1 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren.
And his brethren envied him; but his father kept the saying in mind.
Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?
But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.
envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, `a repentance' which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy food.
Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man-child is born unto thee; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which Jehovah overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear a cry in the morning, and shouting at noontime; because he slew me not from the womb; and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was still some distance to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; for now thou shalt have another son. And it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-oni: but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath (the same is Beth-lehem).
A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh; But envy is the rottenness of the bones.
Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the ghost.
For vexation killeth the foolish man, And jealousy slayeth the silly one.
Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me?
After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job answered and said: Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night which said, There is a man-child conceived.
And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Jehovah had shut up her womb. And her rival provoked her sore, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb. And `as' he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Jehovah, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
And Moses said unto him, Art thou jealous for my sake? would that all Jehovah's people were prophets, that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 30
Commentary on Genesis 30 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 30
In this chapter we have an account of the increase,
Gen 30:1-13
We have here the bad consequences of that strange marriage which Jacob made with the two sisters. Here is,
Gen 30:14-24
Here is,
Gen 30:25-36
We have here,
Gen 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,