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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 30

Chapter 30 In this chapter we have an account of the increase, I. Of Jacob's family. Eight children more we find registered in this chapter; Dan and Naphtali by Bilhah, Rachel's maid, Gen. 30:1-8. Gad and Asher by Zilpah, Leah's maid, Gen. 30:9-13. Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah, by Leah, Gen. 30:14-21. And, last of all, Joseph, by Rachel, Gen. 30:22-24. II. Of Jacob's estate. He makes a new bargain with Laban, Gen. 30:25-34. And in the six years? further service he did to Laban God wonderfully... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 30:1-13

We have here the bad consequences of that strange marriage which Jacob made with the two sisters. Here is, I. An unhappy disagreement between him and Rachel (Gen. 30:1, 2), occasioned, not so much by her own barrenness as by her sister's fruitfulness. Rebekah, the only wife of Isaac, was long childless, and yet we find no uneasiness between her and Isaac; but here, because Leah bears children, Rachel cannot live peaceably with Jacob. 1. Rachel frets. She envied her sister, Gen. 30:1. Envy is... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 30:14-24

Here is, I. Leah fruitful again, after she had, for some time, left off bearing. Jacob, it should seem, associated more with Rachel than with Leah. The law of Moses supposes it a common case that, if a man had two wives, one would be beloved and the other hated, Deut. 21:15. But at length Rachel's strong passions betrayed her into a bargain with Leah that Jacob should return to her apartment. Reuben, a little lad, five or six years old, playing in the field, found mandrakes, dudaim. It is... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 30:25-36

We have here, I. Jacob's thoughts of home. He faithfully served his time out with Laban, even his second apprenticeship, though he was an old man, had a large family to provide for, and it was high time for him to set up for himself. Though Laban's service was hard, and he had cheated him in the first bargain he had made, yet Jacob honestly performs his engagements. Note, A good man, though he swear to his own hurt, will not change. And though others have deceived us this will not justify us... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 30:37-43

Here is Jacob's honest policy to make his bargain more advantageous to himself than it was likely to be. If he had not taken some course to help himself, it would have been a bad bargain indeed, which he knew Laban would never consider, or rather would be well pleased to see him a loser by, so little did Laban consult any one's interest but his own. Now Jacob's contrivances were, 1. To set peeled sticks before the cattle where they were watered, that, looking much at those unusual... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 30 This chapter gives an account of Rachel's envy of her sister for her fruitfulness, and of her earnest desire of having children, which she expressed to Jacob in an unbecoming manner, for which he reproved her, Genesis 30:1 , of her giving her maid Bilhah to Jacob, by whom he had two sons, Dan and Naphtali, Genesis 30:3 ; and of Leah's giving her maid Zilpah to him, by whom he had two other sons, Gad and Asher, Genesis 30:9 ; and of Reuben's mandrakes he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:1

And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children ,.... In the space of three or four years after marriage, and when her sister Leah had had four sons: Rachel envied her sister ; the honour she had of bearing children, and the pleasure in nursing and bringing them up, when she lay under the reproach of barrenness: or, "she emulated her sisters" F26 תקנא "aemulata est", Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Schmidt. ; was desirous of having children even as she, which she... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:2

And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel ,.... Whom yet he dearly loved, hearing her talk in such an extravagant manner, as her words seemed to be, and were not: only expressive of great uneasiness and impatience, but implied what was not in the power of man to do: and he said, am I in God's stead : do you take me to be God, or one that has a dispensing power from him to do what otherwise no creature can do; and which also he never gives to any? for, as the Targum of Jerusalem on ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:3

And she said ,.... in order to pacify Jacob, and explain her meaning to him; which was, not that she thought it was in his power to make her the mother of children, but that he would think of some way or another of obtaining children for her, that might go for hers; so the Arabic version, "obtain a son for me": but, since no method occurred to him, she proposes one: behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her , take her and use her as thy wife: and she shall bear upon my knees ; either sit... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:4

And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid ,.... To be enjoyed as a wife, though she was no other than a concubine; yet such were sometimes called wives, and were secondary ones, and were under the proper lawful wife, nor did their children inherit; but those which Jacob had by his wives' maids did inherit with the rest: and Jacob went in unto her ; consenting to what Rachel his wife proposed to him: having concubines, as well as more wives than one, were not thought criminal in those times,... read more

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