks collected round it before the covering is removed in presence of the owner or one of his representatives; and it was for this reason that those who were reposing at the ...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
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And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. Dan: that is, Judging

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefor...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(6) **God hath judged me.**—Rachel has no misgivings herself as to the rectitude of her conduct, and by the name she gives the child, she affirms that God also had given a decision in her favour; for “Dan” means *judging. *While, too, Leah had spoken of Jehovah, Rachel speaks of Elohim, not merely because she could not expect a child of Bilhah to be the ancestor of the Messiah, but because she was...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**9-11. While he yet spake with them, Rachel came--**Among the pastoral tribes the young unmarried daughters of the greatest sheiks tend the flocks, going out at sunrise and continuing to watch their fleecy charges till sunset. Watering them, which is done twice a day, is a work of time and labor, and Jacob rendered no small service in volunteering his aid to the young shepherdess. The interview w...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
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And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br><br...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**9-11. While he yet spake with them, Rachel came--**Among the pastoral tribes the young unmarried daughters of the greatest sheiks tend the flocks, going out at sunrise and continuing to watch their fleecy charges till sunset. Watering them, which is done twice a day, is a work of time and labor, and Jacob rendered no small service in volunteering his aid to the young shepherdess. The interview w...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
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And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. great: Heb. wrestlings of God Naphtali: that is, My wrestling: Gr. Nephthalim

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(8) **With great wrestlings.**—Heb., *wrestlings of God, *but the Authorised Version undoubtedly gives the right sense. (See Note on Genesis 23:6.) By *wrestling, *some commentators understand prayer, but the connection of the two ideas of wrestling and prayer is taken from Genesis 32:24, where an entirely different verb is used. Rachel’s was a discreditable victory, won by making use of a bad cus...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**9-11. While he yet spake with them, Rachel came--**Among the pastoral tribes the young unmarried daughters of the greatest sheiks tend the flocks, going out at sunrise and continuing to watch their fleecy charges till sunset. Watering them, which is done twice a day, is a work of time and labor, and Jacob rendered no small service in volunteering his aid to the young shepherdess. The interview w...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
Read full commentary →

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

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graci...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(9-13) **Leah **. . . **took Zilpah . . . —**By ceasing to bear, Leah had lost her one hold upon her husband’s affection, and to regain it she follows Rachel’s example. The struggle of these two women for the husband gives us a strange picture of manners and morals, but must not be judged by our standard. Leah herself regards the bestowal of her handmaid upon Jacob as a deserving act of self-sacri...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**12. Jacob told Rachel, &amp;c.--**According to the practice of the East, the term "brother" is extended to remote degrees of relationship, as uncle, cousin, or nephew.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
Read full commentary →

And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br><br>Key themes include God's sove...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
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And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad. Gad: that is, A troop, or, company

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br><br>Key themes...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14-20. he abode a month--**Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was t...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
Read full commentary →

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

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br><br>Key themes include God...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14-20. he abode a month--**Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was t...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
Read full commentary →

And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher. Happy: Heb. In my happiness Asher: that is, Happy

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God gr...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14-20. he abode a month--**Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was t...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Chapter 30 Chapter Outline A further account of Jacob's family.(1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph.(14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle.(25-43) **Verses 1-13** Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the di...
Read full commentary →

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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unt...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(14) **Reuben went . . . —**When Leah ceased from bearing, there would be a considerable interval before she and Jacob gave up all expectation of further seed by her. Slowly and unwillingly she would substitute Zilpah for herself, and there would then be a further period of three or four years, to give time for the birth of Gad and Asher: and as Jacob at this time utterly neglected Leah, we do not...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14-20. he abode a month--**Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was t...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
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And 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take ...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14-20. he abode a month--**Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was t...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
Read full commentary →

And 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must c...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14-20. he abode a month--**Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was t...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
Read full commentary →

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

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms....
Read full commentary →

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**14-20. he abode a month--**Among pastoral people a stranger is freely entertained for three days; on the fourth day he is expected to tell his name and errand; and if he prolongs his stay after that time, he must set his hand to work in some way, as may be agreed upon. A similar rule obtained in Laban's establishment, and the wages for which his nephew engaged to continue in his employment was t...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
Read full commentary →

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

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she call...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(18) **Issachar.**—Heb., *there is hire. *As is so often the case in Hebrew names, there is a double play in the word: for, first, it alluded to the strange fact that Jacob had been hired of Rachel by the mandrakes; but, secondly, Leah gives it a higher meaning, “for God,” she says, “hath given me my hire.” In her eyes the birth of her fifth son was a Divine reward for the self-sacrifice involved ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**21. Jacob said, Give me my wife--**At the expiry of the stipulated term the marriage festivities were held. But an infamous fraud was practised on Jacob, and on his showing a righteous indignation, the usage of the country was pleaded in excuse. No plea of kindred should ever be allowed to come in opposition to the claim of justice. But this is often overlooked by the selfish mind of man, and fa...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
Read full commentary →

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

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br><br>Key themes inc...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
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And 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. Zebulun: that is, Dwelling: Gr. Zabulon

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I ha...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(20) **Zebulun.**—Leah is more than usually obscure in the reasons she gives for this name; for she plays upon two words, which probably both belonged to the Mesopotamian *pato is: *and as this was a Syriac dialect, we must look to that language for their explanation. The first is *zebed; *and here there is no difficulty. It means such presents as a father gives his daughter on her marriage, over ...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
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And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah. Dinah: that is Judgment

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br><br>Key the...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(21) **Dinah.**—That *is, judgment. *(See Note on Genesis 30:6.) The birth of Dinah is chronicled because it led to Simeon and Levi forfeiting the birthright. Jacob had other daughters (Genesis 37:35; Genesis 46:7), but the birth of a girl is regarded in the East as a misfortune; no feast is made, and no congratulations offered to the parents.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
Read full commentary →

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

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br>...
Read full commentary →

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(22-24) **God remembered Rachel.**—Rachel’s long barrenness had probably humbled and disciplined her; and, cured of her former petulance, she trusts no longer to “love-apples,” but looks to God for the great blessing of children. He hearkens to her prayer, and remembers her. (Comp. 1Samuel 1:19.) In calling his name Joseph, there is again a play upon two words, for it may be formed from the verb u...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
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And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms....
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
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And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son. Joseph: that is, Adding

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transform...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 14-24** The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, ...
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Jacob Prospers

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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I m...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

JACOB SERVES LABAN SIX YEARS FOR WAGES. (25) **Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away.**—After Jacob had served Laban fourteen years for his two daughters, he continued with him for twenty years without any settled hire, receiving merely maintenance for himself and family. During most of this time he would be too encumbered with pregnant wives and young children to wish to take so long a journey. (Se...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**28. gave him Rachel also--**It is evident that the marriage of both sisters took place nearly about the same time, and that such a connection was then allowed, though afterwards prohibited (Le 18:18).

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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Give 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my se...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**29. gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah to be her maid--**A father in good circumstances still gives his daughter from his household a female slave, over whom the young wife, independently of her husband, has the absolute control.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learne...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(27) **I have learned by experience.**—Heb., *I have divined. *The verb means, *to speak between the teeth; to mutter magical formulœ. *Others wrongly suppose that it signifies “to divine by omens taken from serpents;” and some imagine that Laban had consulted his teraphim. Words of this sort lose, at a very early date, their special signification, and all that Laban means is—“I fancy,” I conjectu...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br><br>Key themes incl...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**31. Leah ... hated--**that is, not loved so much as she ought to have been. Her becoming a mother ensured her rising in the estimation both of her husband and of society.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciousl...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**32-35. son ... his name Reuben--**Names were also significant; and those which Leah gave to her sons were expressive of her varying feelings of thankfulness or joy, or allusive to circumstances in the history of the family. There was piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to names, as it tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his duty and the claims of God.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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For 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? increased: Heb. broken forth since: Heb. at my foot

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the ...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(30) **It was little.**—The Rabbins see proof of this in Laban’s sheep being kept by a young girl like Rachel (Genesis 29:9). **It is now increased.**—Heb., *broken forth, *spread itself abroad with irresistible might. (Comp. Exodus 1:12.) **Since my coming.**—Heb., *at my foot. *This answers to “before I came” (Heb., *before me*) in the first clause. “It was little that thou hadst before me, and ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**32-35. son ... his name Reuben--**Names were also significant; and those which Leah gave to her sons were expressive of her varying feelings of thankfulness or joy, or allusive to circumstances in the history of the family. There was piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to names, as it tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his duty and the claims of God.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And 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:

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt ...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**32-35. son ... his name Reuben--**Names were also significant; and those which Leah gave to her sons were expressive of her varying feelings of thankfulness or joy, or allusive to circumstances in the history of the family. There was piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to names, as it tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his duty and the claims of God.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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I 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, ...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(32) **The speckled and spotted cattle (sheep)**.—In the East sheep are generally white, and goats black or brown. Jacob, therefore, proposes that all such shall belong to Laban, but that the parti-coloured should be his hire. By “speckled” are meant those sheep and goats that had small spots upon their coats, and by “spotted,” those that had large patches of another colour. Besides these, Jacob i...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**32-35. son ... his name Reuben--**Names were also significant; and those which Leah gave to her sons were expressive of her varying feelings of thankfulness or joy, or allusive to circumstances in the history of the family. There was piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to names, as it tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his duty and the claims of God.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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So 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. in time: Heb. to morrow

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy f...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God graciously transforms.<br><br>Key...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 30 Ge 30:1-24. Domestic Jealousies. **1. Rachel envied her sister--**The maternal relation confers a high degree of honor in the East, and the want of that status is felt as a stigma and deplored as a grievous calamity. **Give me children, or else I die--**either be reckoned as good as dead, or pine away from vexation. The intense anxiety of Hebrew women for children arose from the hope...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that w...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(35) **And he removed.**—The question has been asked whether it was Jacob or Laban who made the division, and whether Jacob was to have all such sheep and goats as were parti-coloured already, or such only as should be born afterwards. The authors of the Authorised Version evidently thought that Laban himself removed all speckled sheep and goats, and kept them; but the Hebrew is by no means so muc...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks....</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God ...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(36) **He set three days’ journey betwixt himself and Jacob.**—This means that Laban required that there should be an interval of between thirty and forty miles between “himself,” that is, his flocks, and those of Jacob. His wealth in sheep and goats must have been enormous to require so large a separate feeding-ground; and this we learn from Genesis 30:30 had been the result of Jacob’s care. The ...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3-9. Bilhah ... Zilpah--**Following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, an example which is not seldom imitated still, she adopted the children of her maid. Leah took the same course. A bitter and intense rivalry existed between them, all the more from their close relationship as sisters; and although they occupied separate apartments, with their families, as is the uniform custom where a...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(37) **And Jacob took him rods . . . —**Jacob’s plan was to place before the ewes and she-goats at breeding time objects of a speckled colour, and as he put them at their watering-place, where everything was familiar to them, they would, with the usual curiosity of these animals, gaze upon them intently, with the result, physically certain to follow, that many of them would bear speckled young. **...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3-9. Bilhah ... Zilpah--**Following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, an example which is not seldom imitated still, she adopted the children of her maid. Leah took the same course. A bitter and intense rivalry existed between them, all the more from their close relationship as sisters; and although they occupied separate apartments, with their families, as is the uniform custom where a...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs whe...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(38) **In the gutters . . . —**Heb., *in the troughs at the watering-places. *So virtually all the versions; and see Exodus 2:16, where the word rendered here “gutters” is rightly translated *troughs. *The idea that there were gutters through which to pour the water into the troughs is utterly modern, but all travellers describe the fixed troughs put for the convenience of the cattle round the wel...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3-9. Bilhah ... Zilpah--**Following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, an example which is not seldom imitated still, she adopted the children of her maid. Leah took the same course. A bitter and intense rivalry existed between them, all the more from their close relationship as sisters; and although they occupied separate apartments, with their families, as is the uniform custom where a...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotte...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3-9. Bilhah ... Zilpah--**Following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, an example which is not seldom imitated still, she adopted the children of her maid. Leah took the same course. A bitter and intense rivalry existed between them, all the more from their close relationship as sisters; and although they occupied separate apartments, with their families, as is the uniform custom where a...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all th...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(40) **Jacob . . . set the faces of the flocks toward . . . —**As the speckled lambs and kids would for some time remain with Labau’s flocks, this may perhaps mean that, when driving them to water, Jacob placed all the striped kids and dark lambs together, that, by being in a mass, they might work upon the imagination of the ewes and she-goats. Finally, after these had conceived he drove the parti...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3-9. Bilhah ... Zilpah--**Following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, an example which is not seldom imitated still, she adopted the children of her maid. Leah took the same course. A bitter and intense rivalry existed between them, all the more from their close relationship as sisters; and although they occupied separate apartments, with their families, as is the uniform custom where a...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And 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.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before th...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(41, 42) **The stronger cattle . . .** **when the cattle were feeble.**—The words for “strong” and “feeble” are literally *bound *and *covered, *so that evidently we have technical terms, which Onkelos and the Syriac explain of the females at the two breeding seasons. The ewes in the spring, after the cold season, are *bound, *firmly knit together, and the lambs strong and healthy. The other word,...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3-9. Bilhah ... Zilpah--**Following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, an example which is not seldom imitated still, she adopted the children of her maid. Leah took the same course. A bitter and intense rivalry existed between them, all the more from their close relationship as sisters; and although they occupied separate apartments, with their families, as is the uniform custom where a...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger J...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**3-9. Bilhah ... Zilpah--**Following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, an example which is not seldom imitated still, she adopted the children of her maid. Leah took the same course. A bitter and intense rivalry existed between them, all the more from their close relationship as sisters; and although they occupied separate apartments, with their families, as is the uniform custom where a...
Read full commentary →

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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And the man increased exceedingly , and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

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KJV Study Commentary

<strong>And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camel...</strong> This passage belongs to the Jacob narratives which demonstrate God's sovereign election overriding human merit and the transformation of a deceiver into Israel, the father of the twelve tribes. The Jacob cycle shows how divine purposes advance through flawed individuals whom God...
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Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(43) **The man increased exceedingly.**—Heb., *broke forth, *as in Genesis 30:30. Wool, as the chief material for clothing, is a very valuable commodity in the East, and by the sale of it Jacob would obtain means for the purchase of male and female servants and camels. The latter were especially valuable for purposes of commerce, in which Jacob evidently was actively engaged, and whence probably c...
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

**Verses 25-43** The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted hone...
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