Genesis 30:14-19

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 30:14

And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest ,.... Leah's eldest son, who is supposed to be at this time about four or five years of age F5 Shalshaley Hakabala, fol. 3. 2. , who went out from the tent to the field, to play there perhaps; and this was at the time of wheat harvest, in the month Sivan, as the Targum of Jonathan, which answers to part of our May; a time of the year when the earth is covered with flowers: and found mandrakes in the field ; the flowers or fruit of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:15

And she said unto her ,.... Leah to Rachel, taking this opportunity to bring out a thing which had some time lain with uneasiness upon her mind: is it a small thing that thou hast taken away my husband ? got the greatest share of his affections, and had most of his company; which last was very probably the case, and more so, since Leah had left off bearing; and this she could not well stomach, and therefore upon this trifling occasion outs with it: and wouldest thou take away my... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:16

And Jacob came out of the field in the evening ,.... From feeding his flocks: and Leah went out to meet him ; knowing full well the time he used to come home: and said, thou must come in unto me ; into her tent, for the women had separate tents from the men; as Sarah from Abraham; and so these wives of Jacob had not only tents separate from his, but from one another: for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes : that is, she had hired that night's lodging with him of... 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 Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:18

And Leah said, God hath given me my hire ,.... Of the mandrakes with which she had hired of Rachel a night's lodging with Jacob, and for which she had a sufficient recompense, by the son that God had given her: and she added another reason, and a very preposterous one, and shows she put a wrong construction on the blessing she received: because I have given my maiden to my husband ; which, she judged, was so well pleasing to God, that he had rewarded her with another son: and she... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 30:19

And Leah conceived again ,.... For bearing children Jacob took more to her, and more frequently attended her apartment and bed: and bare Jacob a sixth son ; the sixth by her, but the tenth by her and his two maids. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 30:14

Reuben - found mandrakes - דודאים dudaim . What these were is utterly unknown, and learned men have wasted much time and pains in endeavoring to guess out a probable meaning. Some translate the word lilies, others jessamine, others citrons, others mushrooms, others figs, and some think the word means flowers, or fine flowers in general. Hasselquist, the intimate friend and pupil of Linne, who traveled into the Holy Land to make discoveries in natural history, imagines that the plant... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 30:15

Thou hast taken my husband - It appears probable that Rachel had found means to engross the whole of Jacob's affection and company, and that she now agreed to let him visit the tent of Leah, on account of receiving some of the fruits or plants which Reuben had found. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 30:16

I have hired thee - We may remark among the Jewish women an intense desire of having children; and it seems to have been produced, not from any peculiar affection for children, but through the hope of having a share in the blessing of Abraham, by bringing forth Him in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed. read more

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