Genesis 30:17 KJV

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:17

And God hearkened unto Leah ,.... To the prayer of Leah, as the Targum of Jonathan, for more children: the desire of these good women for the company of their husband was not from lust, or an amorous desire in them, but for the sake of having many children, as appears by giving their maids to him; and the reason of this was, as Bishop Patrick well observes, that the promise made to Abraham of the multiplication of his seed, and of the Messiah springing from thence, might be fulfilled; and is... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 30:17

Verse 17 17.And God hearkened unto Leah. Moses expressly declares this, in order that we may know how indulgently God dealt with that family. For who would have thought, that, while Leah was hatefully denying to her sister the fruits gathered by her boy, and was purchasing, by the price of those fruits, a night with her husband, there would be any place for prayers? Moses, therefore, teaches us, that pardon was granted for these faults, to prove that the Lord would not fail to complete his work... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 30:14-24

The story of the mandrakes. I. A YOUNG CHILD 'S INNOCENCE . "Reuben found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother." Nature, with its beautiful sights and harmonious sounds, possesses a wonderful fascination for the infant mind. In proportion as man sinks beneath the power of sin does he fall out of sympathy with God's fair world. Strong and tender is the bond of love which unites a child to its mother. The true depositary for a child's treasures is the mother's lap,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 30:17

And God hearkened unto Leah ,— i.e. unto Leah's prayers (Onkelos, Jerome, Rosenmüller, Murphy), which Calvin thinks doubtful—quis enim putaret, dum odiose sorori suae negat Lea fructus a puero collectos, et hoc pretio noctem mariti mercatur, ullum esse precibus locum . The historian employs the term Elohim to show that Leah's pregnancy was not owing to her son's mandrakes, but to Divine power (Keil, Lange)— and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son —or, counting Zilpah's, the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 30:1-43

- Jacob’s Family and Wealth6. דן dān, Dan, “judge, lord.”8. נפתלי naptālı̂y, Naphtali, “wrestling.”11. גד gād, Gad, “overcoming, victory.” בגד bāgād, “in victory or” =גד בא bā' gād, “victory cometh.” גוּד gûd, “press down.” גדוּד gedûd, “troop.”13. אשׁר 'ǎashēr, Asher, “prosperity, happiness.”18. ישׂשכר yı̂śāskār, Jissakar, “reward.” The second Hebrew letter (ש s) seems to have been merely a full mode of writing the word, instead of the abbreviated form ישׂכר yı̂śākār.20.... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Genesis 30:17

Genesis 30:17. God hearkened unto Leah And she was now blessed with two sons, the first of whom she called Issachar, hire, reckoning herself well repaid for her mandrakes; nay, (which was a strange construction of the providence,) rewarded for giving her maid to her husband. The other she called Zebulun, dwelling, owning God’s bounty to her, God has endowed me. Jacob had not endowed her when he married her; but she reckons a family of children a good dowry. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:1-24

Children born in Haran (29:31-30:24)Jacob’s coolness to Leah created unhappiness in his household. Leah’s desire for Jacob’s love is seen in the names she gave her first four sons (31-35). Rachel, feeling ashamed that she had not yet produced a child herself, gave her slave-girl to Jacob so that the slave-girl might produce a son whom Rachel could adopt as her own. The result was two sons (30:1-8; cf. 16:1-4). Leah, believing she was not able to have any more children, did the same, and soon... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 30:1-42

The last paragraph of the preceding chapter and most of this one relate the birth of the Twelve Patriarchs. The last section of this chapter (Genesis 30:24-43) relates Jacob's preparations to leave Laban and return to Canaan. As the birth of the antediluvian patriarchs was discussed earlier and presented by means of a chart, the Twelve Patriarchs of Israel will now be presented in much the same manner. It is not necessary to read over and over again that Jacob went in unto her ... and she... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 30:14-20

The mandrake, a member of the potato and tomato family, is a plant that bears bluish flowers in winter and yellowish plum-size fruit in summer. The fruit has a strong, pleasant fragrance, and was thought to help barren women conceive. Some Arabs still use it as an aphrodisiac and call it "devil’s apple" (cf. Song of Solomon 7:13). [Note: von Rad, p. 295. See H. Moldenke and A. Moldenke, Plants of the Bible, pp. 137-39; M. Zoary, Plants of the Bible, pp. 188-89.] "The outcome was ironical, the... read more