| Gen. 29:30-31
|
"Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served Laban still another seven years. When the Lord saw that Leah was *unloved (Lit. hated) He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren."
 Note: Laban had given Leah to Jacob as bride instead of Rachel whom he had labored seven years for. When Jacob realized it, he hated Leah. He had to fulfill a week of marriage with Leah to get Rachel, and served a another seven years for her. |
| Gen. 29:32 |
"So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name *Reuben; (Lit. See, a Son) for she said, 'The Lord has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.' " |
| Gen. 29:33 |
"Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Because the Lord has heard that I am *unloved, (Lit. hated) He has therefore given me this son also.' And she called his name *Simeon." (Lit. Hearing) |
| Gen. 29:34 |
"She conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sone.' Therefore his name was called *Levi." (Lit. Attached) |
| Gen. 29:35 |
"And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Now I will praise the Lord.' Therefore she called his name *Judah. (Lit. Praise) Then she stopped bearing."
Note: Rachel wants to bear children so she gives her maid, Bilhah, to Jacob as wife to give her children.
|
| Gen. 30:5-6 |
"And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, 'God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.' Therefore she called his name *Dan." (Lit. Judge) |
| Gen. 30:7-8 |
"And Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, 'With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.' So she called his name *Naphtali." (Lit. My Wrestling) |
| Gen. 30:9-11 |
"When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, 'A troop comes!' So she called his name *Gad." (Lit. Troop or Fortune) |
| Gen. 30:12-13 |
"And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, 'I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.' So she called his name *Asher." (Lit. Happy) |
| Gen. 30:14-18 |
"Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, 'Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.' But she said to her, 'Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?' And Rachel said, 'Therefore he will lie with you tonight for you son's mandrakes.' When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, 'You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes.' And he lay with her that night. And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, 'God has given me my hire, because I have given my maid to my husband.' So she called his name *Issachar. (Man of Hire) |
| Gen. 30:19-20 |
"Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. And Leah said, 'God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.' So she called his name *Zebulun." (Dwelling)
|
| Gen. 30:22-24 |
"Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said 'God has taken away my reproach.' So she called his name *Joseph, (may He (Yahweh) add) and said, 'The Lord sahll add to me another son.' " |
| Gen. 31:19 |
"Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father's."
Note: Jacob flees, to go back to his homeland, and Laban follows to confront him about his idols. |
| Gen. 31:32 |
" 'With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.' For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them." |
| Gen. 35:16-18 |
"Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel travailed in childbirth, and she had hard labor. Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, 'Do not fear; you will have this son also.' And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name *Ben-Oni: (son of my sorrow) but his father called him Benjamin." (son of the right hand)
Note: God gave Rachel grace to have her son before she died. It was her taking her father's idols that caused Jacob to put the curse on her that lead to her death. What a price to pay for idols.
|
